The Summary Journal 10

Educational Website Design Process: Changes in TPACK Competencies and Experience

 International Journal of Progressive Education, Volume 14 Number 1, 2018

 By Nezih Önal & Ecenaz Alemdağ

 Nigde Omer Halisdemir University & Middle East Technical University

Professional teaching courses that are taught at the faculties of education play an important role in pre-service teachers being able to integrate the education with information and communication technologies (ICT). One of the most important courses preparing pre-service teachers for the technological integration in Turkey is the Instructional Technology and Material Design (ITMD). The content of the course includes concepts about instructional technology, planning and implementing the proper technology, features of different instructional technologies and developing materials by using these technologies, and examining and evaluating the visual design principles and educational software (the Council of Higher Education, 2007). The vision set by the Ministry of National Education (2013) regarding the information technology in the Turkish educational system emphasizes the importance of this course on preparing prospective teachers for technology-integrated lessons.

The purpose of this research is to reveal the possible changes in the TPACK competencies of pre-service teachers in the process of designing an educational website within the scope of a course based on the TPACK model and the learning by design approach. This study also aims at reveal pre-service teachers' experiences in the design process. The design of the research is embedded mixed design wish is one of the mixed research methods. The research conducted with 28 pre-service teachers who were selected with the convenience sampling method and who registered in the Instructional Technology and Material Design (ITMD) course at the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) in a Turkish state university.

The researcher concluded that the learning by design approach brings pre-service teachers’ TPACK competencies in highly effective significant contributions. Moreover, it was revealed that the design process expands pre-service teachers’ schemes regarding the properties which digital instructional materials should possess. The research also enlightened the motivating factors such as receiving support and the challenging factors such not being able to use software for pre-service teachers in the design process. finally, the findings ware interpreted within the framework of TPACK and the learning by design approach and recommendations were made for futire practices and studies.