CIC2601
Assignment 3
Due 6 August 2025
, CIC2601
Assignment 3
DUE 6 August 2025
EXCEPTIONAL ANSWERS
Question 1: Fostering Higher-Order Cognitive Skills Through Digital Technologies
Integration of Digital Technologies
Digital technologies, when thoughtfully and purposefully integrated into teaching, can
significantly foster higher-order cognitive skills such as analysis, evaluation, and
creation, as outlined in Bloom’s revised taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
Central to this perspective is the assumption that technology is pedagogically neutral—it
does not inherently produce meaningful learning outcomes. Rather, its educational
value is shaped by how it is embedded within instructional design.
Interactive tools like PhET Simulations, Google Workspace, and learning management
systems such as Moodle enable active learner engagement. For example, PhET allows
learners to manipulate variables and observe outcomes in real time, encouraging
hypothesis testing, critical analysis, and iterative reasoning. These kinds of digital
interactions align with constructivist learning theories, where knowledge is constructed
through active inquiry.
Nevertheless, a key tension arises between the affordances of digital tools and their
actual classroom application. In many contexts, these technologies are underutilised or
repurposed for passive content delivery, such as through linear PowerPoint
presentations. This disconnect reveals a deeper pedagogical issue: meaningful learning
stems not from the tool itself but from its alignment with well-considered instructional
strategies. The assumption here is that educational technologies are only as powerful
as the pedagogy that informs their use.
Assignment 3
Due 6 August 2025
, CIC2601
Assignment 3
DUE 6 August 2025
EXCEPTIONAL ANSWERS
Question 1: Fostering Higher-Order Cognitive Skills Through Digital Technologies
Integration of Digital Technologies
Digital technologies, when thoughtfully and purposefully integrated into teaching, can
significantly foster higher-order cognitive skills such as analysis, evaluation, and
creation, as outlined in Bloom’s revised taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
Central to this perspective is the assumption that technology is pedagogically neutral—it
does not inherently produce meaningful learning outcomes. Rather, its educational
value is shaped by how it is embedded within instructional design.
Interactive tools like PhET Simulations, Google Workspace, and learning management
systems such as Moodle enable active learner engagement. For example, PhET allows
learners to manipulate variables and observe outcomes in real time, encouraging
hypothesis testing, critical analysis, and iterative reasoning. These kinds of digital
interactions align with constructivist learning theories, where knowledge is constructed
through active inquiry.
Nevertheless, a key tension arises between the affordances of digital tools and their
actual classroom application. In many contexts, these technologies are underutilised or
repurposed for passive content delivery, such as through linear PowerPoint
presentations. This disconnect reveals a deeper pedagogical issue: meaningful learning
stems not from the tool itself but from its alignment with well-considered instructional
strategies. The assumption here is that educational technologies are only as powerful
as the pedagogy that informs their use.
