Week 1 Blog Assignment: Technology Integration Framework

For this weeks assignment, I will be exploring a technology integration framework that may be usable in China’s educational system based off the ISTE standards, as well as the evaluation tools in place in China. I have chosen to considerTPACK as the integration framework. In order to better understand the role of TPACK and whether it may be compatible with the technology standards set by China’s Ministry of Education, I will first discuss the the TPACK framework, then delve intoChina’s implementation of technology in education. Next, does the TPACK model align with current approaches to technology use by educators and students? Finally, what connections can be made through through TPACK and ISTE standards?

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a knowledge framework with a complex interplay of three knowledge forms: Content(CK), Pedagogy(PK), and Technology (TK).

Content includes subject-based knowledge, e.g. Fine Arts or ESL.

Pedagogy is knowing how to teach.

Technology is the knowledge of how to use technology tools. In the TPACK framework, each of these components is interwoven and built on the other (Kimmons, 2016).

 

Having knowledge of content(CK) and how to teach it(PK), but also understanding the relationship between them, leads to a hybrid domain called Pedagogical Content Knowledge. So in the TPACK model, bringing technology into the classroom is not only technological knowledge, but the combination of all content, pedagogy, and, in turn, creating something new.

 

Schools in China are reforming their teaching policies that push for pedagogy, subject content, and digital resources, all in alignment with TPACK. Education in China emphasizes new teaching models, teacher capacity, global collaboration, and wide use of curated digital resources. Currently, China’s “One Goal, Three Tasks, and Eight Actions” framework strives to reform education by providing digital resources and improving teachers' and student’s information literacy. The new education service models entail building the admission and sharing mechanism of quality educational resources based on the National Network for Education and the public service platform and system for educational resources by means of cloud computing and artificial intelligence.(Yan and Yang 2020).

Also this year China has released The White Paper on Smart Education, a strategy document, highlighting initiatives to promote AI-powered education programs, and deepening international cooperation in digital education(China releases white paper on smart education at WDEC 2025).

 

The TPACK model appears to be particularly promising in supporting educators and students in China. The online education platform SEC provides vast resources (CK) that teachers can utilize to fit their course curriculum (PK), and with the Ministry of Education rapidly building large-scale platforms for online education, technology is readily available (TK). Just as seen in the TPACK model, it is a complex intertwining of components that make a complete system. While China has spent great efforts to build a strong foundation with vast resources for the country's education, moving into the future with policy that will attempt to shift from basic coverage to an enhanced experience for teachers and students.

 

There are many connections that can be made with ISTE and the policies in place by the Ministry of Education. With massive online learning implemented on such a large scale, many students from primary school are being cultivated to be digital citizens, empowered learners, and global collaborators. ISTE reflects shifts in how technology can be leveraged to achieve a deeper learning and authentic purpose (ISTE Standards, 2024). Similarly, the education informatization 2.0 in China is driven by innovative ideas to further coordinate the relationship between artificial intelligence technology and education,  rather than technology-driven development (Yan and Yang, 2020).ISTE “At their core, the standards are about learning, not tools, and emphasize agency and ways to transform teaching and learning (ISTE Standards，2024).”

 

In recent years, China has pushed “double reduction” policies to 1. Reduce the homework burden on primary school students 2. Reduce the burden of off-campus training sites. Simultaneously pushing for on-campus programs to meet diverse student needs(Ross, 2021). While effectively terminating many jobs and businesses, this push for equality education among economic classes will also create new roles for teachers. White Paper on China’s Smart Education states the rational application of AI will effectively narrow disparities in education across regions,enable student-centered learning environments,significantly reducing teachers’ workload, and free up their time for more creative instructional activities (2025). 

 

TPACK is an objective model that considers the relationship between pedagogy, content, and technology, and meshes well with China’s SEC model. While the policies in place for China are vast and vague, borrowing from the standards of ISTE can make for a powerful education system.

 

Resources:

China releases white paper on smart education at WDEC. Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (2025, May 17). http://en.moe.gov.cn/features/2025WorldDigitalEducationConference/Achievements/202505/t20250518_1191052.html

Kimmons, R. (2017, January 1). K-12 technology frameworks. Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. https://lidtfoundations.pressbooks.com/chapter/k-12-technology-frameworks/

Ross, L. (2021, August 23). China releases “Double reduction” policy in education sector. Wilmer Hale. https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/client-alerts/20210823-china-releases-double-reduction-policy-in-education-sector

White Paper on China’s Smart Education  (2025). Retrieved from https://wdec.smartedu.cn/doc/2025/White%20Paper%20on%20China%E2%80%99s%20Smart%20Education.pdf.

Yan (闫守轩), S., & Yang (杨运), Y. (2020). Education Informatization 2.0 in China: Motivation,                      Framework, and Vision. ECNU Review of Education, 4(2), 410-428.                                                       https://doi.org/10.1177/2096531120944929 (Original work published 2021)