**2. Literature review**

#### **2.1 Consideration for a digital tool selection to assess cultural responsiveness**

When moving teacher candidates from the classroom to field experiences, key factors must be addressed before purchasing technology. Considerations for practical and useful technology should include, but not be limited to cost, safety of information, accessibility, user-friendliness, universal design, and sustainability. Miller [3] suggests that the following be critiqued before purchasing educational technology which includes responses to the questions reflecting how the purchase may impact the teaching and learning of cultural responsiveness and/or relevance. First, does the educational technology align with the toughest course goals? Cultural relevance can be more abstract at the highest dimension and approach of learning how to implement multicultural practices within teacher candidates' instruction. So, knowing realistically what a digital tool can or cannot capture must be factored in how the tool is utilized. Second, does the educational technology align with what is known about how people learn? Traditional teacher candidates are familiar with asynchronous and synchronous digital tools. The ideal tool for teaching and learning of cultural relevance would promote both in a student teaching environment. Third, is the educational technology of high quality in the areas of accurate content, functionality, and support? A tool that allows a preview of the platform for learning, as well as describes and shares to new user online manuals, training sessions, and follow-up support, is at a premium for all users because not all learners are comfortable with Web 2.0-based

#### *Teacher Candidates Using Annotated Technology Foster Cultural Responsiveness and Ethics DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112310*

technologies. Fourth and final, is the educational technology of a notable value? Between the cost to teacher candidates or the institute of higher learning, the commitment required by the institute to gain access, awareness, and usage of the tool, the amount of faculty and student time they will have to commit, and the learning outcome benefits of the new technology versus previously or presently supplied digital supports need to be reviewed. Moving students effectively from the acquiring of knowledge to demonstrating knowledge through technology is a goal of educational technology. But the assessor or potential purchaser of the technology should ask if there are other methods or materials that could supply the same outcomes in a manner that supports teaching and learning of cultural relevance for teacher candidates.

Educational Technology to indicate the growth and development of multicultural concepts is not new. Traditionally, multiculturalism and/or an ethics course are offered in universities and colleges with educational preparation programs. As institutes of higher education adopted more technological advancements, curriculums transitioned with the advancements as well. Video-Mediated Technology, Telementoring, online courses with diverse digital tools connect college students with communities beyond the campus walls and are used to address multiculturalism, social justice, and diverse cultural practices and perspectives within a digital platform [4, 5].

Combining the strength of a digital tool that meets the criteria for purchasing an educational technology with a best practices multicultural teacher education framework has the capability of addressing important educational outcomes in an educational preparation program. Due to the availability and ever-increasing number of digital tools, the challenge in higher education is to select an instrument that is easy to implement for faculty and supplies the level of depth required to meet the needs of diverse prospective teachers. Kompar [6] suggests choosing a digital tool that is "mile deep," meaning it is flexible across subject areas and user-friendly enough to allow the development of twenty-first century skills throughout the various levels of Bloom's taxonomy [7]. This concept laid the foundation for selecting a digital tool that could address the learning outcomes associated with cultural responsiveness within a student teaching experience.

### **3. Digital tool selection**

In an educational preparation program, teaching faculty are tasked with the responsibility to assess their teacher candidates' level of understanding in a manner that distinguishes between levels of performance fairly and objectively [8]. Faculty are also encouraged to help teacher candidates use reflection to self-assess progress [9]. Another aspect that comes into play is the relationship between the cooperating teacher and the student teacher. No longer is the educational preparation program faculty member the majority provider of information about subjects for the student. Instead, the cooperating teacher is the person who provides real-world examples, or the lack of them, for the student teacher to emulate. With that information in mind, the digital tool must be able to show the perspective of all parties (faculty, cooperating teachers, teacher candidates, university officials, etc.) to support the final assessment of the teacher candidate [10].

In researching Web 2.0 technologies that support interactive communication and assessment, the researchers explored video annotation technology. Video annotation software (VAS) programs permit participants to provide feedback in a video recording setting. The feedback can be given in the form of text comments, video feedback, or simple oral recordings to the person being viewed on an uploaded recording. The software program includes places for associated rubrics, documents, and instructional videos to provide directions for any participant. VAS programs can be purchased or used as a free tool from the World Wide Web (See, Top Tech for Digital Annotation by Common Sense Technology at https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-pic ks/top-tech-for-digital-annotation).

When looking at considerations for using a digital tool, privacy is important and that is lacking in online tools without The Family Educational Rights and Act (FERPA) rights or regulations for the children and adults recorded and commented upon within the system. Software in the paid category was examined by an educational preparation program at a Historically Black College University (HBCU) during a 4-year period. Though many Video-Annotated Software programs are on the market, three of the for-pay tools that are available and were designed to be marketed to different educator preparation programs (EPPs) are Edthena (https://www.edthena.com/about.html), Torsh Talent (http://www. torsh.co/classroom-observation-tools/torsh-talent/), and GoReact (goreact.com). GoReact was chosen for the educational preparation program at a top 20 HBCU due to cost factors and caps by the university on student materials and supplies per course as well as the thoughtful practices for reviewing educational courses as described by Miller [3]. Considerations also included if this tool could help the participants note their understanding of cultural responsiveness based on their multiculturalism instruction such as the one described in a university diversity course. An example of annotation text synchronized with a teaching behavior is shown in **Figure 1**, Example of GoReact.

Within the annotated system noted, a time stamp is stated beside each text. A round symbol with two letters shows the category reviewed. A graph is depicted in the right bottom corner to show how many times a category was discussed by the viewer. The paperclip icon shows that two items are attached and available for downloading. The clipboard with the check depicts that there is a rubric attached to this assignment. Other symbols, such as the camcorder, microphone, and library books, indicate that other multimedia sources can be uploaded for additional feedback.

**Figure 1.** *Example of GoReact.*

*Teacher Candidates Using Annotated Technology Foster Cultural Responsiveness and Ethics DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112310*
