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... And can educational technology lead to improved student achievement?
Our review of the research on the effectiveness of educational technology at the Educational Testing Service (ETS) shows that rudimentary uses of computers--using drill-and-practice software, for instance, to teach addition and subtraction--can be effective and efficient. ... More recently, the Software Publishers Association released a report, prepared by an independent consulting firm, that analyzed 176 studies conducted from 1990 to 1995 on the effectiveness of technology in schools. The report shows students in technology-rich environments experienced positive effects on achievement in all major subject areas, preschool through higher education, for both regular and special-needs students. Most students--although not necessarily low-achieving students, who tended to require more structure--were better able to pace themselves when technology was used. Student attitudes toward learning and the students own self-concepts improved consistently when computers were used for instruction. "The use of technology as a learning tool can make a measurable difference in student achievement, attitudes, and interactions with teachers and other students," the report concludes.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that technology is particularly valuable in improving student writing. ... And student writing that is shared with other students over a network tends to be of higher quality than writing produced for in-class use only. ... Encouraged to experiment and explore the new frontiers of knowledge through the use of technology, students have assumed more responsibility for their assignments and produced higher-quality work.
More difficult to judge
The RAND report goes on to say that the "more cognitive" applications of technology--those involving such skills as critical thinking or cooperative learning--are more difficult to evaluate. ... , describes the implementation, effectiveness, and role of technology in the context of education reform efforts. Until new and ongoing evaluations of cutting-edge educational technology projects are available, Berman says, the findings from the following projects represent the best of currently available research:
* The Role of Online Communications in Schools: A National Study. ... Department of Educations Office of Educational Research and Improvement, by Barbara Means, Kerry Olson, and colleagues, set out to understand how technology can support constructivist teaching at the classroom level. ...
Overall, the researchers reported that increases in technology had positive effects on these schools, leading to increased motivation and improvements in academic performance. Seven of the eight schools in the study reported lower teacher turnover, six reported higher student attendance rates, and five had higher test scores than a comparison group. ... , school district implemented a five-year plan that included a significant investment in technology to support its curriculum reform goals. In addition, Bell Atlantic worked with the city, the state board of education, and the Center for Children and Technology at the Educational Development Center Inc. ... , to carry out a technology trial at two schools.
Although the districts entire comprehensive reform program has yielded substantial gains in student progress, the most impressive results have occurred at Christopher Columbus Intermediate School. ... , ACOT focuses on the changes in instructional practices and student learning that occur when schools and students have extensive access to technology. In the initial years of the project, each student and teacher was given two computers, one for home and one for school. ... According to this research, ACOT students explored and represented information dynamically and in many forms, became socially aware and more confident, communicated effectively about complex processes, used technology routinely and appropriately, became independent learners and self-starters, knew their areas of expertise and shared that expertise spontaneously, worked well collaboratively, and developed a positive orientation to the future. ... This project began in 1987 as a five-year investigation into the use of educational technology in nine Florida elementary schools serving over 1,400 students. Three to six computers were placed in each classroom, and teachers received training in both the technology and the concept of establishing a team environment with other teachers in the project. The project was seen as a move toward "student empowerment," and much of the students daily routine involved self-paced interactions at learning stations. ...
Looking at the big picture
When we try to determine the effectiveness of educational technologies, we are confronted by a number of methodological and practical issues. First, we need to remember that technology is only one component of an instructional activity. Assessments of the impact of technology are really assessments of instruction enabled by technology, and the outcomes are highly dependent on the quality of the implementation of the instructional design.
According to Roy Pea, now the director of SRIs Center for Technology in Learning in Menlo Park, Calif., the "social contexts" of how technology is used are crucial to understanding how technology might influence teaching and learning. Educational technologies cannot be effective by themselves. ... First, standardized achievement tests might not measure the types of changes in students that educational technology reformers are looking for. ...
There is also a need to include outcome measures that go beyond student achievement, because student achievement might be affected by students attitudes about themselves, their schools, the types of interactions that go on in schools, and the very idea of learning. ... Office of Technology Assessments Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection: Technological changes are likely to be nonlinear, and might show effects not only on student learning, but also on the curriculum, the nature of instruction, the school culture, and the fundamental ways that teachers do their jobs.
In a paper presented at this years meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Ellen Mandinach and Hugh Cline of ETS explored many of the challenges to the scientific examination of technologys impact on education.
Approximate Word count = 4648
Approximate Pages = 18.6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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