TECHNOLOGY AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

As society and technology evolve, the public school system must be prepared to accommodate these changes. However, as these changes occur it becomes more difficult to asses whether students are still achieving at the levels that have been previously set for them. Does the implementation of new technology enhance or diminish student achievement in the 21^st Century? To answer this question today’s students need to be evaluated and compared to classrooms that are with and without technology integrated into their curriculum. Students will need to be evaluated in a multitude of ways and have their results analyzed. Common indicators of how well students are advancing are graduation rates, grades, test scores, and the development of formal learning skills. There have been findings in the research conducted by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) that indicate a trend has emerged: when implemented appropriately, the integration of technology into instruction has a strong, positive impact on student achievement.

There have been several successful programs that have proven their value through implementing technology and proving gains in student achievement. Missouri’s eMINTS program has been a great example of a one of these programs. The eMINTS program central values are innovative instructional processes, and supporting elementary teachers to develop student-centered, inquiry-based instructional practices through multimedia and computer technology (eMINTS 2002, p. 2). The program was compared to other schools in the area and the results revealed significant differences in the statistical performance of eMINTS students to non-eMINTS students across various subject areas.

A program to provide laptops for students in several of Michigan’s middle schools along with curriculum enhancement and extensive teacher professional development around technology integration called Michigan’s Freedom to Learn (FTL) has also been evaluated. The analysis indicated students participating in FTL had significantly higher levels in using technology as a learning tool when compared with national averages and of engagement in their work (Lowther et al. 2005).

There have been other benefits from these programs beyond student achievement. The Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) for Texas middle schools produced fewer discipline problems and higher yields in student technology use and proficiency. The evaluations of TIP highlighted the importance of engagement and teacher professional development.

Several states do not have the resources or framework to allow the schools to fully implement technology into their programs. The state of Iowa developed a sustainable professional development system for elementary and middle school reading and math and the use of technology in those subjects through scientifically based methods. This was completed through a technical assistance program with the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA).

Various other studies looking at the effect of technology in raising achievement in specific subject areas, of 11 studies published since 2000 assessing technology integration and mathematics achievement, seven showed strong positive effects on scores among elementary and secondary students. In science, three recent studies show generally positive effects of the use of educational technology on science achievement. (Kadel R.)



Resources:

Kadel R. (2008), Technology and Student Achievement— The Indelible Link. Retrieved from http://www.k12hsn.org/files/research/Technology/ISTE_policy_brief_student_achievement.pdf

BEST PRACTICES FOR INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY IN A CLASSROOM

While several of the studies above noted significant change in student achievement, there was a handful that did not indicate a positive impact. These studies did have one thing in common though; they indicated a poor implementation of technology into teaching and learning. Simply buying the technology is not enough to increase student achievement. If technology is going to have a positive effect the ISTE policy brief states that these seven key conditions should be focused on:

1. Effective professional development for teachers in the integration of technology into instruction is necessary to support student learning. Teachers must be taught how to apply the technology, and continuous professional development must be available for the educators.

2. Teachers’ direct application of technology must be aligned to local and/or state curriculum standards. Technology based interventions need to be aligned to local and state standards. Also their lesson plans that incorporate technology need to also align to the curriculum and all national standards.

3. Technology must be incorporated into the daily learning schedule (i.e., not as a supplement or after-school tutorial). Research has found that the more technology is incorporated into the classroom the higher the achievement level of the students. However, it must be part of the regular classroom instruction and not additional activates for the sake of having technology.

4. Programs and applications must provide individualized feedback to students and teachers and must have the ability to tailor lessons to individual student needs. Technology allows teachers to develop individualized applications for students, provide feedback, and use data from students work to make adjustments to instruction for the individual student.

5. Technology use must be incorporated in a collaborative environment to be most effective. Student collaboration with technology elevates student achievement more than individual use. Studies have found that collaboration amongst students has a profound effect on student technology use. This is achieved with technology through sharing information and problem-solving collectively through various applications and software.

6. Project-based learning and real-world simulations must be the main focus of instructional technology utilization. This increases student engagement by challenging them to use their problem-solving skills on real-world problems. These forms of problems have been found more effective than activities and drills.

7. Effective technology integration requires leadership, support, and modeling from teachers, administrators, and the community/parents. If leaders in the community and parents model effective technology use it is shown to improve student engagement and achievement.


Resources:

Kadel R. (2008), Technology and Student Achievement— The Indelible Link.Retrieved fromhttp://www.k12hsn.org/files/research/Technology/ISTE_policy_brief_student_achievement.pdf

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN A CLASSROOM

A digital divide exists for students who are unable to attain technology, and/or are unable to utilize the technology they have. Students who come from a lower economic status, minority students, and students who may live in rural or inner-city areas typically have less access to technology used outside of the classroom. These students have to rely on the school, community centers, or the library for access to any technology, and this typically leads to poorer grades and lower test performances.
There are several issues at the school level with the digital divide also. Not all schools within a district have the same abilities as their counterparts, and various districts within a county don’t have the same resources to use. The ISTE policy brief outlined several other factors that affect technology use in the classroom.

 ISTE’s 2007 report, A National Consideration of Digital Equity (Davis et al. 2007), discusses four specific challenges that are central to the digital divide:

• Technology is not valued as an instructional tool

• Educators are receiving inadequate professional development

• There remains a significant number of students with limited access to technology outside of school

• Obtaining funding for technology continues to be difficult (pp. 2–4)

The report details five strategies for schools and districts to address these challenges:

• Legitimize the significant role culture plays in students’ educational experience

• Continue to challenge perceptions about the role of technology in education

• Encourage others to recognize the critical link between technology professional development and classroom practice

• Create opportunities for students to access technology outside of the classroom

• Continue to seek funding for technology in spite of challenges (pp. 11–13)

Resources:

Kadel R. (2008), Technology and Student Achievement— The Indelible Link.Retrieved fromhttp://www.k12hsn.org/files/research/Technology/ISTE_policy_brief_student_achievement.pdf