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