But, Does IT Increase Student Learning

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But, Does IT Increase Student Learning?

• Dr. Susan Cramer
• UW Oshkosh
• October 20, 2004

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Yes, but
Yes!
You have to use the right tool for the job.
but...
http//www.csicop.org/si/9012/critical-thinking.gi
f
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Select uses based on curriculum and desired
outcomes
http//www.metiri.com/Solutions/RangeOfUse.htm
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• Drill and Practice
• Integrated Leaning Systems
• Lower Order Thinking
• Knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application

• West Virginia - Basic Skills/Computer Education
  (10 year study) (1999)
• Kuliks Meta-Analysis (1994)

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West Virginia Basic Skills/Computer Education
(BS/CE)

• Across-the-board increases in statewide
  assessment scores in basic skill areas.
• 11 of gains directly correlates to BS/CE
• More cost effective than other programs
• Effective with low-income rural students

1966 Coleman Report - 70 of the variation in
test score performance relates to family and
other home/background factors, that leaves 30
that schools can influence. (p.12)
http//access.k12.wv.us/bsce/
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Kulik

• Aggregated findings from more than 500 individual
  research studies
• On average, students who used computer-based
  instruction scored at the 64th percentile on
  tests of achievement compared to students in the
  control conditions without computers who scored
  at the 50th percentile.
• 9-22 percentile gain over control group.
• Students learn more in less time when they
  receive computer-based instruction.
• Students like their classes more and develop more
  positive attitudes when their classes include
  computer-based instruction.

http//www.mff.org/publications/publications.taf?p
age161
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• Constructivism
• Project Based Learning
• Multiple Resources
• Cooperative Learning

• Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (1994)
• Cradler (1999)
• CAST (1996)

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Cradler Cradler

• In English language arts and social studies,
  teachers report observing significant change in
  student skills and knowledge acquired after their
  students first multimedia project including
  increased student knowledge in
• Research skills
• Ability to apply learning to real
• world-situations
• Organizational skills
• Interest in the content

http//caret.iste.org/caretadmin/news_documents/St
udentLearning.pdf
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CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology)

• 66 fourth and sixth grade students (38 control)
  used online communication and the Internet in a
  civil right curriculum
• Students had significantly higher scores relative
  to
• Presenting their work
• Stating a civil rights issue
• Presenting a full picture (who, what, when,
  where, why, how)
• Bringing together different points of view
• Producing a complete project
• When students used the Internet to research
  topics, share information, and complete a final
  project within the context of a semi-structured
  lesson, they became independent, critical
  thinkers.

http//caret.iste.org/caretadmin/news_documents/St
udentLearning.pdf
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Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT)Baker,
Gearhart, Herman

• 5 years, 5 school sites (CA, TN, MN, OH)
• Goals encourage instructional innovation and to
  emphasize to teachers the potential of computers
  to support student initiative, long-term
  projects, access to multiple resources, and
  cooperative learning.
• ACOT experience appeared to result in new
  learning experiences requiring higher level
  reasoning and problem solving (not conclusive).
• ACOT had a positive impact on student attitudes
  and changed teaching practices from stand-up
  lecturing to more cooperative group work.
• No difference on standardized test performance.

http//www.mff.org/publications/publications.taf?p
age161
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• Simulations
• Higher Order Thinking
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation

• Weylinsky (1998)
• 6,227 fourth graders 7,146 eighth graders
• Goldman et al (1996)
• Nix (1998)
• Bain, Huss, Kwong (2000)

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Goldman et al

• Students who employed simulations,
  microcomputer-based laboratories, and video to
  connect science instruction to real-world
  problems outperformed students who employed
  traditional instructional methods alone.

Anchoring science in multimedia learning
environments in Vosniadou, DeCorte, Glaser and
Mandl International Perspectives on the design of
technology-supported learning environments
(1996). Cited in The CEO Forum School Technology
and Readiness Report - Year 4 - 2001 - Key
Building Blocks for Student Achievement in the
21st Century http//www.ceoforum.org/
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Nix

• Students who wrote to real audiences regularly
  via the Internet and email gained marked
  improvement in their persuasive writing abilities
  both on and off the computer.

The impact of e-mail use on fourth graders
writing skills. Dissertation Abstracts
International, 60/03.A (Order No AAD99-21889).
1998. Cited in The CEO Forum School Technology
and Readiness Report - Year 4 - 2001 - Key
Building Blocks for Student Achievement in the
21st Century http//www.ceoforum.org/
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Bain, Huss, Kwong

• The incorporation of a hypertext discussion tool
  into students homework routine raised
  achievement over traditional discussion and text
  based homework.
• 68 of students reported that the hypertext tool
  increased the active engagement time spent of
  homework, a strong indicator of improved learning.

Evaluation of hypertext discussion tool for
teaching English literature to secondary
students. The Journal of Educational Computing
Research, 23, 2000. Cited in The CEO Forum School
Technology and Readiness Report - Year 4 - 2001 -
Key Building Blocks for Student Achievement in
the 21st Century http//www.ceoforum.org/
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Weylinsky Fourth Grade Student Achievement on
NAEP

• Students who used drill and practice technology
  performed worse on NAEP than students who did not
  use drill and practice technology.
• Students who used technology to play learning
  games and develop higher order thinking performed
  only 3-5 weeks ahead of students who did not use
  technology
• Higher order uses of computers and professional
  development were positively related to students
  academic achievement in mathematics.

http//www.mff.org/publications/publications.taf?p
age161
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Weylinsky - Eighth Grade Student Achievement on
NAEP

• Students who used simulation and higher order
  thinking software showed gains in math scores of
  up to 15 weeks above grade level as measured by
  NAEP.
• Students who used drill and practice technology
  performed worse on NAEP than students who did not
  use drill and practice technology.
• Teachers who received professional development on
  computers showed gains in math scores of up to 13
  weeks above grade level.
• Higher order uses of computers and professional
  development were positively related to students
  academic achievement in mathematics.

http//www.mff.org/publications/publications.taf?p
age161
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Conclusions on Impact and Effectiveness

• Students with access to computer assisted
  instruction show positive gains in achievement
  on researcher constructed tests, standardized
  tests and national tests.
• There is evidence in some studies that learning
  technology is less effective or ineffective when
  the learning objectives are unclear and the focus
  of the technology use is diffuse.
• or integrated learning systems technology or
  simulations and software that teaches higher
  order thinking or collaborative networked
  technologies or design and programming
  technologies

The Impact of Education Technology on Student
Achievement What the Most Current Research Has
to Say - John Schacter http//www.mff.org/publicat
ions/publications.taf?page161
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Technology can change the nature of classrooms
and learning.

• Traditional
• Drill Practice
• Students as Knowledge Consumers
• Basic Skills

Constructivist Project Based Students as
Knowledge Producers Basic Skills 21st Century
Skills
The CEO Forum School Technology and Readiness
Report - Year 4 - 2001 - Key Building Blocks for
Student Achievement in the 21st Century
http//www.ceoforum.org/
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21st Century Skills

• Digital Age Literacy
• Basic, scientific, and technological literacy
• Visual and information literacy
• Cultural literacy and global awareness
• Inventive Thinking
• Adaptability/managing complexity
• Curiosity, creativity, risk taking
• Higher order thinking and sound reasoning
• Effective Communication
• Teaming, collaboration, interpersonal skills
• Personal and social responsibility
• Interactive communication
• High Productivity
• Prioritizing, planning and managing for results
• Effective use of real-world tools
• Relevant, high quality products

http//www.ncrel.org/engauge/skills/skills.htm
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• Research supports technology as a tool which can
  increase student learning.
• How can we help schools/classrooms achieve this
  potential?

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Apple Stages of Teacher Integration

• Adoption
• Use technology to support traditional instruction
• Adaptation
• Integrate technology into existing classroom
  activities
• Appropriation
• Develop new approaches to teaching that take
  advantage of technology
• Innovation
• Discover entirely new uses for technology tools

http//www.apple.com/education/planning/profdev/in
dex4.html
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NCREL Three Phases of Technology Use

• Print Automation
• Automate print-based practices
• II. Expansion of Learning Opportunities
• Use technology to organize and produce
  (multimedia) reports
• III. Data-Driven Virtual Learning
• Explore diverse information resources inside and
  outside school and produce information for
  real-world tasks

http//www.ncrel.org/tplan/cbtl/toc.htm
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Dont Skimp on Professional Development

• Plan for professional development that guides
  teachers on the effective integration of digital
  content and tools rather than technical know-how.
• Of teachers who received 11 or more hours of
  training on integrating digital content and tools
  in the previous year, 48 say they rely on
  software and the Internet to a very great or
  moderate extent.

Education Week Technology Counts 99 Building
the Digital Curriculum, 1999. Cited in The CEO
Forum School Technology and Readiness Report -
Year 3 - 2000 - The Power of Digital Learning
Integrating Digital Content, p. 13.
http//www.ceoforum.org
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CEO Forum Cycles of Technology Integration

• Planning, investigation and experimentation
• Initial capital investments
• Readjustment (of investments, expectations,
  teaching methods)
• Emergence of new work and organizational models
  (technology is an essential tool for students and
  educators, it allows flexibility to create new
  forms of collaborative and inquiry-based learning
  and improves academic performance)

The CEO Fourm School Technology and Readiness
Report - Year 3 - 2000 - The Power of Digital
Learning Integrating Digital Content, p. 12.
http//www.ceoforum.org
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Link goals and objectives to outcomes and
standards then evaluate against standards.

• Identify educational goals and link digital
  content to those objectives
• Educational objectives that cross disciplines and
  incorporate visual, problem-solving and
  student-generated products increasingly lend
  themselves to digital content.
• Select the student outcomes and performance
  standards that will be achieved by digital
  content
• Select content with demonstrated performance
  gains
• Measure and evaluate outcomes against standards
  and adjust accordingly
• Remember to benchmark at beginning of project

The CEO Fourm School Technology and Readiness
Report - Year 3 - 2000 - The Power of Digital
Learning Integrating Digital Content, p. 14.
http//www.ceoforum.org
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What can be gained by integrating technology into
learning?

• Increased student motivation
• Increased test scores
• Increased teacher excitement
• Preparation of students for the 21st Century
• Catalyst for a larger school discussion about
  curriculum and instruction.

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Resources
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Effectiveness Reports provide easy access to
important research findings about the
effectiveness of technology in education. Each
summary consists of a description of the role
that technology plays in addressing a particular
grade level and subject area, a list of the major
research findings, full citation for the
findings, additional useful readings, and places
for educators to call or visit. Elementary
School Language Arts Elementary School Science
and Math High School Math High School
Science High School Writing Management and
Administration Middle School Language
Arts Middle School Science and Math Middle
School Social Studies Preparing Students for
the Workplace
http//www.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/effe
ct.html
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Elementary Language Arts

• Children quickly learn to use word processing
  software and often do better writing than with
  pencil and paper.
• Using word processing results in fewer grammar,
  punctuation, and capitalization errors,
  especially among students with low abilities.
• Authentic writing with computers is an effective
  way of learning language mechanics. When combined
  with the use of telecommunications, such as a
  cooperative development project, improvements
  show up on both holistic assessments and
  standardized tests.
• When children use a computer to study spelling,
  they are more engaged and, as a result, achieve
  higher spelling scores.
• When teachers learn about computers, this new
  knowledge helps their students writing improve,
  mainly because they give students more
  opportunity to write on the computer.

http//www.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/effe
ct.html
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Middle School Social Studies

• The computer can be a powerful tool for the
  delivery of critical-thinking and problem-solving
  activities in the social studies classroom. At
  the same time, the computer offers the
  opportunity for successful collaborative
  learning.
• Computers help students organize and manipulate
  information and improve performance in problem
  solving.
• Students can use computers to graph, help
  interpret information, and apply that knowledge
  in social studies.
• Students using computers in history class
  demonstrated increased motivation and recall and
  took less time to complete the unit.

http//www.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/effe
ct.html
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High School Mathematics

• Students using computers for algebra did
  significantly better on a test of knowledge than
  did a group taught by traditional methods. The
  computer group also retained more of the
  information and scored significantly higher on
  measures of transfer to other areas of
  mathematics.
• Students who work in small groups on geometry
  problems showed improvement on higher-level
  problem solving and applying math applications
  they also received significantly higher scores on
  standardized final exams.
• Computer software that encourages student
  exploration supports instruction that increases
  students understanding of mathematics principles.

http//www.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/effe
ct.html
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http//caret.iste.org/
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TOPIC Student Learning

• Click on a question below to find answers, best
  research evidence, references, and CARET selected
  studies
• 1. How can technology influence student academic
  performance?
• 2. How can technology develop higher order
  thinking and problem solving?
• 3. How can technology improve student motivation,
  attitude, and interest in learning?
• 4. How can technology help to prepare students
  for the workforce?
• 5. How can technology address the needs of low
  performing, at-risk, and learning handicapped
  students?

http//caret.iste.org/index.cfm?fuseactionquestio
nstopicID1
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Q How can technology influence student academic
performance?

• Click on an answer below to find research
  evidence, references, and CARET selected studies
• a. Technology improves student performance when
  the application directly supports the curriculum
  objectives being assessed.
• b. Technology improves performance when the
  application provides opportunities for student
  collaboration.
• c. Technology improves performance when the
  application adjusts for student ability and prior
  experience, and provides feedback to the student
  and teacher about student performance or progress
  with the application.
• d. Technology improves performance when the
  application is integrated into the typical
  instructional day.
• e. Technology improves performance when the
  application provides opportunities for students
  to design and implement projects that extend the
  curriculum content being assessed by a particular
  standardized test.
• f. Technology improves performance when used in
  environments where teachers, the school
  community, and school and district administrators
  support the use of technology.

http//caret.iste.org/index.cfm?fuseactionanswers
QuestionID1
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Q How can technology influence student academic
performance?A Technology improves student
performance when the application directly
supports the curriculum objectives being assessed.

• RESEARCH EVIDENCE
• Technology is most influential when integrated
  with curriculum and assessment. In a review of
  studies, the (CEO Forum, 2001) concluded that
  "technology can have the greatest impact when
  integrated into the curriculum to achieve clear,
  measurable educational objectives."
• Integration of technology with curriculum and
  professional growth increases student
  achievement. Significant student achievement
  gains for technology integrated with standards
  were demonstrated by an eight-year longitudinal
  study of SAT I performance at New Hampshire's
  Brewster Academy (Bain Ross, 1999). Students
  participating in the technology integrated school
  reform effort (School Design Model) demonstrated
  average increases of 94 points in combined SAT I
  performance over students who participated in the
  traditional independent school experience. In a
  pioneer "laptop school," where all students and
  faculty carry portable computers and access a
  campus network, Brewster's extensive school
  reform effort involved "rethinking the way we
  teach, how we build curriculum and the way we
  support and evaluate faculty" (Bain Smith,
  2000). .
• http//caret.iste.org/index.cfm?fuseactionevidenc
  eanswerID1

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Check out the CEO Forum's final report, the Year
4 Report Key Building Blocks for Student
Achievement in the 21st Century or take the K-12
interactive STaR assessment HERE! The Teacher
Preparation STaR Chart, a self-assessment tool
for colleges of education is available! Or, use
the interactive Teacher Preparation STaR Chart to
determine your institution's level of readiness
in preparing tomorrow's teachers to use
technology
http//www.ceoforum.org/
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http//www.ncrel.org/engauge/
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Computer-Based Technology and Learning Evolving
Uses and Expectations Contents Executive
Summary Overview Phases of Technology Use
Phase I Print Automation Questions on
instructional use Phase II Expansion of
Learning Opportunities Questions on
instructional use Phase III Data-Driven Virtual
Learning Questions on instructional use
Conclusions Conclusions References
By Gilbert Valdez, Mary McNabb, Mary Foertsch,
Mary Anderson, Mark Hawkes, and Lenaya
Raack Special Thanks to NCREL Staff North
Central Regional Educational Laboratory
http//www.ncrel.org/tplan/cbtl/toc.htm
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Copies of this show are available at
http//asimov.coehs.uwosh.edu/cramer/