What Does the Research Say About Technology's Impact on Education?
Two research studies were done by the Department of Education and Apple Computers Inc. on the impact technology has had on education respectively.
In the U.S. Department of Education funded study of nine schools who used the latest technology, it was concluded that the use of technology resulted in educational gains for all students regardless of age, race,
socio-economic standing or any other characteristics. The study found state test scores and student attendance improved. There was also increased student comprehension, motivation, attitude, strong study habits, parent and teacher support, improved retention of material, and improved placement in jobs.
Technology enhances student achievement in a variety of ways. Multi-media software allows teaching to a variety of learning styles. Video and audio technologies bring material to life. Instead of learning in a two dimensional classroom setting, students were able to interact with the materials by using sight and sound. Distance learning has been found to be at least as effective as traditional methods of instruction. The
Internet and such things as CD-ROMS and
DVDs have helped students learn to organize complex information, recognize patterns, draw inferences, and communicate findings. Technology has also allowed students to learn better organizational and problem solving skills. The studies found that students are motivated by technology. They like learning better through technology than more standard means. Technology has increased family involvement and improved teachers' skills. It has also improved School Administration and Management.
In the Apple Computer, Inc. 10 year study, the results of providing students with the latest technology enabled them to perform well on standardized tests but were also helping them develop a variety of skills not usually measured. Students explored and represented information in many forms. Their confidence and social awareness increased. They learned to communicate more effectively about complex processes and became independent learners and self starters. They became comfortable with their areas of expertise and were able to share this information with fellow students. One issue the project hoped to confront was the possibility of any negative effects from prolonged exposure to computers. Some critics have worried that students who use computers extensively will become "brain dead" or less social from looking at the computer screen all day. At the end of two years, these fears were found to be false. Children did not become social isolates. The students showed more evidence of spontaneous cooperative learning than did traditional classes. Children did not become bored by the technology over time. Instead, their desire to use it for their own purposes increased with use. Even young children had no problem becoming adept users of the keyboard. With very little training, second and third graders were typing 25 to 30 words per minute with 95% accuracy which is more than twice as fast as children of that age can actually write.
I found this interesting because I have two school age children. My youngest boy is entering seventh grade and types at lightning speed and knows most if not all the key short cuts to the keyboard. My oldest boy who is going to be a sophomore was tested on his typing skills and typed 125 wpm with no errors.
The Apple study showed the students wrote better and were able to complete units of study more rapidly than their peers. The classroom observers noticed students were taking more responsibility for their own learning and the teachers were working more as mentors and less as presenters of information. Twenty one freshman students from West High School in Columbus, Ohio were chosen at random and stayed with the program until their graduation four years later. All twenty one students graduated, whereas the student body as a whole had a 30% drop out rate. Nineteen of the twenty one students went on to college , only 15% of the students who were not in the study sought higher education. The students in the study routinely and without prompting employed inquiry, collaboration, and technological and problem-solving skills of the kind promoted by the school reform movement.
Both of these studies show the positive impact technology has had on education. Educational technology has
demonstrated a significant positive effect on achievement. Positive effects have been found for all major subject areas, in preschool through higher education, and for both regular and special needs students. Evidence suggests that interactive video is especially effective when the skills concepts to be learned have a visual component and when the software incorporates a research-based instructional design. Education technology has been found to have positive effects on student attitudes toward learning and on student self-concept. Students felt more successful in school, were more motivated to learn and have increased self-confidence and self-esteem when using computer based instruction. Introducing technology into the learning environment has been shown to make learning more student-centered, to encourage cooperative learning, and to stimulate increased teacher/student interaction. Positive changes in the learning environment brought about by technology are more evolutionary than revolutionary. These changes occur over a period of years, as teachers become more experienced with technology.
Through my own research and observations I have found the access to information through the use of computers, the
Internet, cell phones,
GPS, etc. has greatly impacted education. What took volumes of encyclopedias, many hours upon hours of research in library
book stacks can be accomplished in a matter of seconds with modern technology. I saw for the first time, my youngest son brought home his algebra book on a CD instead of an actual book. Parents and
students can access student assignments and grades on the
Internet to get a better handle of what the student is getting done and what areas need to be worked on. Technology is advancing students learning by leaps and bounds. It will be scary and intriguing to see what the future holds.
"Technology's Impact on Learning".
NSBA. 09/07/2009
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