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Classroom
Dynamics in a Technology-Rich Learning
Environment
By Drew Tiene and Pamela Luft
Very little
hard evidence is available showing what learning gains might be
expected
from an infusion of high technology, in part because there are
very few
classroom situations where an entire class has ready access to
technology
throughout the school day.
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Instructions)
Subject: Technology-rich learning environments
Audience: Teachers, teacher educators, tech
coordinators
Grade Level: K–12 (Ages 5–18)
Technology: All
Standards: NETS·T I–III (www.iste.org/standards).
One important goal for most technology coordinators is to
provide
labs or classrooms with more of the latest hardware and
software,
under the assumption that it will significantly enhance
educational
outcomes. However, very little hard
evidence is available showing what learning gains might be
expected
from an infusion of high technology, in part because there
are very
few classroom situations where an entire class has ready
access
to technology throughout the school day. This article
describes
the results of a study that examined the classroom
dynamics in a
technology-rich learning environment and also assessed the
educational
outcomes associated with intensive use of technology by
teachers
and students.
What Is a Technology-Rich Environment?
The Ameritech Electronic University School Classroom is a
special
facility at Kent State University designed as
a place for K–12 classes to work with the latest
technology.
The classroom contains 12 networked computers with
Internet access,
a scanner, a printer, videoconferencing cameras connected
to several
computers, digital still-frame cameras, camcorders, and a
VCR. At
the teacher’s station, there is a computer, a VCR,
and a video
document camera, all of which are connected to a video
projector
pointed at a screen that pulls down in the front of the
class.
In the third semester of the project, two nearby school
districts
sent classes to use this facility for about 10 weeks:
sixth graders
from one district and seventh and eighth graders from the
other.
These classes shared the facility so that students
typically spent
half a day for about four weeks in the technology-rich
environment.
Altogether, four teachers from one district and seven
teachers from
the other taught in the Ameritech classroom throughout the
university’s
spring semester.
The Ameritech classroom is also designed for researchers
to observe
and record how students work in a technology-rich
classroom environment.
It has an observation room that runs along one wall of the
classroom,
so observers can unobtrusively view classroom activities
through
one-way glass. Another special feature of the facility is
its sophisticated
built-in television recording system. Several days a week,
we observed
and taped what was happening in the room. We also
developed a “Teaching
with Technology” survey to explore the teachers’
reactions
to the experience. All but one teacher completed this
survey at
the end of the semester. Finally we interviewed 7 of the
11 teachers
about their experience.
What did we learn about the potential of this type of
technology–rich
learning environment? Teachers reported on the following aspects of
the educational
experience:
• Development of skills with technology
• Changes in classroom dynamics
• Modification of teaching style
• Satisfaction with the experience
• Achievement gains
Some teachers were ill prepared at first to work with the
technology
in the Ameritech classroom. But, by the end of the
semester, all
of them indicated on our survey that they felt comfortable
using
nearly all the hardware and software available in the
room. They
also indicated their students initially were not much more
confident
with the technology than they were. But, they felt their
students
made very significant gains in their ability to work
proficiently
with the hardware and software in the Ameritech classroom.
These gains in technological literacy were facilitated by
the ongoing
availability of a technology-support person in the room at
all times.
This technology specialist helped everyone, including the
teacher,
learn how to work with the equipment. Without this
assistance, the
skill development with technology in the classroom would
certainly
have been far less dramatic. Her availability also freed
teachers
from devoting much of their time to helping students
adjust to using
the equipment or teaching them to use the software
applications
available on the computers. Instead, teachers could
address curricular
issues, facilitate student research efforts, encourage
skill development,
trouble-shoot individual problems, and so on.
How Do Classroom Dynamics Change?
Teachers noticed changes in the classroom dynamics.
However, contrary
to the fears of some, having so many computers did not
lead to a
decline in social interaction. In fact, just the opposite
was true.
Because there was one computer for every two or three
students,
they had to work together at the machines. Teachers
reported that
these small group experiences led to enhanced cooperative
learning
between students. It is easier for a team of students to
read a
computer screen together than it is for them all to read
from the
same book. The monitor display became the focal point for
each working
group, with students debating the value of the information
available,
discussing its relevance to their topic, and deciding how
it might
be used in their project. Team members also shared their
computer
expertise, with tech-savvy pupils demonstrating new
techniques to
their peers. One teacher wrote on the survey, “My
students
were more cooperative working on computers than in other
group activities.”
Furthermore, technology provided opportunities for
students to work
on their own. Teachers felt very positive about this
aspect of the
experience, in that it freed them to work individually
with students,
as opposed to their spending so much time and effort
overseeing
whole-class activities. Being able to work independently
was also
highly motivational. One teacher commented that when she
occasionally
left the classroom, she would generally find that upon her
return
none of the students had even noticed her absence, because
they
were so engrossed in their work.
One really significant challenge for our public schools is
to provide
meaningful assignments at an appropriate level of
difficulty for
all pupils. The Ameritech classroom teachers felt that
individualized
instruction was fostered by the technology-rich
environment. Access
to so much technology allowed students to pursue their own
interests,
in their own way. This student-centered atmosphere,
facilitated
by technology, also allowed individual pupils and teams of
students
to progress at their own pace, rather than working in
unison on
the same materials at a pace set by the teacher.
Deadlines, of course,
still existed, so students needed to plan their time
wisely and
probably benefited from the experience of working so
independently.
The vast research resources of the Web were at their
fingertips,
as were multimedia encyclopedias on compact disc. Video
cameras
provided opportunities for self-expression. PowerPoint
allowed students
to create their own unique presentations for the class.
How Does the Teacher’s Role Change?
How significantly did these instructors’ teaching
styles change
in a classroom where the dynamics appear to have changed
so much?
As we might expect, teachers indicated that their class
assignments
involved the use of technology far more than they would
have in
their regular classrooms, where most of them had, at most,
a few
computers, no video cameras, and no projection system. In
fact,
the teachers reported feeling really “spoiled”
to be able
to project on a large screen either a display of their
computer
screen or a magnified image of whatever they placed in
front of
the video document camera.
But did the thrill of being able to present their message
so impressively
seduce them into spending more time than usual in
addressing the
whole class? Quite the contrary—they actual-ly
reported spending
less time in front of the class and more time working with
small
groups or individuals. The teacher’s role changed
along with
the shift in classroom dynamics, with students more
engaged in independent,
individual investigations or collaborative small group
assignments.
The technology-rich environment fostered a shift in
teaching style
from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the
side.”
One teacher wrote, “I spent more time with my
students learning,
than I did teaching them.”
How did teachers feel about these changes in their
professional
role? Most indicated that this type of teaching was
somewhat more
challenging than they were used to. It demanded that they
work in
more flexible ways and that they meet the individual needs
of their
pupils. They were given more opportunities to motivate,
guide, inform,
clarify, explain, and encourage. Sometimes, teaching in a
high-tech
classroom placed pressure on them to know more about the
technology
as well as more about topics of interest to each of their
students.
Sometimes this type of teaching demanded more
perceptiveness, patience,
and perseverance than they were accustomed to.
They said teaching in a technology-rich environment was
more exhausting
than teaching in their regular classroom. The new
classroom dynamics
may have reduced some of the pressures associated with
managing
student behavior and presenting instructional material.
But it brought
new challenges, such as how to use technology in
innovative, dynamic
ways. These teachers had to strengthen their skills with
technology
and to expand their repertoire of technology-based
curriculum activities.
Most of them also tried to teach in more constructivist
ways, which
demanded greater flexibility and creativity in the way
they worked
with different students.
Did this mean that the teachers did not enjoy their
experiences
in the Ameri- tech classroom? On the contrary, survey
findings showed
that they felt working in this high-tech environment was
more rewarding
than teaching in their own classrooms. One of the teachers
remarked,
“I did not need to motivate my students. They were
excited
to explore and complete high-quality work.” Many
indicated
that their teaching was more effective in this
technology-rich environment.
One teacher summed up this feeling of accomplishment by
commenting,
“The Ameritech classroom was a real opportunity for
my students
and myself to achieve our educational goals.” In
their interview
sessions, near- ly all the teachers told stories about
some of their
most satisfying moments. Often they described how
individual students
had grown through their experiences using technology. One
teacher
also noted that some technologically
sophisticated pupils—who normally were not accepted
as leaders—became
sources of information for other students and thereby
gained respect
from their peers for having this expertise.
Can Technology Enhance Learning?
Did teachers feel students were learning effectively in
this technology-rich
classroom? Seven of the 10 teachers felt the students
benefited
more from their experiences in the Ameritech classroom
than they
had initially expected. Furthermore, every teacher felt
that student
learning of subject matter was enhanced by the
availability of so
much technology and that higher-order thinking skills were
developed
in the Ameritech classroom. But was there any
performance-based
data to support these perceptions?
In fact, during their interview sessions, teachers from
both of
the schools involved in the project provided strong
anecdotal evidence
of heightened levels of student achievement. Two teachers
from the
elementary school whose sixth graders had worked on an
astronomy
unit, gave the same test they had given the year before to
see if
there were any differences. Both participating teachers
indicated
that the test performance of the group that had been in
the Ameri-tech
classroom was superior to that of their class from the
previous
year.
The teachers from the other part-icipating school
described even
more dramatic evidence of heightened student performance.
This group
of teachers deliberately tried to keep the objectives of
their unit
on immigration identical to those of the same unit that
had been
offered the previous year. Many of these objectives were
based on
skills demanded on the statewide proficiency tests. The
junior high
school group that spent two months in the Ameritech
classroom ultimately
scored higher on their state proficiency tests than their
peers
had scored the year before. Although such claims, in this
case,
cannot really be substantiated, the fact that teachers
told this
story was certainly a strong indicator of their support
for the
instructional effectiveness of learning experiences in a
technology-rich
environment.
Here is a summary of some of the most significant benefits
associated
with working in a technology-rich classroom reported by
teachers
from the Ameritech classroom project:
• improved technology skills for both teachers and
students
• better individualization of student assignments
• more emphasis on independent student work
• student interaction increased and cooperative
learning was
enhanced
• teachers felt better able to dynamically present
materials
to the class with technology
• working in the technology-rich environment was
rewarding
for teachers
• teachers perceived themselves to be more
effective
• student learning seemed to have been enhanced
Is It Worth the Price?
These outcomes are certainly strong endorsements for a
project.
Unfortunately, this success comes at a price. It initially
cost
several hundred thousand dollars to equip the classroom
and observation
facility with all the hardware and software. That sum will
soon
need to be augmented for upgrades, so the facility can
continue
to remain technologically state-of-the-art. An ongoing
budget for
extra support staff also contributes significantly to the
overall
expense of the project. A director who oversees this
project as
one of her primary responsibilities was hired at a
full-time salary,
along with part-time positions for an administrative
assistant and
the classroom technology specialist. By any measure, the
Ameritech
classroom is an expensive project compared to the typical
classroom
effort. (See What about Technology in a Typical Classroom?
at the
bottom of this page.)
Instructional technology on this scale can be expensive.
Is it worth
it? The critical question is really whether
it is cost-effective. This technology-rich classroom
experience
appears to have been instructionally effective. Whether
this enhanced
learning is worth the additional expense is a question
that education
professionals, and the public they serve, will ultimately
have to
decide.
Another important question is whether special
interventions of relatively
brief duration, such as the Ameritech classroom
experience, influence
pedagogy after teachers return to their daily routines in
regular
classrooms. Do these teachers continue to try to take
advantage
of technology as they did in the technology-rich setting,
despite
the limited amount of equipment available, the absence of
a technology-support
person in the room, the slower connectivity to the
Internet, and
so on? We plan a follow-up study to determine how the
Ameri-tech
classroom experience ultimately
affected the teaching practices of those who participated
in this
study. For it is the long-term effects of a
technology-rich experience
like this one that really matter most, if technology is to
truly
make a difference in classrooms across the country.
What about
technology
in a typical classroom?
Many teachers who read this article will wonder how it
applies to
their own classroom, which probably has few computers, if
any. Although
the high level of involvement with technology witnessed in
the Ameritech
Electronic University School Classroom may not be
possible, the
same pedagogical principles apply to having students use
whatever
equipment is available.
Plan units that place small groups at the machines,
providing alternative
activities for the rest of the class, which can also be
divided
into small groups and assigned to work with other
classroom resources.
Rotate groups so everyone ultimately has an opportunity to
work
with the technology, exploring the Web or using word
processing
to develop reports. Encourage the use of presentation
software or
the development of a Web page as a way for teams to show
what they
have learned. Such technology-enriched approaches can help
promote
more student-centered, con-structivist learning activities
in any
classroom, regardless of how many machines are available.
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Dr. Drew Tiene (dtiene@kent.edu) is
a professor
of instructional technology at Kent State University
in Ohio.
He taught sixth grade in New York City for six years
and then
obtained his doctorate from the University of Texas.
He has
worked extensively with instructional technologies
both in
the United States and in several other countries. He
has written
many articles about applying technology in
edu-cation and
recently co-authored a textbook titled Exploring
Current Issues
in Educational Technology (McGraw-Hill, 2001).
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Dr. Pamela Luft (pluft@edu.kent.edu)
is an
associate professor of special education at Kent
State University
in Ohio. She taught deaf students for 15 years in
five states
and at Gallaudet University. She obtained an MS in
technology
for persons with disabilities from The Johns Hopkins
University
and a PhD in special education from University of
Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign. She has received several state and
federal
grants and published a number of articles in special
education
and technology. |
Copyright © 2001, ISTE (International Society for Technology
in Education).
All rights reserved.
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