Overview: Research on IT in Education
Executive Summary: This paper is designed as background reading
for PreK–12
educators taking IT short courses and workshops. It presents an
overview of
the current research on information technology (IT) and some of its
roles
in improving education. There is an increasing body of research
supporting
effective ways to make use of IT as one component of a school
improvement
plan and as an aid to improving student learning. This paper focuses
on long-lasting
ideas, ideas that will not quickly become outdated by the continued
rapid
pace of change in IT and in other areas of technology.
School improvement is always a current issue in education. The
problem is complex
and challenging, with a variety of approaches being tested at any
particular
time. As Fullan (1993) points out, the problems in today’s
educational
system are deeply rooted in ongoing changes in science and technology,
in educational
research, and in our society. The expectations for our educational
system have
changed markedly during the past few decades. Many of the newer
expectations
are rooted in the rapidly increasing capabilities and availability of
information
technology in schools. A glimpse into possible futures of IT in
education is
given in Moursund (1999b). An excellent summary on the current status
of the
Science of Teaching and Learning is given in Bransford, et al. (2000).
IT and School Improvement
In this document, IT includes the full range of computer hardware,
software,
and connectivity needed:
- to represent and solve complex problems requiring powerful
computer systems;
- to create and use interactive hypermedia; and
- to communicate synchronously and asynchronously with people,
databases,
and machines throughout the world.
Instructional uses of IT can affect curriculum, instruction, and
assessment.
Here are six important types of IT use that are contributing to
improving education.
- 1. IT can be an aid to achieving the various
“traditional” goals
and objectives of education. Computer-assisted learning (Kulik,
1994; Mann,
et al., 1999) has been shown to have a strong positive effect in
student learning.
On average, students learn more than 30-percent faster in
computer-assisted
learning environments, as compared to traditional school
environments. Moreover,
on average students learn somewhat better in a computer-assisted
learning
environment. The average improvement is an increase by .35 standard
deviations,
or moving from the 50th percentile to the 64th
percentile.
There have been hundreds of studies of distance learning projects in
which
a variety of delivery systems such as the World Wide Web (WWW) were
used.
On average, the findings tend to be “no significant difference,
or slightly
positive” as compared with traditional methods of delivering
instruction
(No Significant Difference Phenomenon). Thus, there is rapidly
growing acceptance
for using distance learning to make courses and other learning
opportunities
available to students who do not have easy access to courses taught
in traditional
classroom settings.
- IT is an integral component of every academic discipline,
providing both
useful tools and becoming an important part of the discipline
content. In
many disciplines, if a student does not learn the IT components of
the discipline,
the student is not getting a “modern” education in the
discipline.
Business, graphics arts, math, and the sciences provide very strong
examples
of this situation.
- IT is an important academic discipline in and of itself. Some
schools have
decided that it is quite important for students to learn something
about the
discipline of IT, while others have opted against this approach. As
early
at 1983, there was a strong push for computer and information
science to be
a part of the secondary school curriculum (National Commission on
Excellence
in Education, 1983). Many schools provide a program of study that
prepares
some of their students to take an Advanced Placement exam in
computer and
information science.
- IT-based assistive technology can help many students (Warger,
1998; Assistive
Technology [Online]). Assistive technology is defined as any
item,
piece of equipment, or product, whether acquired commercially, off
the shelf,
modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or
improve the
functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Good
examples of
this type of IT use are found in voice input systems and speech
output systems
that are used by a number of students.
- IT is an integral assessment tool in computer-assisted learning
and in portfolio
assessment. Computer-based testing is an effective assessment tool
and is
seeing increasing use (Educational Testing Service).
- IT can be used to help implement research-based improvements and
is currently
routinely used by teachers in instructional delivery, preparing
lesson plans,
gradebook applications, and in collaboration with other teachers.
Electronic
collaboration: A practical guide for educators (LAB, 1999)
provides a
comprehensive introduction to teachers on how to use electronic
collaboration
to explore issues of teaching and learning, and as a component of
professional
development.
Each of these six types of IT use in education can be used as an
effective
component in a school improvement plan. The capabilities of IT are
continuing
to improve quite rapidly, and the number of computers available for
student
use is also increasing. Thus, there is substantial need for continuing
research
on effective ways to make use of this IT. A number of authors of
individual
research studies and meta-studies indicate that additional research is
needed
(Kosakowski, 1998; President’s Committee of Advisors on Science
and Technology,
1997).
Moreover, many of the research studies include a statement that
professional
development is essential to having IT make a significant contribution
to improving
student learning. Without high quality and well prepared teachers, the
potential
of IT in education cannot be achieved.
Improving Education with IT
Two encompassing goals of IT professional development are to improve
the quality
of education that children are receiving and to help create an
educational system
designed to meet the diverse needs of a diverse population. Education
is a complex
system and is highly resistant to change. In addition, IT is a complex
and rapidly
changing field. This means that improving education through
appropriate use
of IT is a challenging task.
Most approaches to educational reform are overly simplistic and not
rooted
in the research of successful methods. Fullan (1999) indicates that
the accumulated
research and practitioner knowledge needed to significantly improve
our educational
system is readily available, but appropriate implementation is quite
difficult.
For example, many schools have invested heavily in IT hardware
facilities, but
have failed to provide appropriate amounts of professional development
for their
teachers. President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and
Technology (1997)
suggests that on a nationwide basis, Pre K-12 schools should be
spending twice
as much on IT professional development as they are currently spending.
In the past, the individual school was usually considered an
appropriate unit
of change in educational improvement projects. The present trend moves
the unit
of change from an individual school to the school district and
addresses systemic
change in this larger educational system. In either case, a full range
of stakeholders—including
the teachers and their top-level administrators—need to be
involved. There
needs to be a plan for making use of IT to improve student learning
and achievement.
Fullan (1999) argues that a simultaneous bottom-up (teacher level) and
top-down
(school administrator level) approach is needed to produce significant
and long
lasting educational improvement.
The research literature on systemic change in schools and school
districts
is compelling. At both a federal and a state level, funding agencies
are pushing
for and funding widespread implementation of these research and
practitioner-based
systemic change models. An excellent summary on a variety of
educational reform
(school renewal) efforts is given in the April 1999 issue of the Phi
Delta Kappan.
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (1998) provides an analysis
of 64
widely implemented educational reform programs. Secondary School
Principals
and National Educational Association (1999) examines 24 school reform
models.
The U.S. Department of Education is funding implementation and
research on a
variety of school reform models (Office of Educational Research and
Improvement).
An extensive analysis of roles of IT in educational reform is given in
Distance
Learning Resource Network (DLRN).
In recent years, the US Federal government has invested heavily in IT
in education.
An excellent summary of current evidence on the effectiveness of IT in
education
is given in papers prepared for the Secretary's Conference on
Educational Technology
in U.S. Department of Education (1999). While there is growing
evidence that
values using IT in education, it is clear that IT is no panacea.
Rather, IT
should be viewed as a valuable component of educational reform.
The business world is also quite interested in schools learning to
make more
effective use of IT (CEO Forum). Businesses channel large amounts of
grant money
and used equipment to schools.
The Pace of IT Change
Widespread implementation of IT into Pre K-12 education did not begin
until
after the advent of microcomputers. In 1983, estimates are that there
was only
one microcomputer or timeshared computer terminal per 125 students. By
1998
the ratio was about one microcomputer per six students (Becker &
Anderson,
1998).
Many people argue that the current ratio of students and teachers per
microcomputer
is still too low to make a significant difference in our educational
system.
For example, they point to the business world in which each worker who
has need
for computer access has their own terminal or microcomputer. There is
a growing
set of research studies on PreK–12 environments in which every
student
has a computer. Sandholtz et al. (1997) reports on a ten-year study of
the Apple
Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT). This extensive study provides strong
evidence
that a one-to-one computer ratio, substantial staff development, and
empowering
teachers to make changes in curriculum and instruction can lead to
major improvements
in student retention, attendance, and student learning. Rockman, et
al.
(1998) reports on a major multi-school project in which each student
has a laptop.
The results that are emerging in this longitudinal study tend to be
consistent
with the ACOT results.
The microcomputers of today are thousands of times more powerful than
microcomputers
of 1980—and, indeed, are more powerful than the million dollar
mainframes
of 1980. Today’s software is far more versatile and
user-friendly. The
Internet (which includes the World Wide Web) has emerged as a very
important
aid to communication as well as the storage and retrieval of
information. There
is now a huge installed base of microcomputers in business,
government, research,
people’s homes, and in education at all levels.
This trend of increasingly powerful microcomputers and computer
networks has
been going on for more than three decades. Kurzweil (1999) provides
extensive
evidence that the current pace of change will likely continue for at
least another
15 years—and then may increase to a still faster pace of change!
Moreover,
Kurzweil gives a number of examples in which computers are already as
good as
or better than humans at solving certain types of problems such as
chess and
medical diagnosis. Needless to say, continued progress in artificial
intelligence
is presenting a challenge to our educational system. If a computer can
solve
a type of problem that we are having students learn to solve in school
using
non-computer methods, what should students be learning about
solving
this type of problem? This is a question facing all teachers.
IT National Standards
National Standards have been established in many different Pre K-12
curriculum
areas. The Midcentral Regional Educational Laboratory has a focus on
standards
and their web site is quite extensive.
ISTE has developed IT national standards for PreK–12 students
and for
preservice teachers (International Society for Technology in
Education). A summary
of the standards for PreK–12 education is given below. The web
site (ISTE)
contains detailed performance indicators for students completing each
grade
level. The ISTE-developed standards for preservice teachers are
designed to
prepare them to teach in schools helping students meet the ISTE
student standards.
ISTE has worked with a number of non-IT content area standards groups
to develop
lesson plans that help students meet both IT and non-IT standards
(International
Society for Technology in Education, 2000).
ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards
ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) reflect
the collective
research and analysis of a large number of IT education researchers
and practitioners.
The NETS document divides the educational technology standards into
six broad
domains.
Domain 1. Basic operations and concepts:
- Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and
operation of
technology systems.
- Students are proficient in the use of technology.
Domain 2. Social, ethical and human issues:
- Students understand ethical, cultural, and societal issues related
to technology.
- Students practice responsible use of technology systems,
information, and
software.
- Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that
support
lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and
productivity.
Domain 3. Technology productivity tools:
- Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase
productivity,
and promote creativity.
- Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing
models, preparing
publications, and producing other creative works.
Domain 4. Technology tools for communication:
- Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and
interact with
peers, experts, and other audiences.
- Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate
information and
ideas effectively to multiple audiences.
Domain 5. Technology tools for research:
- Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect
information from
a variety of sources.
- Students use technology tools to process data and report
results.
- Students evaluate and select new information resources and
technological
innovations based on the appropriateness to the specific tasks.
Domain 6. Technology tools for problem solving and decision
making:
- Students use technology resources for solving problems and making
informed
decisions.
- Students employ technology in the development of sophisticated
strategies
for solving problems in the real world.
Stages of Concern and Levels of Knowledge
This section contains a 10-level scale of IT stages of concern and
levels of
knowledge for teachers (Moursund, 1999a). The scale is useful in
helping individual
teachers and the teachers in a school chart a path toward increasing
IT expertise
designed to help their students get a better education.
- Complete Novice: I have never used a microcomputer. I
don’t
know how to turn one on and make it go. When the opportunity to gain
such
knowledge has been made available to me, I have not taken advantage
of it.
It may be that I have a negative attitude toward this
technology.
- Awareness: I have an awareness of microcomputers and other
IT but
I do not make personal or professional use of them. I do not engage
my class
or staff in discussions about IT even when I realize that this would
be relevant
to the topic at hand. I do not make use of IT in developing
instructional
materials or administrative materials. I am somewhat
techno-phobic.
- Informational: I have a novice level of microcomputer and
other IT
knowledge and skill. Although I sometimes make use of these
facilities, my
level of knowledge is not adequate for professional use. I lack the
knowledge
and skills needed to make use of IT in developing instructional or
administrative
materials, and in integrating use of IT into my professional work. I
am concerned
about gaining more general information about their potential uses in
my professional
work.
- Personal: I am beginning to make use of microcomputers and
other
IT in my professional work. I am concerned about how using this
technology
will affect me personally in my professional career as an
educator.
- Time: I am concerned about the time needed to learn about
and to
keep up with the rapid changes in IT in education. As I continue to
learn,
I sometimes feel overwhelmed by how much there is to learn and how
much time
it takes to keep up.
- Practitioner: I make quite a bit of use IT in my
professional work.
I routinely integrate IT into the teaching and/or administrative
work that
I do. I am concerned about the effects my use of microcomputers,
networking,
and other IT is having and should be having on students and staff,
and on
my professional work.
- Collaboration: I occasionally help a colleague to handle an
IT hardware
or software problem in an informal, one-on-one setting. I share what
I am
learning about use of IT in teaching and in administration and I
encourage
my colleagues to make such uses of IT. I am concerned about doing
more extensive
work with my peers so that we both learn more about IT in
education.
- Refocusing: I am comfortable in making routine professional
use of
IT and in helping my colleagues to learn IT. I am concerned about
learning
new ways to use what I already know and about expanding my horizons.
I want
to help facilitate substantial changes in my department and my
school.
- IT Leader: I am a technology leader and high level
facilitator. I
routinely present talks and workshops at conferences. I am concerned
about
continuing to maintain and improve my leadership and professional
development
skills, in my school, school district, and beyond.
- Educational Leader: I am an educational leader, with broad
interests
in how to improve our overall educational system. Although IT
remains one
of my primary interests in education, I am concerned about
appropriate and
cost-effective ways to better meet the educational needs of all
students and
all other stakeholders in our educational system. I have an interest
in national
and global educational systems. I am concerned about the complexity
of educational
systems and how to improve these systems.
The Importance of Professional Development
Although computers and other IT have been used in the Pre K-12
curriculum for
more than 40 years, the field is still in its infancy. A satisfactory
level
of appropriate hardware, software, connectivity, teacher knowledge and
skills,
and IT-compatible curriculum, instruction, and assessment has not yet
been reached
in most schools. Professional development—and building on the
steadily
accumulating research and practitioner knowledge—are essential if
IT is
to achieve its potential in helping to improve our educational system
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| Overview ofResearch on Technology in Education, Dr. David Moursund, Dr. Irene Smith |
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