• Math Topics
• Initiatives
• Methodology
• Resources
• Projects
• Manipulatives
• Software
• Learning Support
• Standardized Test Prep
• Technology Integration
• Assisting Readers
• Professionalism
• Associations
• Journals
• News
• Professional Development
• Standards
• Educational Research
• CT4ME Papers

Are you confused by terms that educators use? The ASCD Lexicon of Learning might be what you need.

 

 

 

Technology Integration

Part 1: Essential Questions (Page 1 of 2)

 

How is educational technology defined?

The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) defines educational technology as "the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources” (Richey, Silber, & Ely, 2008, p. 24).  AECT has also addressed this issue fully in its book Educational Technology: A Definition with Commentary, edited by Alan Januszewski and Michael Molenda (2007).

 

Back to top

 

How is technology affecting the learning process?

Students today have come to expect learning on demand and speed is the name of the game.  They are not afraid of technology. They multi-task, think less linearly than those of us over 30, enjoy fantasy as an element of their lives, are less tolerant of passive activities, and use their tools to stay connected with each other. 

According to Urs Gasser and John Palfrey (2009), multitasking is not going to go away.  It helps today's youth to cope with the vast amount of information coming their way.  It takes on a couple of forms: parallel processing or doing more than one thing at the same time and task-switching or quickly changing from doing one thing to doing another.  Rather than preventing our students from multitasking, a better approach would be to help students understand how multitasking challenges their learning.  After reviewing several studies on the affects of multitasking, Gasser and Palfrey concluded:

• "Multitasking does not render learning impossible.  It does not even necessarily make it more difficult to accomplish tasks.  However, we can safely conclude that task-switching in particular increases the amount of time needed to finish a task."
• "Multitasking is likely to change learning qualitatively by making the learner rely on different memory systems that vary in flexibility when it comes to the use of knowledge."
• "The loss of attention and the time spent switching from task to task is likely to have an adverse effect on digital natives' ability to learn complex new facts and concepts."  (p. 18)

Much of that multitasking can be seen in the online activities of youth, many of whom benefit from the informal settings and activities they have defined for themselves.  In what has been called "the most extensive U.S. study of youth media use" to date, authors Mizuko Ito, Heather Horst, Matteo Bittanti, Danah Boyd, Becky Herr-Stephenson, Patricia G. Lange, C.J. Pascoe, and Laura Robinson (2008) found that youth use online media to extend friendships and interests. They engage in peer-based, self-directed learning online (pp. 1-2). The scenario has implications for instructional designers and educators:

• Adults should facilitate young people's engagement with digital media. "Contrary to adult perceptions, while hanging out online, youth are picking up basic social and technical skills they need to fully participate in contemporary society. Erecting barriers to participation deprives teens of access to these forms of learning" (p. 2).
• Youth using new media often learn from their peers, not teachers or adults. Yet, in interest-driven participation, adults have an important role to play (e.g. in setting learning goals) (pp. 2-3).
• To stay relevant in the 21st century, education institutions need to keep pace with the rapid changes introduced by digital media.

While content and courses are still viewed as the starting point of learning, George Siemens (2005a) indicates that the Web and the Internet are changing that, proof of which is illustrated in the aforementioned Ito and colleagues' study (2008).  The majority of education no longer occurs in formal settings.  People are learning "through communities of practice, personal networks, and through completion of work-related tasks" in an environment in which "[k]now-how and know-what is being supplemented with know-where (the understanding of where to find knowledge needed)" (sec: Introduction). Thus, he views making connections, not content, should be perceived as the beginning point of the learning process.  His theory "connectivism" calls for a rethinking of learning in the digital age.

To date theories of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism have dominated instructional design and still have their place in the domains of learning (see Table 1).  However, those theories are challenged in the digital age because "[m]any of the processes previously handled by learning theories (especially in cognitive information processing) can now be off-loaded to, or supported by, technology" (Siemens, 2005a, Introduction).  In contrast to established theories of learning, the essence of connectivism is that learning is viewed as a connections/network-forming process (Siemens, 2005c).

Connectivism recognizes that learning resides in a collective of individuals' opinions and even in non-human appliances. Core skills include an ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts and to locate sources of unknown knowledge when you need it at its point of application.  The intent of learning activities is currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge).  Because knowledge is increasing exponentially, it can rapidly change what is perceived as a reality.  Thus, the decision making process (what to learn and its meaning) is a learning process itself (Siemens, 2005a).  The process is complicated by new communications tools that have sprung up, which give greater end-user control over what is published on the Web, resulting in some amateur contributions of questionable quality.

 

Table 1: Learning Domains with Associated Theories
Learning Domain	Associated Theories	Traits	Percent of learning over a lifetime contributed by the domain
Transmission: Learning as instructor led courses, lectures, demonstrations	Behaviorism & Cognitivism	High organizational control over content and structure; Learning is mastering pre-determined objectives; developmental and formative learning occurs; formal learning	about 10%
Emergence: Learning as reflection and cognition	Cognitivism & Constructivism	High personal control over content and structure; Learning is learner constructed; personal learning and innovation occur; informal learning	about 1-2%
Acquisition: Learning as self-selected (e.g., exploring, experimenting, self-instruction, inquiry, satisfying a curiosity)	Constructivism & Connectivism	High personal control over content with some personal control over structure.  Learning is learner motivated, collaborative; involves a variety of sources; group and needs-based learning occurs; informal learning	about 20%
Accretion: Learning as continual/embedded process; often subliminal or unconscious (e.g., accounting for learning of language, culture, habits, prejudices, social rules, behaviors)	Connectivism	High personal control over content with high organizational control over structure; Learning in a network; knowing-where to find information is valued; connection-making; informal learning	about 70%
Sources for content and percentages adapted from: Siemens, G. (2005). Learning development model: Bridging learning design and modern knowledge needs. Elearnspace. Retrieved July 24, 2007 from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/ldc.htm  Wilson, L. O., (1997). Types of learning. Retrieved July 24, 2007 from http://www.uwsp.edu/education/lwilson/learning/typesofl.htm

 

Personalization is among trends driving the global economy, and this is no less true when working with technology, and the internet (Kelleher, 2006).  According to Siemens (2005b), learning ecologies and networks are structures that enable continual and personalized learning and should be considered in instructional design.  Learning communities, information sources, and individuals can all be considered nodes or connection points in a network and it only takes two nodes to share resources.  Networks need to occur within an ecology.  An ecological approach to learning is open, adaptive, decentralized, tolerates experimentation/failure, reflects a need for simplicity, promotes trust and learning in safe environments, and includes many tools for dialogue and making connections.  A learning ecology includes the following (Siemens, 2005b, Learning Ecology):

• A space for gurus and beginners to connect (master/apprentice)
• A space for self-expression (blog, journal)
• A space for debate and dialogue (listserv, discussion forum, open meetings)
• A space to search archived knowledge (portal, website)
• A space to learn in a structured manner (courses, tutorials)
• A space to communicate new information and knowledge indicative of changing elements within the field of practice (news, research)

Ultimately, the value of this theory is its link to the concept of life-long learning.  According to Siemens (2005c), "We are moving from formal, rigid learning into an environment of informal, connection-based, network-creating learning...Knowing is no longer a destination. Knowing is a process of walking in varying degrees of alignment with a dynamic environment" (sec: Conclusion). Gone are the days of "this is what it is."

The Horizon Report: 2009 K-12 Edition (Johnson, Levine, Smith, & Smythe, 2009) lends support to views expressed above. Written as a joint effort of the New Media Consortium and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) with funding from Microsoft, it "examines emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning, and creative expression within the environment of pre-college education" (p. 3).  Thus in summation, look for the following predictions for technology adoptions that will change the learning process in the near future:

• In one year or less: collaborative environments and online communication tools.  Johnson, Levine, Smith, and Smythe (2009) indicate, “both groups of technologies are now standard in the digital toolset of postsecondary students. In many grade schools, on the other hand, integrating these kinds of technologies into teaching and learning has proven difficult because of barriers such as policy constraints on using online tools, the fact that many students do not bring laptops to school (as opposed to many college students, who do), and policies that restrict Internet access in many schools” (p. 4).
• Within two to three years, mobiles and cloud computing.  This time estimate "is a reflection of the fact that younger students are, at present, less likely than college-age students to carry mobile devices, especially Internet-capable ones — although there is a growing trend that suggests this will not always be the case — and that access to cloud-based applications is more difficult for younger students for the same reasons that collaborative environments and online communication tools are often out of reach” (p. 4). Note that cloud computing refers to large groups of networked servers, which have "made processing power and storage capacity available in abundant quantities. Applications that are developed to run in the cloud and take advantage of the ability to scale up or down along with the number of users and storage demands are changing the way we think about programs and files. Collaborative work, research, social networking, media sharing, virtual computers: all are enabled by applications that live in the cloud” (p. 5).
• In four to five years, smart objects and the personal web . Smart object appliances aimed at consumers are appearing on the market, and the technology shows promise for linking physical objects with rich caches of online content, but common use in schools is still several years away. The technology was placed on the same horizon in the higher education edition of the 2009 Horizon Report. The personal web, on the other hand, is perceived as being slightly closer to mainstream adoption in higher education than in grade schools; the topic appears on the mid-term horizon for higher education” (p. 4).

 

Back to top

 

What is technological literacy?

The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory and the Metiri Group (2003) offer a definition of Literacy for the Digital Age. This definition includes basic literacy, scientific literacy, economic literacy, technological literacy, visual literacy, information literacy, multicultural literacy, and global awareness.  "Technological literacy is knowledge about what technology is, how it works, what purposes it can serve, and how it can be used efficiently and effectively to achieve specific goals" (p. 15).

The International Technology Education Association (ITEA, 2000) defines technological literacy as the "ability to use, manage, assess, and understand technology" (p. 9). Greg Pearson and A. Thomas Young (2002) stated that it “encompasses three interdependent dimensions--knowledge, ways of thinking and acting, and capabilities," with the goal "to provide people with the tools to participate intelligently and thoughtfully in the world around them" (p. 9).  "Although technical competency is not the same as technological literacy, the development of skills in technology can lead to a better understanding of the underlying technology and could be used as a basis for teaching about the nature, history, and role of technology in our lives" (p. 11).

In its Updated Framework for 21st Century Learning, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2007) defined ICT (information, communications, and technology) literacy as:

• Using digital technology, communication tools and/or networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a knowledge economy
• Using technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information, and the possession of a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information (sec: Overview).

The emergence and integration of ICT into instruction and student lives has given new meaning to Bloom's Taxonomy of cognitive objectives.  Andrew Churches (2008) added an interesting set of new digital verbs to each of the levels in the taxonomy, reflecting new objectives in the road to literacy.  He calls it Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Map, a must see.

Thus, by integrating technology into K-12 schools, we are assisting with the development of technologically literate citizens.  However, schools must also be aware of a conclusion reached by Ito and colleagues (2008):

• Given the diversity of digital media, "it is problematic to develop a standardized set of benchmarks to measure levels of new media and technical literacy" for our youth (p. 2).

 

Back to top

 

What do we mean by technology integration?

Technology integration, as defined by the National Forum on Education Statistics (2005), Forum Unified Education Technology Suite, "is the incorporation of technology resources and technology-based practices into the daily routines, work, and management of schools" (Part 8). Resources are computers and specialized software, network-based communication systems, and other equipment and infrastructure. Practices include collaborative work and communication, Internet-based research, remote access to instrumentation, network-based transmission and retrieval of data, and other methods.

According to the Software & Information Industry Association (2006), software for integration includes a wide variety of applications that:

• meet instructional, curriculum/content, assessment, classroom management, and enterprise level administrative tasks;
• are used in the classroom, school office, and potentially accessed offsite such as from home (student or educator) or from a mobile device;
• are installed on a computer or other device, installed on a school local network or wide area network, or hosted by a third party and accessed online via a web browser;
• include a wide variety of digital content ranging from an electronic version of a printed material (e.g., e-book or pdf file) to multi-media, interactive and adaptive courseware. (p. 3)

Key questions (National Forum of Education Statistics, 2005, adapted from Part 8) include:

• Are teachers and students proficient in using technology in the teaching/learning environment?
• To what extent (percentage) has technology been integrated in the teaching/learning environment?
• Do teaching and learning standards and student assessment include technology proficiencies and measures?
• Do administrative standards include technology proficiencies and measures?
• Are administrators and support personnel proficient in using technology for school management?
• Is technology incorporated into administrative processes?
• Is technology proficiency integrated into evaluation of instructional and support staff?

Although the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory is no longer in operation as of September 30, 2005, its Learning with Technology Profile Tool is available and will help you to compare your current instructional practices with a set of indicators for engaged learning and high-performance technology.

 

Back to top

 

How should technology be used?

This question can be addressed from two perspectives--what we desire for all students, teachers, and providers of education in general and then specific to mathematics.

The General Perspective

In Maximizing the Impact: "The Pivotal Role of Technology in a 21st Century Education System" (2007), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the State Educational Technology Directors Association state that technology can be used in nine key areas to assist with teaching and learning:

• Building conceptual understanding of core content;
• Addressing misconceptions;
• Fostering inquiry and investigation;
• Applying knowledge and skills to interdisciplinary challenges;
• Creating and transforming knowledge for meaningful purposes;
• Collaborating with others;
• Apprenticing with experts;
• Engaging and motivating students; and
• Differentiating instruction to meet individual needs. (pp. 9-10).

Technology can be used for "information, images, interactions, and inquiry" (Quirk, in Pollock, 2007, p. 102).  To this end, ISTE's (2007) release of National Educational Technology Standards for Students: The Next Generation indicates that to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly digital world, students should know and be able to use technology for creativity and innovation; communication and collaboration; research and information fluency; critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making; digital citizenship; and technology operations and concepts.  Students should be able to:

• Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

• Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.

• Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital environments and media, including globally.

• Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.

• Plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

• Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.

• Troubleshoot systems and applications.

Teachers and administrators also need to use technology.  In the series of Technology Briefs for NCLB Planners, the Northeast and the Islands Regional Technology Consortium (NEIRTEC, 2002) presented Strategies for Improving Academic Achievement and Teacher Effectiveness:

• Use technology linked to district and school initiatives to support learning in the content areas.
• Integrate technology into the curriculum, rather than making technology a separate subject area.
• Use technology to assist with data-driven decision making.
• Use technology to support different learning styles and to meet the needs of all learners, including those with disabilities.
• Use technology as a vehicle for professional development.

"Such technologies as videoconferencing, online learning, networking, and instant messaging can support professional development and professional learning communities.  Using technologies like these, educators can learn and collaborate with peers, mentors, experts and community members routinely. They can build ongoing professional relationships, develop capacity in teaching 21st century skills, benefit from just-in-time communications, and reduce the time and expense of travel" (Maximizing the Impact, 2007, p. 13).

"Technology can support administration in providing instructional leadership, managing learning environments and professional learning communities, and making decisions that support proficiency in 21st century skills. Networking technologies, for example, can support administrators in communicating with staff members, parents and community members. Data management systems enable states, districts and schools to make sense of the mountains of data they collect, monitor technology and other resources, and track trends in student achievement. In this sense, technology is a “data tool for education to better understand and inform educational and instructional decision making” (Maximizing the Impact, 2007, p. 13).

Teachers need more technological skills to be able to effectively integrate technology into classroom lessons, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2008).  In order to form some consensus about those skills, many of which were noted above, and to determine a plan for their acquisition, UNESCO and colleagues Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, the International Society for Technology in Education and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University set up the ICT Competency Standards for Teachers project.  The ICT Competency Standards for Teachers (UNESCO, 2008) includes three booklets: (1) a policy framework, (2) the standards in modular format with a skill set matrix, and (3) implementation guidelines.  The latter is actually a syllabus with detailed descriptions of the specific skills to be acquired by teachers within each skill set/module: policy, curriculum and assessment, pedagogy, the use of technology in the classroom, school organization and administration, and teacher professional development.  It can serve as a basis for developing professional development programs and teacher education, and as a checklist for skills acquired.

In Mathematics

Ted Hasselbring, Alan Lott, and Janet Zydney (2005) note six purposes of technology use for supporting student mathematical learning and their development of declarative, procedural, and conceptual knowledge:

1. building computational fluency;
2. converting symbols, notations, and text;
3. building conceptual understanding;
4. making calculations and creating mathematical representations;
5. organizing ideas; and
6. building problem solving and reasoning. (p. 2).

Elaborating on those, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php) developed ICT Literacy Maps for core subject areas to illustrate how technology assists with attaining and utilizing 21st century skills.  Representative ways that technology can be used in mathematics at grades 4, 8, and 12 are included.  For example, thoughts derived from the Math ICT Literacy Map:

• Newspapers, books, spreadsheets, graphing programs, calculators, computers, Internet, films, TV programs, Websites, databases, internet and digital libraries can help students gain information and media literacy.  They are sources for the study of data analysis.

• Word processing programs, graphic programs, presentation software, desktop publishing programs can help students gain communication skills.  These are applicable for math projects.

• Word processing software, manipulatives, calculators, graphing calculators, spreadsheet software, probes, GPS, and geometry tool software are useful for developing critical thinking and systems thinking.  Use these tools when problem-solving, keeping journals of mathematical experiences, and creating graphical representations of data, for example.

• Manipulatives, calculators, graphing calculators, Smart Boards, and presentation software help students to develop problem identification, formulation, and solution skills.

• Digital cameras, laptop computers, multimedia presentation software, graphing calculators, probes/CBRs, Website development software can be used to enhance creativity and intellectual curiosity.  For example, students might take photos showing geometry representations in their surroundings and create a math slide show.

• Calculators, computers, newspapers, Internet, spreadsheet programs, presentation software, video equipment can help build interpersonal, self-direction, and collaborative skills.  Students might create portfolios with examples of problem-solving situations in real life, or reflections on their problem-solving and thinking, and their understanding and learning of math concepts.

• Internet, presentation software, word processing, desktop publishing can be used to communicate with students in other communities or countries, participate in national math competitions, or to discuss concepts with outside experts in online bulletin boards. These become tools for accountability and adaptability.

• Internet, presentation software, newspapers can be used for community service projects, and for collecting data to be analyzed with math tools and then making reports on local issues. Such use enhances and develops social responsibility.

Visit Teaching NOW!, an online television and radio series that investigates the relationships between education and technology.  The series, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education, explores issues, ideas, and strategies surrounding education and teaching.

 

Back to top

 

What are courseware and digital content types for mathematics?

There are a variety of technologies for teaching mathematics that can enhance development of declarative, procedural, and conceptual knowledge.  Mark Schneiderman (2006) identified the following courseware and digital content types:

1. Tutorials: Programs are used to introduce math concepts and then to provide practice, assessing learners as they progress.  The primary focus is on identification of existing knowledge / formative assessment and acquisition of new information / development of new skill.  The secondary focus is on application of new information / practice of new skill and demonstration of mastery / summative assessment.

2. Skill-Building / Drill & Practice: Unlike tutorials, these programs assume learners have some prior knowledge.  The primary focus is on application of new information / practice of new skill.  The secondary focus is on acquisition of new information / development of new skill and demonstration of mastery / summative assessment.  There are levels of difficulty to meet learner needs, often with hints, explanations, and graphical representations.  Programs are often in game format.

3. Comprehensive Courseware: Programs provide a core curriculum with support for the learning process and might combine tutorials, practice, and assessment.  Skill mastery is tracked; a student data management and reporting system is often included to inform instruction.

4. Problem-Solving: Programs require learners to use specific math skills to solve challenges or puzzles. Focus is on application of new information / practice of new skill and refinement of meta-skills.  Problems presented might have one correct answer and/or one solution path or multiple correct answers and paths.

5. Test Prep: These programs assess knowledge, particularly for standardized test preparation.  The focus is on application of new information / practice of new skill and demonstration of mastery / summative assessment.

6. Simulations & Visualization: Multimedia simulations are often embedded in applications above, and can also be stand-alone.  They can be used to help learners visualize and interactively explore concepts, and apply new conceptual knowledge to real-world situations.  Some video-based simulations are less interactive.  Focus is on acquisition of new information / development of new skill and application of new information / practice of new skill.

7. Educational or Serious Games: Schneiderman (2006) says this "new category of courseware is emerging designed around more authentic gaming concepts. These applications provide more immediate and ongoing feedback, require more concentrated and lengthy attention, allow repeated practice, motivate increased time on task, and employ a very leveled and contextual approach to building skills and knowledge" (p. 11). The primary focus is on acquisition of new information / development of new skill and application of new information / practice of new skill.  Secondary focus on identification of existing knowledge / formative assessment, demonstration of mastery / summative assessment, and refinement of meta-skills.

 

Back to top/

 

What principles should guide your approach for integrating technology into instruction?

New media, such as virtual worlds, gaming environments, blogs, wikis, intelligent agents, iPods, and MP3 files and players, constantly spring up to tempt educators to use them in instruction.  According to Marc Prensky (2005), today's students (digital natives) have mastered a variety of tools and "[e]ducating or evaluating students without these tools makes no more sense to them than educating or evaluating a plumber without his or her wrench" (p. 12).  Prensky indicates that their system of communication involves instant messaging, sharing information through blogs, buying and selling on eBay, exchanging through peer-to-peer technology, creating with Flash, meeting in 3D worlds, collecting via downloading, coordinating and collaborating through wikis, searching with Google, reporting via their camera phones, programming, socializing in chat rooms, and let us not forget learning via Web surfing.  Their tools are just extensions of their brains.

The use of these new tools is among trends driving our global economy (Anderson, 2006). These tools "harness the wisdom of the crowd," enable "a shared culture of fandom, commentary, and camaraderie" to be developed, and ultimately are taking the Information Age to a new level, which Chris Anderson (2006) calls the "Age of Peer Production" (p. 132).  We digital immigrants have a long way to go to learn their language and master their media. Teachers know it's not the medium, but instructional methods that cause learning.  Consequently, according to David Roh (cited in O'Hanlon, 2009, p. 32), "There are hundreds of reasons why teachers don't want to use the [new]technology."

Resistance and what to do about it 

While exact figures of how many teachers are not using technology in instruction are unknown, Charlene O'Hanlon (2009) points out that "anecdotal evidence from vendors and school districts alike indicates resistance to technology adoption is still a problem among a significant portion of the teacher population" (p. 32). They will resist if they are not shown the value that a technology will bring to the classroom, and if they are told they must use it and are given a deadline for doing so.  Their resistance might also stem from a fear of students knowing more than they do about a particular technology, which might happen if they lack a firm grasp of the technology. 

In any approach to integrating technology in instruction, O'Hanlon (2009) suggests that teachers need to be able to learn a technology gradually, and be given time to learn it. Comprehensive training from vendors with follow-up professional development and support within the district will help resolve the resistance issue, as will a peer-to-peer mentoring program.  If all else fails, districts might even consider financial incentives for learning and adopting the technology.  For some, all it might take to convince a teacher to give the technology a try is for them to see how using the technology impacts students, and to witness the excitement of the early adopters.

Key Questions to Answer

Technology should not be implemented just for the sake of adopting technology.  It must serve a role in learning.  Joel Smith and Susan Ambrose (2004, p. 23) of Carnegie Mellon University posed seven questions to help educators think in a systematic way about  how and when to incorporate any new pedagogical strategy, including media, into instruction. Their fundamental questions include:

1. What is the educational need, problem, or gap for which use of new media might potentially enhance learning?

2. Would the application of new media assess students' prior knowledge and either provide the instructor with relevant information about students' knowledge and skill level or provide help to students in acquiring the necessary prerequisite knowledge and skills if their prior knowledge is weak?
   
   Would the use of new media enhance students' organization of information given that organization determines retrieval and flexible use?

3. Would the use of new media actively engage students in purposeful practice that promotes deeper learning so that students focus on underlying principles, theories, models, and processes, and not the superficial features of problems?

4. Would the application of new media provide frequent, timely, and constructive feedback, given that learning requires accurate information on one's misconceptions, misunderstandings, and weaknesses?

5. Would the application of new media help learners develop the proficiency they need to acquire the skills of selective monitoring, evaluating, and adjusting their learning strategies?  Some call these metacognitive skills.

6. Would the use of new media adjust to students' individual differences given that students are increasingly diverse in their educational backgrounds and preferred methods of learning?

If you can answer "yes" to one or more of the above questions when considering using a particular strategy or a new media, then your selection has a chance of making a difference in learning.

Universal Design is Important.

However, principles of universal design should also be considered when selecting media for use in an instructional program.  Universal Design for Learning from the Center for Applied Technology calls for students to have multiple means of expression, representation, and engagement in their learning.  Materials provide those elements and have scaffolds built in (Deubel, 2003).

For students with disabilities (e.g., vision, hearing, learning), technology use may pose unintended barriers to learning.  Regular access to Closing the Gap, a Web site devoted to computer technology in special education and rehabilitation, will provide articles, product information, discussion forums, and other resources of value on accessibility.

 

Back to top

 

When can you expect technology to be effective?

As with any educational intervention, the effectiveness of technology depends upon the appropriate selection and implementation of that technology to meet teaching and learning goals.  According to Mark Schneiderman (2004), Director of Education Policy at the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), "education technology is neither inherently effective nor inherently ineffective; instead, its degree of effectiveness depends upon the congruence among the goals of instruction, characteristics of the learners, design of the software, and educator training and decision-making, among other factors" (p. 30).  "Proper planning, ...school leadership, technical support, configured hardware, network infrastructure and Internet access, pedagogy and instructional use, intensity of software use" (SIIA, 2006, p. 2) all play a role in an effective implementation. To have a positive effective on achievement, technology-use must be a regular, integral part of an instructional program and not viewed as an add-on (Deubel, 2001).

Vicki Hancock (1992) discussed the LOCATE Model (learners, outcomes, comparison, assembly, trial, and evaluation) for selecting and evaluating instructional media, which "is particularly helpful in considering electronic media, such as interactive laserdisc lessons, educational software, and CD-ROM applications" (para. 3).  She provided a series of questions to consider when assessing media.  According to this model, those who select media should consider the needs of the intended learners, and whether or not the outcomes of instruction require media.  Potential media should be compared for authenticity, suitability, organization, technical quality, and special features.  The assembly component requires gathering and ensuring that all components (e.g., hardware, software, room/environmental considerations, support staff/volunteers) are available so that the media will be totally usable by the learners.  Hancock suggested a trial period before purchase to test the product with learners for their reactions and to determine if the product includes subject matter as intended.  Evaluation should include "an appraisal of the materials themselves and of the methods used to integrate them into learning activities" (para. 9).

 

Back to top

 

What do you do, if you are not convinced you can integrate technology into your instruction?

The following activities should help convince you to give technology a try.

Watch online videos of preK-12 teachers applying the learning model "Technology as a Facilitator of Quality Education" at IN TIME (Integrating New Technologies Into the Methods of Education).  IN TIME's mission is to use the "latest research on the use of standards to improve learning as well as the most contemporary strategies available from cognitive psychology and learning research."  The project was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's PT3 (Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology) program.

View the 8-minute video, Keys to Technology Integration, and other short video clips on technology integration, produced for the College of Education at Texas Tech University, Spring 2003.

Take the WebQuest on Technology Integration, Think pedagogy first, technology second, by Dr. Jennifer Strickland of Paradise Valley Community College in Arizona.  She references fundamental questions and the IN TIME learning model, cited on this CT4ME page.  Of particular value is the Process resource (see step 4: technology/media options) in the quest that pairs typical teaching methods with their corresponding technology enhanced pedagogy.

Visit the Digital Edge Learning Interchange project, one of the many collections at the Apple Learning Interchange.  It features National Board Certified Teachers in exhibits of exemplary teaching. Each exhibit includes an introduction, lesson plan, video clips, student work samples, assessment tools, resources, research, and teacher reflection. The lessons focus on using technology with students in a wide range of subject areas and grade levels. All exhibits include correlation to the National Board Standards and ISTE's NETS (National Educational Technology Standards), as well as to state and content area standards. 

See the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) developed for K-12 teachers in Florida.  The TIM has 25 cells created by associating five levels of technology integration (entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion, and transformation) and five characteristics of meaningful learning environments (active, collaborative, constructive, authentic, and goal directed).  Each cell includes a link to one or more videos that show technology integration in classrooms where only a few computers are available and/or classrooms where every student has access to a computer.  Descriptions of projects learners did and technology requirements are provided so that others might use the same project in their classrooms.

Read the online book: Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Available: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/ This book is freely available online with articles, videos, animations, narrations, and images on learning and cognitive theories, instructional theories and models, inquiry and direct instruction strategies, and more.  It's continually updated.  You'll also find discussion on technology tools for teaching and learning.

 

 

Back to top

 

The Amazon widget below shows books using the search phrase: technology integration.  You can also use the widget to search with other key words.  Suggestions include:

• technology education
• assistive technology classroom
• universal design learning
• technology inclusive classroom
• game based learning
• simulation learning

 

 

References

 

Back to top

See other Technology Integration pages:

Part 1:Technology Integration: Essential Questions: Page 1  |  2  |

Part 2: Technology Integration Resources  |  Part 3: Web Page Design  |  Part 4: Multimedia in Projects