A primary purpose for employing instructional technology in schools is to enhance student learning. Has technology been successful in helping students learn more effectively and efficiently? Much research has been done on this question, but the answer is far from certain. Most research on educational technology has consisted of media comparison studies. After assigning comparable students to control groups or to experimental groups, the researcher presents the experimental group of students with instruction that employs the new media, while the control group experiences the same content without the new media.
The researcher then compares the achievement of the two groups. After reviewing hundreds of such studies, educational technologist Richard Clark concluded that "there are no learning benefits to be gained from employing any specific medium to deliver instruction," and that "media do not influence learning under any conditions," but are "mere vehicles that deliver instruction but do not influence student achievement any more than the truck that delivers our groceries causes changes in our nutrition" , p.
According to Clark, any positive results that were gained by experimental groups over the control groups were easily accounted for by differences in instructional strategy.
Clark's findings were controversial and have been disputed by other reputable scholars. Nevertheless, Clark's opinions are useful in clarifying technology's role in instruction. Technology is neutral; there is nothing inherent about the media that assures learning. A poorly designed computer program is unlikely to advance learning and may even hinder it.
This relationship between learning and technology is further complicated by disagreements over what constitutes learning. During the first half of the twentieth century, transfer-of-learning theories were popular among classroom teachers. According to these theories, the principal task of the teacher was to transfer the teacher's knowledge and textbook content to the students' minds and, through periodic examinations, determine if the transfer occurred.
The task of instructional media was to assist in that transfer process by means of accurate and compelling presentations of content. During the second half of the century, educators embraced other theories of learning.
At least two of these theories have influenced the development of instructional media for schools. One of these theories is behaviorism; the other is constructivism. Although the intellectual roots of behaviorism can be traced to the beginning of the twentieth century, behaviorism did not have much impact on education until the s. Drawing upon B. Skinner's concepts, educators promoting behaviorism emphasized the importance of providing clear statements of what learners should be able to do following instruction.
These educators also sought to break complex units of knowledge and skills into smaller and simpler units, sequencing them in ways that would lead to mastering the more complex skills and content.
Frequently, their goal was also to individualize instruction as much as possible. Thus, the focus of instruction shifted from presentation of content knowledge before a group of students to a focus on the behavior of individual learners, an analysis of the steps needed to ensure learning, and the reinforcement of desirable behavior when it occurred.
The interest in behaviorism occurred about the same time that the first computer-assisted programs CAI were being developed. It is not surprising that the first CAI programs were essentially computer applications of printed, programmed learning books. Computers appeared to offer a good solution. Students could be assigned to a computer to work at their own pace, and the computer would keep track of students' work and provide a record of each student's progress for the teacher.
Such programs evolved into what were later called individualized learning systems ILS. ILS software and hardware were installed in school computer laboratories; they provided drill and practice exercises that were judged valuable, especially for students with learning difficulties. The behavioral movement also had an impact on the educational technology profession. The belief that it was possible to design instruction so that all students could learn led to an interest in the design of learning materials and in a systems approach to instruction.
During the last half of the twentieth century, cognitive theories of learning gained ascendancy over behaviorism among psychologists, and some of the views of cognitive psychologists, represented by the term constructivism, began to influence education.
Constructivists argued that learners must construct their own understanding of whatever is being taught. According to this perspective, the teacher's task is not primarily one of promoting knowledge transfer, nor is it one of ensuring that students perform consistently according to a predetermined description of knowledge and skills. The teacher's role is to create an environment in which students are able to arrive at their own interpretations of knowledge while becoming ever more skillful in directing their own learning.
Many constructivists were initially critical of the use of computers in schools because they equated the use of computers with behaviorist theories of learning. Other constructivists recognized the computer as a potential ally and designed programs that took advantage of constructivist beliefs. The result has been computer-based programs that promote higher-level thinking and encourage collaborative learning. Whatever learning theory a teacher may embrace, many technologies exist in schools to enhance instruction and to support student learning.
While teachers vary greatly in their use of these technologies, teachers select media they believe will promote their instructional goals.
Following are a few examples of computers being used to support four goals: building student capacity for research, making student inquiry more realistic, enabling students to present information in appealing forms, and offering students access to learning resources within and beyond the school.
Student research. Students once relied upon local and school libraries and their printed reference materials to research topics. Now, however, computer technologies provide access to digital versions of these references—and to libraries worldwide. Encyclopedias on CD-ROMs provide information, digital images, video, and audio, and also provide links to websites where students access tools such as live web cameras and global positioning satellites.
Dictionaries and thesauruses are built into word processors. Through the Internet students can gain access to a wide variety of primary and secondary sources, including government documents, photographs, and diaries.
Student inquiry. Educational reformers believe education needs to be real and authentic for students. Technology can engage students in real-world activities. In the sciences, electronic probes allow science students to collect precise weather or chemical reaction data and digitally trace trends and answer hypotheses. Graphing calculators, spreadsheets, and graphing software provide mathematics students with the ability to visualize difficult mathematical concepts.
In the social sciences, electronic communication tools e. Internet conferencing, e-mail, electronic discussion groups allow students to communicate with their peers from many parts of the world. In the language arts, students use handheld computers and wireless networks to create joint writing exercises and read electronic books that allow them to explore related topics. Concept-mapping software provides all students with the opportunity to build the framework for a story or report and to map out linkages among complex characters, such as those in a play by Shakespeare.
In the arts, students can explore images of original artwork through the Internet; with appropriate software they can create original digital artwork or musical compositions. Physical education students can use electronic probes to learn about the relationship between the impact of physical movement and physiological changes. Authentic student inquiry extends beyond data collection. It also implies the opportunity for students to investigate questions or issues that concern them.
Communications technology allows students to contact experts such as scientists, book authors, and political leaders. Electronic communication tools support interactions and increase the probability of prompt responses. Students who want to learn more about a current event, such as an experiment on an international space station, scientific endeavors in the Antarctic, an international meeting of environmentalists, or a musher during the Iditarod dogsled race in Alaska, can use the Internet to investigate the topic, participate in a virtual field trip to the event, and watch the event as it unfolds through a web camera.
The iPhone and the smartphone are very cool types of technology. We Wonder if you can think up the other types of technology you use daily? We can't wait to see you soon! Hi Celeste, thanks for sharing your comment today! We Wonder what types of technology you use every day? Great question, Aidan! Technology has been around for a very long time The invention of the wheel was a technological advancement at the time! You're doing great!
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Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. How does your school use technology? How does technology improve how you learn? What types of technology will be used in future classrooms? Tags: See All Tags audio , calculator , chalk , class , classroom , computer , copy , copying , educator , film , foreign , headphone , hornbook , internet , language , laptop , machine , MP3 , overhead , paper , pencil , player , projector , radio , revolutionize , school , slate , smartphone , tablet , tape , teacher , technology , television , videotape.
Wonder What's Next? Try It Out If you access Wonderopolis at school, then you're certainly familiar with using modern technology in the classroom! Find a friend or family member to help you explore one or more of the following activities at school or at home: What types of technology, if any, did your parents use when they were in school?
Ask them to think of any and all examples of things they used when they were in school. Did they have access to or use computers? What types of tools did they use in math class? Compare the technologies they used to the technology you have access to today. Would you rather be going to school today or back when your parents went to school? Talk to them about the different types of technology they might use during a typical work day.
Do you use any of the same technology at school? Are there technologies your parents use at work that could be used in the classroom? If so, talk to your teacher about how you might take advantage of other modern technologies in the classroom. Perhaps your parents could bring examples into the classroom to show your teacher and classmates how they use technology at work. So what technologies do you have in your school? Take a look around your classroom. How many examples of technology can you see?
How does technology improve your learning experience at school? Make a list of technology you see in your school, and talk with a friend or family member about how technology helps you learn. Did you get it? Test your knowledge.
What are you wondering? Wonder Words chalk technology slate hornbook educators projectors impairments complex cutting-edge Take the Wonder Word Challenge. Join the Discussion. Riley Penney Jan 13, We only usually use our computers to practice, play games, or teach each other. Gabriel Jan 8, Riley Penney Jan 8, My school uses technology to sometimes play fun math games or do online games together for fun! Jan 8, That's great, Riley!
We're glad you enjoy using your school's technology to learn. Wubba Lubba Dub Dec 18, Dec 18, I wish all schools had all tech instead of papepeper. Dec 10, Hi bananaman! We understand. It's a lot more fun to type up a paper than it is to hand-write one, isn't it? This includes a series of webinar conversations and a series of education stories.
The majority of the evaluations are randomized control trials RCTs and they were chosen through a competitive process open to researchers worldwide. These evaluations will rapidly generate evidence on how to keep students engaged with learning and remote education at home and how to prepare them for the return to school. Each evaluation will also collect detailed cost data that can help shed light on the resources required for scale and sustained implementation.
The tool will enable countries to: a identify good practices and areas where EdTech policies can be strengthened, and b monitor progress as countries take action. The ETRI goes beyond measuring the availability of devices and the level of connectivity to capture key elements of the larger education-technology ecosystem in a country, guiding efforts to increase learning opportunities and reduce inequalities.
For each pillar, the ETRI reports on a practice indicator to capture the practices at the school level , a de jure policy indicator to capture whether there is a policy to inform each practice , and a de facto policy indicator to measure the extent to which the policy is implemented. Continuity and Acceleration of Learning. The Continuous and Accelerated Learning CAL program aims to support multi-modal continuous learning by supporting the development, dissemination and delivery at scale of new and existing global public goods and regional learning continuity approaches, in the short term to offset the impacts of school closures, and in the medium to long term to ensure continuity and accelerate learning after schools re-open while building resilience into the education system.
UNICEF and the World Bank are joining forces to support countries to use technology as an accelerator to address key global education challenges related to equitable access to quality and relevant learning. This partnership will build on, extend, and complement existing global joint initiatives partnerships and programs that use digital technology to address the learning crisis.
The mEducation Alliance is a non-governmental organization focused on the evidence-driven and sustainable role of technology in education to advance quality educational outcomes. Formed in , the mEducation Alliance is a unique, multi-stakeholder convening platform for government and donor policymakers, other investors, researchers, and practitioners to work together, particularly in lower-resource, developing country contexts.
The mEducation Alliance is dedicated to strengthening formal and non-formal educational systems by:. The core edtech team works with and supports a group of two dozen EdTech Fellows , frontline staff from across the World Bank's education global practice working in every region around the world on over 50 edtech-related topics.
The world is in the biggest crisis in education of the century. This site uses cookies to optimize functionality and give you the best possible experience. If you continue to navigate this website beyond this page, cookies will be placed on your browser.
To learn more about cookies, click here. Understanding Poverty Topics. Education technology by itself is not a panacea Though investment in EdTech has been increasing, learning and outcomes as a result have not changed considerably in many countries. Last Updated: Sep 24, World Bank EdTech Strategy As education systems invest in EdTech, the World Bank advocates these five principles for how to design and implement technology to re-imagine education: 1. In Nigeria, the Edo Basic Education Sector and Skills Transformation Operation leverages technology to improve teaching and learning processes in basic education and has institutionalized remote learning EdoBEST Home program to provide access to all students outside school.
In Morocco, the pandemic created an electroshock on the education system that motivated the country to come up with a new system that prepares the schools for the new realities and for the future of education. Classrooms are kept smaller and new methods of teaching have been developed to enable teachers to animate classes in a way that students understand better. In addition, the schools are more connected than ever.
System of evaluation of the new way of teaching and learning is being developed. Complementing, but not replacing in-person teaching by online classes. Morocco is introducing a hybrid-model for families to choose. In Turkey, an COVID emergency response Project — Safe Schooling and Distance Education Project aims to build future resilience in the education system by creating a new hybrid learning model to support access to digital resources, improve connectivity and access to education data.
The Project will also build out the national ecosystem of innovators to support the development of new learning resources and build capacity of teachers to effectively use these digital resources to support hybrid learning. EVOKE, an online alternate reality game supporting social innovation among young people around the world including a latest iteration on use of Blockchain for conditional cash transfer in Colombia.
Also support for FabLabs in higher education institutions in countries like Bangladesh, research into the use of e-readers in schools in Lagos, and pilots of the Khan Academy in Nigeria and Guyana. Blended learning: Blended learning opportunities incorporate both face-to-face and online learning opportunities.
The degree to which online learning takes place, and the way it is integrated into the curriculum, can vary across schools. Online learning has the potential to improve educational productivity by accelerating the rate of learning, taking advantage of learning time outside of school hours, reducing the cost of instructional materials, and better utilizing teacher time.
These strategies can be particularly useful in rural areas where blended or online learning can help teachers and students in remote areas overcome distance. Open educational resources: Open educational resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain and are freely available to anyone over the Web. They are an important element of an infrastructure for learning and range from podcasts to digital libraries to textbooks and games.
It is critical to ensure that open educational resources meet standards of quality, integrity, and accuracy—as with any other educational resource—and that they are accessible to students with disabilities. Use digital resources well: Schools can use digital resources in a variety of ways to support teaching and learning. Electronic grade books, digital portfolios, learning games, and real-time feedback on teacher and student performance, are a few ways that technology can be utilized to power learning.
Toggle navigation U. Department of Education. Student Loans Grants Laws Data. Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning. State operated The Florida Virtual School — An online school that provides full-time learning opportunities to students in grades K Districts can also work with Florida Virtual School to provide blended learning opportunities to students by enabling them to access online courses from school sites.
Additional link here. Utah Electronic High School — An year-old online high school providing a range of courses to students year round. The school can award diplomas to students who are home-schooled, have dropped out, or are ineligible to graduate from a traditional high school for specific reasons.
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