Evaluation is an important phase when it comes to adopting new technologies. In many cases, it is not treated with the same dedication and effort as in initial steps of a project. In addition, once technology has been adopted it tends to become difficult for the administration to ensure that it meets the criteria set at the very start. To begin with, any change to the way schools operate is hard and takes a while to show adequate results. The learning curve is steep, both for teachers and students.
Researchers have become involved in evaluating technology in schools at various levels. Due to the complexities of time and resource management, these studies may have been carried out in limited institutions and classes. In many cases they have reported that technology has not enabled students to significantly raise their test scores. In my opinion, this seems to be a repeated pattern. It seems to me that the results, according to the criteria used to assess, will always show that there is no significant increment between controlled classes and regular ones. I think it is time to change what is expected out of technology.
The U.S. Department of Education, in its May 2007 report to Congress on the 'Effectiveness of reading and mathematics software products: Findings from the first student cohort' acknowledged that students were more likely to engage in individual practice and teachers were more likely to facilitate student learning rather than lecture. Isn't this what we all want? Sure. We are using technology to change the way students are learning and teachers are teaching. In addition, there could be other variables that can be taken into account like the rate of retention, the dropout rates, motivation levels, community engagement, etc. Researchers should focus more on the formative aspect of technology in a broader sense, not just in the results of tests. However, this is a task that will take years to show meaningful results.
Finally, it is important to be cautious about the results of research analysis. At a national level, studies need to be objective and unbiased. There must not be any interest in the outcomes of the results by the entity or entities that sponsor a study. In any case, it would be a good idea to bring in specialists to conduct research studies from foreign countries. In the globalized world that we live in, frontiers have been set aside and the daily common problems in each country make it possible for international researchers to evaluate the impact of technology with critical eyes.
2 comments:
I enjoy reading about Wenglinsky's research. It is unbiased and right to the point. I do wish that the US government take a hard look at why schools fail at using technology.
I totally agree that we should want students to be able to work independently and individually, since isn't that what they'll do as adults? There's no need to always stick to the lecture model for teaching. I think hands-on learning and collaboration are equally, if not more effective, and can both be facilitated by technology. So maybe technology evaluation needs to change to take that into account.
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