Concordia University researchers set out to answer a “big picture” question: Does computer technology have a positive overall effect on learning in the classroom?
“There have been lots of arguments, both pro and con, regarding this issue, (such as) is it worth the investment?” said professor Richard Schmid, chairman of the education department at the Montreal-based Concordia.
Their literature review involved looking at thousands of studies and comparing achievement in classrooms that used computer technology with those that used little or none.
The 40-year retrospective study, published in the Review of Educational Research journal, concluded that classrooms where computer technology was used to support teaching had a “small to moderate positive” effect on learning and attitude.
If an administrator must make a decision “should we invest in this? The answer is yes,” said Schmid, the study’s co-author.
The literature shows that more recent, sophisticated applications of the technology produce greater positive gains than older applications, he said.
The research was expanded from a doctoral thesis by the study’s first author, Rana Tamim, and involved a team from Concordia’s Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance. “There were many studies that said that it actually had a negative impact. But the preponderance of evidence suggests that it has a positive impact,” said Schmid.
In a followup study now under way, Concordia researchers are looking not so much at whether computer technology in the classroom has a positive effect, but under what circumstances positive effects are observed.
If the technology is used solely as a content provider – for example, if iPads are used as alternatives to books – then there won’t be any positive change, he said.
The researchers’ preliminary analyses show that things such as PowerPoint presentations don’t have much effect on student learning or attitude, Schmid said.
“It’s not really much different from a blackboard or an overheard projector or a printed page.
“Where technology does have a positive impact is when it actively engages students, when it’s used as a communication tool, when it’s used for things like simulations or games that enable students to actively manipulate the environment.”
For example, rather than just reading about photosynthesis in a science class, with a com-puter simulation you can change the conditions – increase or decrease the amount of light or water to dynamically examine the phenomenon, Schmid said.
“And that’s where it has really positive impact.”
At United Talmud Torahs/ Herzliah, technology experts research appropriate computer applications and help teachers adapt them to meet the needs of students, said Ellie Grumberg, director of educational services at the Montreal school.
“The kids very often come in with more knowledge of the hardware,” Grumberg said.
The staff’s job is to “stay ahead of them with the software and what’s out there” to continue to stimulate them, she added.
Herzliah has been piloting a digital/human exam reader in Grades 7 and 8, an iPad application that the Jewish day school adapted for its needs. Students who are auditory learners – who do better when things are read to them – can use the iPad to listen to exam questions. The questions are read into the computer tablet by staff members.
Students said the process made them more independent in exam writing, Grumberg said. And by using headphones, they were able to block out external noise, allowing them to focus better on the test.
Grumberg said she can’t see how the school can meet the needs of students if it doesn’t teach them in the way they need to learn – “and the way they learn is through the manipulation of these technologies.”
Source:http://www.canada.com/Computers+help+schools/6183858/story.html
