The Learning Return on Our Educational Technology Investment

Introduction

When I was perusing the article choices for this week, the title, The Learning Return on Our Educational Technology Investment, really intrigued me. This title seems to encapsulate the concerns of all educational personnel-from teacher to district administrator. Though all of us may define the term “learning return” a bit differently, the questions remain. “What are we getting for our money? Is this investment really helping our students? And finally, if there will be a worthwhile return on our investment, which best practices will most efficiently produce the greatest benefits?” Although the studies that have attempted to address these concerns have produced varying results, there are several points that seem to emerge continually. It is helpful to describe that body of research in meaningful terms that concisely describe the use of technology in our classrooms today, namely, learning from computers, and learning with computers. (Reeves, 1998)

Learning From Computers

When students are learning from computers, the function of technology is essentially to act as an electronic tutor. Whether the student is involved in Computer Assisted Instruction, Computer Based Instruction, Integrated Learning Systems or simply practicing their math facts in Fun Brain, the session is designed so that the child sits at the computer and does the exercises that the computer has programmed for him. Student and teacher receive feedback, and the assignments are adjusted accordingly. Several studies have yielded positive results using technology in this manner. Students in Project CHILD had higher grade-point averages and higher standardized test scores. (Butzin, 2000, p. 3) Algebra students had improved retention as well a...

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...AT and AYP make it intimidating to experiment with new techniques. It has come to the point where teaching is becoming a science rather than an art. Expectations, checklists, and report cards all require instructors to document which skills were introduced and exactly when they were mastered. Consequently, I believe that transitioning into learning with computers is and should be a slow process. The curriculum should drive the technology, and computers shouldn’t be used just because there is one in the room. Maybe that is the new art of teaching. Teachers will creatively construct units and lessons that will use technology in conjunction with methods that teachers and students are familiar with, but also in fresh, novel ways, and the end result will be increased learning that will be observable not only on standardized tests, but more importantly, beyond.