Research+Methods+and+Strategies

 Effective technology strategies and methods for student learning, teaching, and management
 * EFFECTIVE RESEARCH BASED METHODS AND STRATEGIES **

· The plan describes the relevant research behind the plan’s design for strategies and/or methods selected.

· The plan describes references to research literature that supports why or how the model improves student achievement.

· The plan describes the process for development and utilization of strategies to use technology to deliver specialized or rigorous academic courses and curricula, including distance learning.

During the course of the planning process, the Technology Planning Committee reviewed several research ‐ based documents to inform the planning efforts. What follows is a brief summary of the major findings of the committee and how they impacted the planning process.



One of the books that we reviewed as we began our planning process was Toward an Effective Use of Technology in Education: A Summary of Research. This book draws on extensive research on the use of technology in education to give school leaders a framework for balancing technology integration with the competing demands of pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and school organization. One of the sections addressed the planning process specifically and spoke of the need to have a clearly developed vision to drive the plan development and monitoring process. Committee’s should spend a large amount of time talking about the role of technology in the district and translating those conversations into a vision.
 * Vision Building **

 We looked at several research ‐ based sources that supported our plans in this area. After our initial efforts in technology, during the timeframe of the District’s previous technology plan, it became clear that just providing teachers with access to technology did not necessarily result in a high level of usage in the classroom.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Teacher Use of Technology **

The literature is very clear about this – successful integration of technology into the classroom **//requires the availability of quality technology support//**. Support is defined in a multifaceted way, comprising elements like access to technological tools (software and hardware), routine maintenance and specific, individualized training.

In a study that we found from the National Center for Education Statistics teachers identified several “barriers” to the use of computers for instruction. These barriers included:



<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">not having enough computers in their classrooms <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">a lack of time in their schedule for students to use computers in the classroom <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">a lack of release time for teachers to learn how to use computers.

These issues are addressed in our plan through the **//comprehensive professional development component//**, the establishment of a department that will support instructional technology use in the district, and the plan for increasing access to district adopted hardware and software for teachers – among other things.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> We looked at the potential impact of technology on student achievement as we developed our plan. Certainly, with the cost of most computers and other technological learning tools, impact on student achievement is an important consideration for a district as it looks for funds to invest in this effort. We found several studies addressing this issue. What follows is a brief summary of a few.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Impact of Technology on Instruction and Student Achievement **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Teacher capability was important **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> in research by Wenglinsky (1998). Using the technique of structural equation modeling on data from the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), he conducted a study analyzing the relationship between educational technology and student achievement in mathematics. His findings indicate that, "when computers are used to perform certain tasks, namely applying higher order concepts, and **when teachers are proficient enough in computer use to direct students toward productive uses** more generally, computers do seem to be associated with **significant gains in mathematics achievement**" (p. 32). Wenglinsky also found that the frequency of home computer use was positively related to academic achievement.

In a study of educational software, IESD (1999) found the **teacher's responsibility** is of primary importance in "creating an effective, technology <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">based learning environment, an environment that is characterized by careful planning and frequent interaction among students and the teacher" (p. 3). Middleton and Murray (1999), in a study investigating teachers' perceptions of their levels of technology implementation, found that **the level of technology used by the teacher did have a significant impact on math and reading academic achievement of fifth grade students attending schools in a South Carolina school district**. A national study examining the role of online communication in schools was conducted by the **Center for Applied Special Technologies**. The study consisted of 500 elementary and middle school students from seven large urban school districts who were assigned projects in an interdisciplinary unit on civil rights. Out of 28 participating classes, 14 experimental classes used online resources and 14 control classes did not have online access. In this study, Follansbee et al. (1997) found that students in the experimental classrooms received higher scores in all nine of the established learning measures. Out of the nine measures, five of the higher scores were found to be statistically significant including being more effective in their ability to, "present their work, state a civil rights issue, present a full picture (who, what, when, where, why, how) bring together different points of view, and produce a complete project"(p. 18).

In research on educational technology and software, an IESD study unequivocally proclaims, **"educational technology has demonstrated a significant positive effect on achievement. Positive effects have been found for all major subject areas, in preschool through higher education and for both regular education and special needs students"** (1999, p. 3). In a related summary of current research findings regarding technology in education, Cradler (1994, p. 1) found research that shows technology:



• Increases performance when interactivity is prominent. • Improves attitude and confidence, especially for "at <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">risk" students. • Can increase opportunities for student <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">constructed learning. • Increases student collaboration on projects. • Significantly improves problem <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">solving skills of learning handicap students. • Improves writing skills and attitudes about writing for urban IEP students.

Our technology committee has concluded that for technology to make a lasting impact educators must use a variety of teaching and learning approaches when utilizing technology in their classrooms. Time and again, the research comes back to the teacher as the most influential component of a successful technology program.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Teachers must be given the time and resources to attend professional development opportunities on utilizing technology in the classroom **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">. Schools should make the most of teachers who are "resident experts" that can offer on <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">site development opportunities and be used as one <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">on <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">one tutors for other faculty members.

This plan addresses this issue in several places, calling for planning time, development of units of practice that integrate technology as a learning tool, development of technology experts through training opportunities.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Data <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">driven Decision Making ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Several sources we studied addressed the importance of using technology to assist administrators, teachers, parents and students make decisions about teaching, learning and program development based on data. Goals should include:

<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Establishment of a foundational understanding of data collection <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Make connections to existing data collections <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Identify relevancy of data to school improvement efforts

The National School District has made great progress in establishing a data management system for purpose of facilitating the use of data to make quality decision about instructional programs. This will continue to be a major focus of the plan during the next three years.

Research has shown that with computer ‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> aided instruction, student academic achievement improves. Underwood and Brown have shown a correlation between computer <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">based instruction and student motivation for learning. The ease of error correction, a semi <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">private environment, active control, and ability to work at one’s own pace all increase student motivation. (1997). Cotton adds that “computer <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">mail, analysis of information using databases, making oral reports using presentation software, producing written reports with word processing software and collaborating with peers, students will become confident problem <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">solvers and critical thinkers. This is particularly relevant, as recognized by Penuel et. al. “Students using sophisticated technologies as everyday learning tools show marked growth in essential workplace skill. Moreover, such gains do not come at the expense of basic skills.” (Penuel, Golan, Means & Korbak, 2000) In support of this conclusion, a recent study conducted in West Virginia, “ shows an increase in test scores resulting from integrating curriculum objectives for basic skills development in reading and mathematics with instructional software ” (Cradler et al., 2002).

A two <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">year study conducted by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) focused on helping teachers create a learner <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">centered learning environment supported by technology. The conclusions revealed that while initially 47% of the classrooms in the study were classified as “low learner <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">centered classrooms” only 15% were given that label when the project was complete. The types of professional development offered to teachers influenced the transformation. 72 hours of training sessions were held in classrooms similar to those the teachers taught in to replicate the teaching environments they would use for instruction. Sessions offered many opportunities for a sharing of learning and reflecting on the learning process. Monthly on <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">site visits to classroom by SEDL staff members were essential to the success of the project. As stated in the study, “Their enthusiasm about technology served as the impetus for their more reluctant or more skeptical colleagues to attempt to use technology in their classrooms – especially when student performance increased .” (Burns 2002). Student performance is the catalyst for change. One study cited reports that the project group of students “routinely employed inquiry, collaborative, technological, and problem <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">solving skills uncommon to graduates of traditional high school programs” (Sandholtz, et all., 1997). In another study, researchers investigated the impact of project <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">based learning using multimedia (Penuel, Golan, Means, & Korbak, 2000). Project classrooms in this study were much more student <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">centered than non <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">project classrooms, and were “organized around the collaborative construction of complex products” (Penuel et al., 2000. p. 109). Using technology in a constructivist environment either in individual student <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">centered projects or in collaborative group <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> work is powerful, as summarized by Means: “ Student motivation is enhanced through online collaborative research that includes online communication with peers and experts in other states and countries ” (Means et al., 1997). Cradler agrees. “” (Cradler & Cradler, 1999).

Von Secker (2002) reports that inquiry <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">based learning has been shown to increase both academic outcomes and equity. Computers function as extremely powerful tools for self ‐ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> directed learning and are particularly well suited for enabling the objectives of constructivist principles (Jonassen & Reeves, 1996). Marzano, Pickering and Pollock add that through constructing their own meaning around authentic issues, students acquire the sophisticated thinking skills needed to live and work in the 21st century (2001). This in itself requires innovative strategies in the teaching/learning process.

Reference: National School District: Technology Plan []