Rigorous research on the effects of learning technology
The presentation tonight at Stanford University titled Rigorous Research on the Effects of Learning Technology: Are We Learning Anything? was summarized by the eLearning Forum as follows:
“Barbara Means and Jeremy Roschelle, co-directors of SRI International’s Center for Technology in Learning were involved in two major studies of technology effectiveness at scale that released reports this spring. The two reports seem to support very different conclusions about technology’s potential to improve student learning.
- In a 4-year project, Means led SRI’s study of classroom implementation of the 15 commercial reading and mathematics software products involved in the Institute of Education Science’s Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Educational Technology Interventions (EETI), a U.S. Department of Education study led by Mathematica Policy Research. In that study conducted with 439 teachers at four grade levels, classes assigned randomly to the software treatment condition had post-test achievement no different from those assigned to business as usual (the control condition).
- In contrast, Roschelle’s study of scaling up the SimCalc mathematics curriculum, software and associated teacher development to 48 classes in Texas, found a striking difference in student performance in these classes compared to 47 control classes.”
Steve Vosloo attended the presentation. The key issues for him were:
- In the first study, the measurements were simply based on grade levels using standard tests. This means that any value that the software brought to student learning, which wasn’t measured for by the usual tests, was not recorded. In the second study, Roschelle created measurement metrics that would capture any improvement in student learning that SimCalc specifically sets out to teach. Technology can add value in addition to text books, but we need to measure for that value specifically.
- In the second study, the improvement in student performance brought about by the software was consistent across more affluent and low-income schools. In some of the poorer schools, teachers involved in the study had never used a computer before.
- The improvements in the second study can probably be attributed to 1) a holistic approach to getting the software into the classroom that included professional teacher development (i.o.w. thorough training in using the software), 2) very good software that is totally in support of the curriculum (and therefore makes the teachers work easier, not harder) and 3) measuring for the correct factors.
More information:
- National Study of the Effectiveness of Educational Technology Interventions
- SRI International Study Shows Increased Middle School Mathematics Learning with Technology-Based Approach
Add comment May 23rd, 2007
