By KatherineNowakowski of The Benefits ETD 624 Implementing January 2016 Technology into the Classroom The Benefits of Implementing Abstract: This paper focused on the benefits and positive correlations that a classroom experiences when technology is properly implemented into its setting. Technology within the classroom can promote higher testing scores, a deeper concrete understanding of the material, interaction with a multitude of resources, effectively adjust student behavior, allow communication and collaboration of work, increase student motivation and self-esteem as well as develop technology skills needed for the future. Keywords: Technology, Benefits, Classroom, Classroom Management, Student Behavior, Communication, Student Motivation 1 The Benefits of Implementing Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….3 Student Achievement and Scores………………………………………………………………...4 Multitude of Resources…………………………………………………………………………..8 Classroom Management and Behavior…………………………………………………………..8 Communication and Collaborative/Cooperative Learning……………………………………...12 Student Motivation and Self Esteem…………………………………………………………….13 Technological Skills……………………………………………………………………………..15 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….15 References……………………………………………………………………………………….16 2 The Benefits of Implementing Introduction Technology is an aspect that is being integrated into our society’s everyday occurrence. Technology is used in order to perform tasks, whether it be used for professional or personal purposes. With technology being apparent in almost every avenue of our society and world today, it was only appropriate that it was beginning to seep into our educational system naturally. “The technology investment in schools worldwide has increase more than a hundredfold in the last two decades. Much of this investment has been made based on the assumption that technology-mediated learning environments provide opportunities for students to search and analyze information, solve problems, communicate and collaborate, hence equipping them with a set of competences to be competitive in the 21st century marketplace” (Lim, pg. 1). Using technology with students and within the classroom had many beneficial effects, when an educator used the technology properly and the student understood it correctly. Many researchers believed that blended atmospheres and environments (that contain an educator and technology) increase student choices which can lead to improved learning (Jeffrey, pg. 2). Researchers also believed that a “blended” environment with technology may offer experiences that are not available in “non-blended” and that these equipped atmospheres can promote deeper learning (Schifter, pg. 2) Technology within the classroom promoted higher testing scores, a deeper concrete understanding of the material, interaction with a multitude of resources, effectively adjusted student behavior, allowed communication and collaboration of work, increase student motivation and self-esteem as well as develop technology skills needed for the future. 3 The Benefits of Implementing Student Achievements and Scores “Information and communication tools offer a new and wide range of possibilities for the design and implementation of teaching-learning proposals as an essential part of education that are meant to boost students’ cognitive development” (“Technology”, pg. 157). The traditional model of the classroom portraying information being transmitted from the educator to the student via lectures and notes is increasingly being proved ineffective (Roig-Vila, pg. 152). Students needed to be engaged, excited and stimulated in order to increase the want and motivation to learn. By introducing the use of technology within the classroom, this aspect improved students’ grades, tests scores and their overall understanding of the knowledge being taught to them and their learning. “Jonassen and Carr (2000) believe that in order to help students to construct their knowledge, they should be actively involved in learning with the help of technological tools” (Sadik, pg. 489). In many cases of research, the use of technology and its applications have yielded a consistently positive result in student motivation, attention and their overall attitude towards learning. In thousands of case studies, there was a significant affirmative relationship between student gains and when the classroom would begin using effective technological software (Kozma, pg. 292). Due to that fact that a student will construct his/her own meaning based on his/her interpretation technology can become a vital educational tool (Celik, pg. 16). In a particular study done by University of Michigan professors and students in 2011, researchers studied forty one second graders from two different classes. The researchers kept the control group in which continued normal daily activities with teacher instruction and learning in a math class. This group would use paper based games to understand the math concepts being taught during that time. The other group used technology enriched math games twice a week to reestablish the math concepts learned within that period. The study was conducted over a four 4 The Benefits of Implementing month span. The results that were found during this study concentrated on how much of an increase students made in testing scores from the pretest at the beginning of the unit, to the post test following the unit. Both groups took the same pretest and post-test, making the only difference between the two groups the option of playing the math games via paper or via technology. “Results from the two studies revealed that using a technology-based game in the classroom was beneficial to students of all ability levels in learning arithmetic skills” (Shin, pg. 540). It was found that students who played the technological math games twice a week increased their overall scores from the middle progress test (conducted at 13 weeks) to their final tests by 11% (Shin, pg. 549). The additional group, the one who used zero technological tools to help aid in their learning of the math concepts only gained a 1% increase from their middle progress test to their final test (Shin, pg. 549). This one study concluded that a student who uses technology within their learning or understanding of concepts scores around 10% higher of final tests when the concept of technology is present. Another study done in Atlanta, Georga tested student scores one year after the introduction of the technology eReaders to their students. The theory questioned if there was any positive results or correlation with this technology and student achievement within their English Language Arts and Reading skills. The state of Georgia selected 130 schools throughout the state to implement this research upon. Sixty-five schools did not use this technology, while 65 additional schools were introduced to this technology. The research was done over the 20122013 academic year and was based upon the changes from the 2nd grade “end-of-the-year” testing to the 3rd grade “end-of-the-year” testing. The findings concluded that when students were using the eReader to aid in their learning and skills, their average scores increased by approximately 10 points (Union, pg. 6). The 65 schools that did not use technology, declined approximately five 5 The Benefits of Implementing points on average (Union, pg. 6). This study concluded that with the help of technological tools, such as the eReaders, students saw gains in student test scores and achievement. Yet another form of technology studied within the classroom to enhance student achievement was the technology known as the “clicker”. A clicker was a personal response system that allowed students to engage in questions, give their opinions or represent their knowledge with the use of a “clicking” tool. Students were able to submit their choices and the results were immediately displayed. A study conducted at Providence College in Rhode Island tested the theory of whether clickers were beneficial to student achievement. Four freshman/sophomore accounting classes were chosen, two of which were given clickers and two of which, were not. The same material was taught, with the only difference being that one group had access to participate with clickers. These clickers allowed students to participate on a higher level, thus engaging them into the knowledge being taught by selecting certain options to questions, surveys, etc. and then discussing their findings as a class. When students were participating and reacting/engaging with the teacher, they tended to retain the information at a higher capacity. It was concluded from this study that the class with clickers, on average, had higher overall percentages within the class. Students with clickers had roughly a 5-7% higher grade percentage than those without the technology of clickers within their classroom (Morse, pg. 3). Students with clickers had, on average, an 82% grade while students without clickers maintained, on average, a 75% (Morse, pg. 3). These differences in grades, resulted in appoximately a two-step grade letter drop due to the absence of this technology. These research results supported the claim that “students must be active participants in the learning process, not passive recipients of information” (Morse, pg.1). With the additional of this technology, the 6 The Benefits of Implementing clicker, students were allowed to be active learners by participating in the course, resulting in higher overall grades. The use of technology in a different manner also improved student achievement. By using technology to record attendance, it allowed student’s accountability to be present during school to increase, which in turn resulted in high student success. “A positive correlation had been found between student attendance and achievement” (Al-Shammari, pg. 840). By using technology to record attendance and time within the classroom, it allowed the teacher to see how much of important instructional time a student was either present for or missing. By placing a firm attendance policy into place and then following up with this policy by documenting a student’s presence via technology, it increased a student’s overall percentage and achievement throughout the school year. Seemingly, if a student was present to receive the information, they were more likely to obtain the information and score higher, verses a student who was absent and never received the information. By implementing a technology based attendance tracker, it documented student’s attendance and ultimately their success. Findings within a study conducted by Zaid Al-Shammari concluded that after enlisting an attendance policy into place and documenting it via technology, it allowed the teachers to keep track of the amount of instructional time they were experiencing. When students followed this attendance policy, students saw an increase of around 8.4% in each semester grade (Al-Shammari, pg. 843). This is an almost a 10% increase in a grade due to a student’s presence within the classroom. 7 The Benefits of Implementing Multitude of Resources Technology offered a multitude of resourceful tools and information, especially through the internet. The Internet is a boundless area of information that humans have access to for countless reasons. “The Internet and advances in streaming video have greatly improved students’ access to information, as they are able to access instruction from anywhere, something that was previously relegated to the classroom” (Davies, pg. 566). Internet within the classroom setting dealt mostly with providing easy access to information or course material, resources such as multimedia, interactive learning aids, and information to complete assignments/projects/research (Gerow, pg. 1). “Through the use of Internet technologies, students were thought to have access to more timely, relevant and updated material” (Gerow, pg. 1). This updated material is beneficial to students in that sense that they are constantly obtaining new and accurate information, much unlike an old book. With a book, information or situations had been found that changed the material or forced the material to be inconclusive. Traditional textbooks were now being supplemented with Internet resources, videos, and simulations that allowed the student to obtain enriched and multiple resources (Davies, pg. 564). By having access to the Internet and its technologies, students had a tool that provided many avenues of information to them in one localized area. Classroom Management and Behavior Another major aspect that technology helped develop and enhance within the classroom was classroom management and student behavior. When referencing student behavior, the concept of a well-rounded individual is thought of; a student who prepared for each class session, studied for the class and for quizzes, was attentive in class, took quality notes during class, 8 The Benefits of Implementing attended class, interacted with the instructor and fellow peers, learnt the knowledge from the instruction, understood that the material was important and had the drive to want to learn more from the instructor or on the subject manner. “The purpose of classroom management is to effectively manage the people, intangible things, and physical objects that influence a class to fulfill its purpose (Lin, pg. 51). In a study conducted by three college professors for the University of South Dakota, the theory of classroom management and technology were extremely clear. “The results suggested that adding technology in courses where it is not currently used is likely to have a positive impact on student perceptions of the instructor and on student behavior” (Lavin, pg. 1). The results from this study concluded that a standard deviation would need to be established in order to compare the mean of their findings. In the aspect of the level of preparation that a student would partake in for each class session had a standard deviation of 0.88, while the mean ranked at a 2.60 (Lavin, pg. 11). The amount of time a student would study for quizzes or for class went from a standard deviation of 0.86 and 0.82 to a mean of 2.63 and 2.82 (Lavin, pg. 11). The level of participation within the classes improved from a standard deviation of 0.78 to a mean of 2.81 (Lavin, pg. 11). The amount of interaction with the instructor during class increased from a standard deviation of a 0.74 to a mean of 2.89 when incorporating technology within the course (Lavin, pg. 11). The amount of material a student learned from class increased from a standard deviation of 1.04 to a mean of 2.56 with the addition of technology (Lavin, pg. 11). A student’s appreciation and understanding of the importance of the material being taught rose from a standard deviation of 0.89 to a mean of 2.59 (Lavin, pg. 11). Finally, the last important aspect of this study researched the desire of students who would engage in additional classes with the professor or enroll in additional classes in the subject matter. These standard deviations rose from 9 The Benefits of Implementing a 0 .93 to a mean of 2.75 and a standard deviation of 0.85 to a mean of 2.90 (Lavin, pg. 11). It is clear to see from these results that the increases from the standard deviations within certain subjects to the means show a positive and increased correlation between positive student behavioral attributes due to the introduction of technology within courses/classes. When technology was introduced to the classroom environment, the student’s overall behavior and outlooks on the material, classroom, instructor and attitude of the information, increased. This increase enhanced student behavior as well as student achievement. Educators can use avenues of technology outside of the classroom to also control student behavior and classroom management. One very large, growing concept of classroom management outside of the classroom was through the social media site, Facebook. “In terms of habits of use, Facebook is the most commonly used social media platform of teachers” (Lin, pg. 53). This particular study conducted by Shu-Fen Lin, Chu-Liang Lin and De-Chih Lee at Deyeh University found that approximately 74.7% of teachers surveyed throughout the region had access to Facebook, had an account on Facebook and spent time daily on this social media site. It was also found in an additional study by Sacide Guzin Mazman and Yasemin Kocak Usleul that fifty-five percent of teenagers use social networks in their daily lives (Mazman, pg. 450). Many of these teenagers are using social media websites to communicate with friends, make new friends and share personal information or material (Mazman, pg. 445). With educators and teenagers both on social media every day, it became a platform for additional communication between the two parties outside of the classroom. In the Lin study, teachers expressed that they use Facebook to create social groups, convey news to parents and discuss classroom matters within this site (Lin, pg. 52). Mazman and Usleul conducted after their research: 10 The Benefits of Implementing “Social networks, consisting mostly young people as users, are highly informal environments which play an important role in continuing the interaction outside of the classroom…Thus, using social networks in an academic context is attractive for these young users, will be given a chance to acquire new knowledge through subliminal, effective and smooth learning processes while taking part in enjoyable interactive situations mediated through interesting and motivational tools and content” (Mazman, pg. 445). It was with these two studies, that researchers achieved a new way to communicate with students outside of the classroom. By keeping the communication aspects open throughout the day, it allowed students to engage in communication on academic issues as well as allowing the educator to communicate with the students and/or parents based on educational needs. Technology can also modify student behavior when used as a reward or concept that one can have access to if the intention to behave properly is intact. In a study conducted by Timothy Teo and Cheww Beng Lee at the Nanyan Technological University in Singapore, their findings showed an increased correlation when students were given the use of technology as a reward for their expected behavior. The researchers found an approximately forty percent variance in behavior actions if the behavioral intention was to use technology (Teo, pg. 60). “This study showed that attitude towards computer use had a significant effect on behavioral intentions to use technology (Teo, pg. 65). With an approximately forty percent difference in accepted and expected behavior, the use of technology can be offered as a reward to help or modify student behavior. 11 The Benefits of Implementing Communication and Collaborative/Cooperative Learning Technology also permitted students to communicate with others via technology or collaborate with peers using a multitude of software applications. Students connected with peers within the classroom or outside of the classroom using the technologies provided such as computers, cell phones, iPads, etc. These technological devices allowed a strand of communication to happen by either connecting through cell phone towers or connecting to the Internet in order to communicate via messaging, email, chat rooms, etc. “Research revealed that the use of digital devices in the classroom setting was capable of facilitating faculty-student interactions and in-class participation, which in turn enhanced engagement and active learning” (Lam, pg. 387). Student with computers reported that when the use of technology is present in communicative terms, they are more interested in learning and more motivated to participate and to perform well (MacCullum, pg. 214). The communication avenue via technology did not only allow students to converse with one another, but it also allowed them to work with one another. This type of collaborative and cooperative learning through the communication of technology had massive, imperative effects on its users. “Compared to the traditional instructor-centered lecture method, the use of collaborative learning methods can significantly promote positive academic and affective outcomes among students” (Fitzpatrick, pg. 32). These positive effects included improvements in academic success, a deeper and more concrete understanding of material, higher self-esteem, more positive attitudes towards school as well as promote the ability to work together as a team cooperatively (Fitzpatrick, pg. 32). This collaborative and cooperative learning, undoubtedly an asset to students, cannot take place without the use of technology. 12 The Benefits of Implementing In an international study conducted in 28 different counties, researches paneled the benefits of using technology within the educational setting, especially the collaboration and communication students partook in while using technology. The research found that in 83% of classrooms, students were collaborating with each other, either in pairs or small groups (Kozma, pg. 5). Seventy four percent of students were collaborating in researching information, sixty six percent of students were collaborating in order to create/present their work and sixty one percent of students would communicate with one another in order to create a project (Kozma, pg. 5). These results expressed that in every classroom researched throughout the world, more than half of the students within the classroom use the skills of communication and collaboration to accomplish a common goal while using technology. The types of technology used to communicate and collaborate within the classroom ranged from productivity tools, which was at a 78%, web resources, which was at a seventy-one percent and email, adjusting at a 68% (Kozma, pg. 5). This study resulted in finding that students were able to communicate and collaborate via technology in order to create projects, manufacture presentations and researching information with their peers. By having a way to collaboration and communication, it created a sense of belonging in the learning community by interacting with one another and working together towards a common goal, regardless of circumstance or location (Gedera, pg. 97). Student Motivation and Self-Esteem Technology was also beneficial within the classroom as it increased student motivation and self-esteem. “The most common-and in fact, nearly universal—teacher-reported effect (of technology) on students was an increase in motivation” (“Effects”, pg. 2). It was found that many teachers claimed that due to the fact that students had a greater willingness to write or work on 13 The Benefits of Implementing the computer, it increased student motivation to complete an assignment, research or understand the knowledge. Students obtained immediate feedback provided by the technology, which in turn, results in a sense of accomplishment. Technology also provided a wider range in which each individual student exceled, mastered and conquered. “Compared to conventional classrooms with their stress on verbal knowledge and multiple-choice test performance, technology provides a very different set of challenges and different ways in which students can demonstrate what they understand (“Effects”, pg. 2). In a study conducted by researchers from Hong Kong, China, students ranging from 8th grade to college level were given a survey on their opinions of incorporating technology within the classroom and how they used it during instructional time. One of the questions enticed students to rank the statements on a 1-5 scale, with 1 being a “strongly disagree” standpoint and a 5 being a “strongly agree” answer. One particular statement exclaimed, the use of technology “improved my motivation to learn” (Lam, pg. 390). The students that completed the survey ranked this statement, on average, at a 4.07. This discovery expresses that students “agreed” that the use of technology within their educational setting improved their motivation to learn the material being presented. By allowing students to validate what they learned through multiple avenues, such as technology, it gives students not only a different way to express their understanding, but also a way that may spark their interest. If students are excited or interested in sharing their knowledge or learnings, they have a tendency to work harder and more effectively towards the goal. This motivation in turn will increase student self-esteem as they are accomplishing a task and accomplishing it well. 14 The Benefits of Implementing Technological Skills Technological skills were also a huge asset in which can be increased and developed through the use of technology devices within the classroom. With many career fields using technology as part of their objectives or tasks, when a student developed these skills in order to perform more efficiently and effectively at their jobs, it will be a huge advantage. The earlier a student mastered these tasks and the more exposure they had with these tools, the more refined their skills were. Conclusion In all, technology had much beneficial and effective remuneration when used properly within the classroom. Within studies, researchers had discovered multiple ways that technology did in fact help aid in various facets of the educational setting. Technology within the classroom promoted higher testing scores, a deeper concrete understanding of the material, interaction with a multitude of resources, effectively adjusted student behavior, allowed communication and collaboration of their work, increased student motivation and self-esteem as well as developed technology skills needed for the future. Through research and data, it had been proven, that when technology was incorporated correctly into the classroom, the constructive results correlated positively with the introduction of technology. Our growing and advancing society was constantly evolving and manipulating technology to become more and more advanced. When students relate to this vast asset because it was apparent in their everyday lives, it should also be adjusted into the classroom. 15 The Benefits of Implementing References Al-Shammari, Zaid (2011). Does integrating technology-based attendance into teacher education program improve student achievement in Kuwait?. College Student Journal. Dec. 2011; 45,4; ProQuest Psychology Journals. Pg. 839. Bolick, C. M., & Cooper, J. M. (n.d.). Classroom Management and Technology. Handbook of Classroom Management Research, Practice, and Contemporary Issues. Celik, S., & Aytin, K. (2014). Teacher's Views on Digital Educational Tools in English Language Learners: Benefits and Challenges in the Turkish Context. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language, 18(2), 1-19. Davies, R. S., Dean, D. L., & Ball, N. (2013). Flipping the classroom and instructional technology integration in a college-level information systems spreadsheet course. Education Tech Research Dev Educational Technology Research and Development, 61(4), 563-580. 16 The Benefits of Implementing Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. (2011). Ed Reform Studies. Fitzpatrick, B., & Ali, S. I. (2011). Cooperative Learning: Value-Added to Operations Management. International Journal of Management and Infomration Systems, 15(2), 3138. Gedera, D. S. (2014). Students' experiences of learning in a virtual classroom. International Journal of Education and Development Using Information and Communication Technology, 10(4), 93-101. Retrieved December 15, 2015. Gerow, J. E., Galluch, P. S., & Thatcher, J. B. (sept. 2010). To Slack or Not to Slack: Internet Usage in the Classroomage in the. Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application, 11(3), 2nd ser., 5-24. Jeffrey, L. M., Milne, J., Suddaby. G., & Higgins, A.(2014). Blended learning: How teachers 17 The Benefits of Implementing balance the blend of online and classroom components. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 13,121-140. Retrieved from http://www.jite.org/documents/Vol13/JITEv13ResearchP121-140Jeffrey0460.pdf Kozma, R. B. (2003). Technology and Classroom Practices. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 36(1), 1-14. Retrieved December 15, 2015 Lam, P., & Tong, A. (2012). Digital Device in Classroom- Hesitations of Teachers-to-be. The Electronic Journal of E-Learning2, 10(4), 387-395. Lavin, A. M., Korte, L., & Davies, T. L. (n.d.). The impact of classroom technology on student behavior. Journal of Technology Research. Retrieved December 15, 2015. Lim, C.-P., Zhao, Y.,Tondeur, J., Chai, C.-S., & Tsai, C.-C. (2013). Bridging the gap; technology trends and use of technology in schools. Educational Technology & Society, 16 (2), 5968. Lin, S., Lin, C., & Lee, D. (july 2015). The relationship between elemetary school teachers' technology readiness and intention to use social media platforms for classroom management. International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 8(1), 48-63. 18 The Benefits of Implementing Mac Callum, K., Jeffrey, L., & Kinshuk. (2014). Factors impacting teachers’ adoption of mobile learning. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 13,Retrieved from http://www.jite.org/documents/Vol13/JITEv13ResearchP141-162MacCallum0455.pdf Mazman, S. G., & Usluel, Y. K. (2010). Modeling educational usage of Facebook. Computers & Education, 55(2), 444-453. Means, B. (2010). Technology and Education Change: Focus of Student Learning. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(3), 265-307. Morse, Judith;Ruggieri, Margaret;Whelan-Berry, Karen. Clicking our way to class discussion. American Journal of Business Education; Mar 2010; 3, 3; ProQuest Business Collection. pg. 99 Roig-Vila, R. (2015). Primary Teacher's Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. Media Education Research Journal, 45(23), 151-160. Sadik, A. (2008). Digital storytelling: A meaningful technology-integrated approach for engaged student learning. Education Tech Research Dev Educational Technology Research and Development, 56(4), 487-506. 19 The Benefits of Implementing Schifter, C. (n.d.). Effecting Change in the Classroom Through Professional Development. Continuous Practice Improvement Infusing Technology into the Classroom, 259-274. Shin, N., Sutherland, L. M., Norris, C. A., & Soloway, E. (2011). Effects of game technology on elementary student learning in mathematics. Br J Educ Technol British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(4), 540-560. Technology in the Classroom. (2015). Biech/101 Ways to Make Learning Active Beyond the Classroom 101 Ways to Make Learning Active Beyond the Classroom, 156-164. Teo, T., & Lee, C. B. (2010). Explaining the intention to use technology among student teachers. Campus-Wide Info Systems Campus-Wide Information Systems, 27(2), 60-67. Union, C. D., Union, L. W., & Green, T. D. (2015). The Use of eReaders in the Classroom and at Home to Help Third-grade Students Improve their Reading and English/ Language Arts Standardized Test Scores. TechTrends TECHTRENDS TECH TRENDS, 59(5), 71-84. 20