PLO 4: Apply research to support learning in a technology-enhanced environment

Program Learning Outcome 4: Apply research to support learning in a technology-enhanced environment

The Prompt

Locate one peer reviewed article from the Ashford University Library, which describes the effects, benefits, advantages, etc., of instructional technology on learner achievement. Look for an article that can be applied to your own profession or you may use another educational environment (K12, higher education, military, corporate, etc.). The article needs to come from a peer reviewed source (e.g., Proquest, ERIC databases) and be a full-text article. Summarize the article in one paragraph, including an overview of the topic, key concepts, findings and recommendations. Include the APA formatted reference information. In a second paragraph, using an example from your profession or another educational environment, what insights or ideas from your peer reviewed article can guide the use of technology to support learner achievement?

The Research 

Summary: The purpose of the Lee, Y., Waxman, H., Wu, J., Michko, G., & Lin, G. (2013) study was to evaluate the effects of teaching and learning with technology in K-12 classrooms in order to help inform instructional decisions/practices. This study used a meta-analysis approach and used published studies from 1997-2011 to determine overall effects of technology integration across grade levels and to look for specific technology characteristics, strategies, or features that affect student learning with technology. The key concepts of this study were: technology characteristics, effective teaching strategies, and instructional methods. Overall, in an analysis of the 15 years of studies, Lee, Y., Waxman, H., Wu, J., Michko, G., & Lin, G. (2013) found that there are positive effects for student outcomes when teaching and learning with technology. As a result of these findings, the recommendations for teachers are to work in collaboration with computers, develop instruction that is sense-making, and to use project based learning in order to allow students to see how their work is interconnected.

Insight: I am a current teacher in a classroom of 7th-12th graders. Although I also teach elective courses, my primary area of focus is English-Language Arts and Math (Pre-Algebra, Algebra, and Geometry). This article highlighted the connection between the use of effective technology and positive student learning outcomes. The main take-away that I gleaned from this article is that teaching and learning with technology has not only proven itself successful, but it something that will continue to grow and develop - and it must also do so in my classroom practice. For my instructional purpose, this article pulled out the critical idea of using technology to not only show cross-curricular learning, but to also connect their learning to the real world. For me, this inspires me to have students complete research and create media-rich projects to show the interconnectedness between subjects, school, and their real lives.

Reference

Lee, Y., Waxman, H., Wu, J., Michko, G., & Lin, G. (2013). Revisit the effect of teaching and learning with technology. Educational Technology & Society, (1), 133. Retrieved from ProQuest database.