Evaluating Educational Technology and Integration

Strategies

Chapter 7

Evaluating Educational Technology:• Evaluating the appropriateness and effectiveness of educational

technology is an important aspects of integrating current technologies into your classroom curriculum.

• To evaluate an item is to determine its value or judge its worth. • Evaluating education technology involves determining if the technology

is appropriate and enhances the teaching and learning process. • Always evaluate technology - before, during, and after instruction time

and use.

Sources of Information: Numerous resources and technologies to choose from: School districts and state Departments of Education provide evaluations on software/apps:

• Lists of recommended software is very helpful.Professional educational organizations:

• Local, state, regional, national, and international educational organizationsColleague Recommendations:

• Discuss issues with other educators, provide information about how to use products.• Unbiased, first-hand experience, recommends products to use and products to avoid.

Published evaluations:• See company’s Web site• Educational journals

Conferences: • is a meeting dedicated to providing a vast array of information and resources for

educators.Web sites for organizations:

• The web is the most comprehensive source of tools and resources to help you evaluate educational technology. One of the larger listservs is EDTECH.

Evaluating Software Applications: A program for use should be evaluated for appropriateness, review the accuracy of the content, and

consider its relevance to the curriculum performance standards and related benchmarks. Free trial versions – are available to determine its suitability for the curriculum. A rubric is a great tool for evaluating software and apps. A rubric is detailed scoring guide for

assessment, based on state criteria.

Content:• Valid means the software has well-grounded instructional properties, meets standards,

provides appropriate content, and teaches what is intended.

Documentation and Technical Support:• Documentation is any printed or online information that provides assistance in installing, using,

maintaining, and updating the software.• Technical support- is a service that hardware and software manufacturers and third-party service

companies offer to customers to provide answers to questions, repairs, and other assistance. Also support is provided by telephone or web based.

• Ability level - refers to a student’s current competency level or the skill level that the student can achieve for a specific learning objective.

• Academic level - is based on the grade level with the increments to determine if a student is performing at the appropriate level.

• Technical quality – refers to how well the software or app presents itself and how well it works.• Ease of use – refers to anything that makes the software or app easy to use.

• Student opinions also play in important role in successfully integrating any technology.

Affiliation – refers to the professional organization, school, school district, university, company or government office with which a particular Web site is associated.

Who is the Web site associated with? Examine the URL and domain name.

Purpose and Objectivity - Purpose is the reason the Web site was created or the intent of the Web site. Objectivity – is the process of determining or interpreting the intent or purpose of the Web page and if it is free of bias.

Is the content provided as a service? Is the content unbiased?

Typically avoid religious/ political affiliated sites.

Content and Learning Process – Content process - is the information a Web page provides. Learning process – is when the content engages students to use high-order thinking skills to go beyond the simple acquisition of knowledge and become participatory learners.

Is the content valid and appropriate, does the information relate to your needs? What topics are covered? For what level is the information written? Do the links within the site add value?

Audience and currency – Audience – is the individual or group intended to view and use the Web page. Currency – is the measure of how up to date, or timely, the Web page content is and how often it is updated.

Is the content suitable for your students? Is the content up to date and timely?

  Design – of a web site is the way it is arranged – that is, the way it uses instructional design principles to deliver content to the user.

Web effectiveness Web Evaluation Rubric• Student Web Site Evaluation Form

Evaluating Web ResourcesAuthority – refers to the credibility of the person or persons who author and maintain the site.

Is the author or organization clearly identified? Examine the credentials of the author or organization of the Web site. Has the author or organization listed experience, position, education, or other

credentials?

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Technology Integration• Integrating technology effectively into the curriculum requires planning, time,

dedication, and resources.

• Assessment Tools for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Technology Integration: Assessment – is any method used to understand the current knowledge a student possesses. Student performance – measure different evaluations and assessing students. Reliable assessment – accurately estimate student performance, permit

appropriate generalizations about the students skills and abilities, and enable teachers or other decision makers to make appropriate decisions.

Traditional assessment – include testing in the form of multiple choice, fill-in-the blank, true/false, short answer, and essay questions.

Alternative Assessment – uses nontraditional methods to determine whether students have mastered the appropriate content and skill level.

• Authentic assessment – can be formal or informal and aims to present students with tasks that mirror the objectives and challenges typical of their instructional activities.

Project-based assessment – is an innovative approach to assessment that focuses on assessing student projects.

Portfolio assessment – evaluates student assignments or projects over a period of time.

Checklist is a predetermined list of performance criteria used in project-based and portfolio assessment.

Rating scale – is a more complex form of a checklist that lists a numerical value, or rating, for each criterion.

Rubrics – helps students understand how teachers will evaluate their projects by providing a range of criteria with information about how to meet each one.

Teacher observation – is the result of teachers actively observing their students during the learning process.

 

Evaluating Technology-Based Student Projects Evaluating content – Content is an important part of the project.

Based on your standards and benchmarks Review punctuation, grammar, spelling, coverage of material,

presentation of the material in a logical order, and specific information about the author

Evaluating planning – Effective presentations involve planning. How do you want your students to plan? What tools will the students use? Software tools (Inspiration) Visual learning techniques Flowcharts Concept map or story web Storyboard

Evaluating creativity Evaluate originality, imaginative and innovative approach, and artistic abilities. Color, clip art, and artwork should strengthen content.

Putting it All Together - Evaluating Technology Integration Ms. Vicki Osborne’s classroom:

One computer and 26 students. Block schedule.

   Ms. Vicki Osborne’s has 6 goals for the lesson:

Students work in groups. Use reference materials and Web resources. Identify three major campaign issues. Provide personal facts about the candidate. Create a group digital media presentation. Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Ms. Vicki Osborne’s lesson also includes: Brainstorm to develop a concept map. Evaluation rubric. Flowchart or storyboard. Work in groups in 40-minute blocks. Each group presents their project in

the media center.

Integration Strategies: Teachers must become facilitators of learning. Use technology to enhance learning environment. Put technology at point of instruction. Many mixtures of technology.

One-Computer Classroom: Use the computer for classroom presentations and demonstrations, and introduces new concepts. Students use to present assignments, projects, and research activities to the entire class. Maintain class records, create presentations and projects, do research, and communicate with other teachers.

Internet access. Educational application software. Enhance lectures and presentations. Use the computer as a teaching assistant. Foster group and cooperative learning. Write an ongoing story. Create a class blog. Start a class newsletter. Maintain a student database. Teacher productivity tool. Optimize computer lab time. New emerging technologies.

Multicomputer Classroom Multiple learning centers. Integrate other technologies. Miss Julie Davis’ classroom has:

Digital camera. Web research centers. Develop presentations. Microsoft Publisher.

Computer Labs All students have hands-on experience. Often used to teach technology skills or subject-specific skills. Integrate computer-related skills into subject-directed curriculum areas.

• Example: Web scavenger hunt.

Integration Strategies (con’t):

Curriculum Integration Activities Curriculum Resource Pages:

Strategy for implementing the Internet into the classroom. Teacher created document that contains hyperlinks to teacher-selected-and-evaluated sites that are content and age appropriate.

Creating Lesson and Project Plans: Must integrate technology into lesson plans and activities. Educator’s Reference Desk. Lesson plans and activities can be found on the Web.

Language arts integration – encompasses - Reading, writing, listening, viewing, speaking, and literature. Extra! Extra! Know All About It.

•   Social studies integration – encompasses - History, geography, civics, and economics. What Wonderful Webs We Weave

Mathematics integration – encompasses - Basic number concepts, measurements, geometry, algebra, calculus, and data analysis.

The Business of Professional Sports.•   Science integration – encompasses - Physical sciences, earth and space sciences, and life sciences.

Let’s Think as a Scientist.

Physical education and health integration – encompasses - Basic health and physical education literacy. Eating Healthy!

Arts integration – encompasses - Visual and performing arts including drawing, painting, dance, music, and theater. The Theory of Color

Exceptional education integration: All curriculum areas with adaptations made for students with special characteristics or special needs.

Rain Forests Are in Trouble. Interdisciplinary Integration:

Includes two or more academic disciplines or curriculum areas to form a cross-discipline or subject-integrated lesson. Natural Disasters Occur Everywhere.

Finding Funds to Support Classroom Technology Integration: Many school districts do not have sufficient funding for technology. If school cannot provide funds, turn to the public, industry, and the government.

Fundraising Drives and Contests Partner with local businesses Small amounts of money can go a long way Enter contests to win equipment Involve parents and community

Showcase students’ use of technology Volunteers - to donate computer repair services

Grants – are funds provided by a funding source that transfers money, equipment, or services to the grantee. Grantee is the teacher, school, or organization that the grant funds or supports. Sources include:

Department of Education. Federal Sources Foundations. Corporations.• Request for proposal (RFP) – a document provided by the grant

source that details the information teachers and schools need to provide in order to write a successful grant proposal.

• Grant proposal – is the document the potential grantee sends to the funding source.

Summary for Chapter Seven

• Technology will not make a difference in the quality of students graduating from K-12 schools unless teachers learn how to integrate the use of technology into their curriculum and use it as a tool to enhance learning.

• We learn in this chapter various tools and resources teachers use to evaluate the appropriateness of educational technology and the effectiveness of technology integration.

• A number of strategies were presented for integrating technology into one-computer classrooms and other K-12 instructional settings along with subject-specific curriculum and technology integration activities.

• Information was provided on how to obtain funding to increase the availability of technology in your classroom.