Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature Review Celeste Wegner Liberty University Online

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2 Abstract

This literature review addresses research that has been performed over the last two decades. It discusses the issues of technology use in the educational system and how it affects literacy in the elementary, middle and high school educational process and future of students as they plan for future careers. It also focuses on how technology is taught in the subject area classroom or computer science lab. There is a necessity for more intense research to be conducted. Introduction Over the past two decades there has been much controversy and concern over the use of technology in the educational system. Some questions that are asked are: What effects does technology have on the education of our students? Does technology enhance or hinder students ability to learn? If technology improves students learning, at what level of the educational process should it begin? Should technology be incorporated into subject area classes, if so, what subject areas, or should it be taught as a separate subject? Does there need to be further research conducted? These and other concerns will be considered as I study what researchers have addressed in the past and what continues to be needed in the future to assure our students receive the education they will need to be successful in the future. One question remains if technology is needed, who supports it financially? Is it the responsibility of the school district, state or federal government? When our forefathers came to America, they came to exercise their religious freedom and that involved change. That meant that they had to put into practice their faith. Things changed

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as they began by using the Bible as their textbook. As time passed education expanded to include the hornbook along with the Bible and change has occurred in education since that time. In the 1950s and early 1960s television became prevalent and television education has progressed as we move forward through the use of technology. The introduction of technology has brought about much research. Discussion of Key Terms Technology by definition is a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge. A computer is a programmable usually electronic device that can store, retrieve, and process data. Literacy is defined as the quality or state of being literate. Pedagogy is the art, science, or profession of teaching. Schools are organizations that provide instruction. Learning is the knowledge or skill acquired by instruction or study. Outcomes are things that follow as a result or consequence (Merriam-Webster Online, 2012). ICT stands for Information and Communications Technology and is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application. App is the abbreviation for applications. PowerPoint is presentation software created by Microsoft. Apple Incorporated designed tablets known as iPads. Passback for the purpose of this paper refers to the student and teacher passing technology back and forth for learning. I used these keywords to retrieve articles specific to technology education.

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4 Review of the Literature

In 1971 Reimer Illich wrote School is Dead which provocated readers to challenge how education should be approached. This led to investigations of how students should be taught (Illich, 1971). As other contributors make clear it is no longer enough simply to search for new ways we must put new ways into practice (Broadfoot, 2000). The fact that our world is changing and will continue to change until Christ returns challenges educators to search for means of keeping pace. This has brought about research to answer the question of whether or not innovative teaching practices will lead to the development of learning outcomes (Law, Lee, & Chow, 2002) As Law, Lee and Chow began their research they investigated and introduced Information Communication Technology (ICT) to support teaching and learning in all areas of the curriculum and how it would prepare the younger generation for the 21st century. Through their research they became knowledgeable of how learning outcomes and pedagogical practices needed to be linked together to assure this preparation was adequate. This involved many skills and abilities. Learning outcomes were tested using different students in the same school. Pedagogical practice and multi-age discussion forms were used to test the learning outcomes. Students knowledge increased as they mastered information literacy skills, critical thinking abilities, learned from other students and contributed to other students learning. This was compared with previous learning outcomes. As a result of this research the school implemented a project based learning system in the following year. As a result of this study it was determined that to develop

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lifelong learning abilities students and teachers must focus on task characteristics and cognitive learning outcomes through pedagogical as well as technology (Law et al., 2002). As we consider the effects of technology on learning outcomes we will look at one school in Columbus, Indiana, and how trading textbooks for technology affected them. A 10th grade student was told she would not have a textbook for reading but would use the internet. She was excited since the textbook adoption team had not found a satisfactory textbook series. Since no textbook met their criteria the team established a two part design to meet their needs. They adopted the Curriculum Loft which is storage and sharing platform where teachers place lesson plans, study guides, rubrics, and other information. The teachers sought assistance from CIM Technology and prepared their program for the students. The student clicked onto Unit Launcher that had their lesson plans presented. When the students entered the classroom they clicked onto the Curriculum Loft and their lesson for the day was presented. All this information was accessed through NetTrakker which was developed by Thinkronize Incorporated. This program had to be closely monitored by the teacher, but students were very excited and responsible in its use. The teachers and students were excited about the use of technology rather than textbooks. The school is considering incorporating technology into the entire school curriculum. The School Board, teachers, students and technology department all agree that this will be a major adjustment that will require much planning, adjustments, and financial planning. The school is excited to have stepped into the digital learning community and looks forward to continue building its digital resources and tools. It will monitor and assess the students learning outcomes and make adjustments if needed (Nelson, Arthur, Jensen, & Van Horn, 2011).

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One question researchers have passed is the role of the teacher in a digital environment. Liat Eyal approached this question by focusing on the skills, abilities and perceptions required of the teacher in the digital environment with respect to assessment literacy. The term Assessment Literacy refers to the teachers skills in test development and a variety of teaching and learning needs and the teachers role as an assessor in a technology rich environment. In order to determine the effectiveness of the technology environment some suggested the use of measurement. Measurement being a means of assessing the students progress in problem solving abilities, teamwork and good work habits. According to Eyal, technology assessment allows for faster feedback that benefits both student and teacher, and allows adjustments to be made in the learning process. The introduction to the Individual Management System (IMS) allows the teacher a more immediate means for the teacher to track the students learning behavior. Traditionally, teacher assessment of students learning was measured according to teacher made tests. With computerization the process is highly efficient and the teacher should be aware of the technological, pedagogical and ethical limitations and make decisions to meet the needs. Learning methods in the 21st century digital environment will put the role of the selfdirected learning collaborative learning on both the student and the school community. This will provide the student with a variety of learning methods that will enable them to exhibit higher levels of thinking. In order for the digital environment to be most effective abilities and skills will be required of teachers for digital assessment literacy (Eyal, 2010). If technology is to be used in the educational community where does it begin?

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In an article by Gail Loverly and Deb Moberly we are reminded of how the Smartphone, I-Pad, tablet and other handheld devices are passed to young toddlers or school aged children to entertain and contain them. Loverly identifies this as passback effect. The device is used as a pacifier to keep the child quiet and occupied so parents can focus on their activities. Schools have used this method by putting one or two computers in the back of the classroom to occupy those students who finished work early or as a reward for good behavior. Many school districts have extended computing practices into curriculum and instruction. Loverly and Moberly challenge teachers and district policy makers to move the passback method forward. Loverly believes that putting apps (applications) into the child in early childhood is worth the cost of buying them and training teachers to use them properly. They pose six questions that should be considered and give examples of programs that will address these questions. These are the questions and programs: 1. Does the app let you customize content? Write My Name by Injimi 2. Does the app keep the students interest? Math Doodles 3. Does the app give you a return on investment? Art Set 4. Is there appropriate support young learners?

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Toontastic 5. Can you export the students work? Explain Everything, Dropbox, Box 6. Does the app expand access to resources?

This article supports the use of technology for early learning programs. It gives six key principals to assist the policy makers and early childhood educators to understand the digital program and monitor its use with children, ages birth through 8. These researchers believe that if used properly, technology is an effective tool. Educators must be trained and research must be ongoing (Loverly & Moberly, 2012). Bruce Bertram, in his article in Educational Reform: How does technology affect educational change? expresses views on the Y2K problem of the early 21st century. He reminds the public that we must explore the question of how technology relates to educational reform. The question he presents is: Is technology a key to bring about reform or does education need to be reformed in the first place? Richard Riley, U.S. Secretary of Education, voiced this same concern when he asserted, How we learn is changing and technology is very much at the heart of this transformation. He predicted that by the year 2000 every classroom would be connected to the internet and all students would be technologically literate. We are now seeing the unanticipated effects of new technologies on business, health science, media, education and everyday life.

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The author emphasizes the fact that many resist technology in education because they have unrealistic expectations. The main issue to them is that technology has to be obtained and individuals learn how to use it. He fails to see its many functions and how the students learn in many ways. Bertram says those who oppose technology in education oppose it because they do not understand its benefits. He tells the reader that one of the best sources of thinking about Internet and it social implications is First Monday at www.firstmonday.dk (Bertram, 1999). In their article, Harnessing Technology in the Classroom, Ellen Ficklen and Carol Muscara present the need for teachers to be trained in how to use computers (and other technology) as the tools to enhance the curriculum. They give five steps that need to be addressed for top quality, technology enhanced instruction, to take place in the classroom. The steps are: 1. Infrastructure and hardware 2. Software 3. Professional Development 4. Maintenance 5. Long term support Technology should also include handheld calculators, digital cameras, scanners, and computers as well as the expanding world of telecommunications. Throughout the article they explain the use of each of these areas and the components that fall into each category. This article explains the areas of each of these steps and expresses how this can be accomplished. Professional development involves budget requirements, which they say should

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be 25% for professional development. They explain the need for follow-up, extracurricular work, search engines, project based sites and many other areas that will be necessary. Maintenance and long term support are a very important part of the technology aspect of education. Teachers can be a very important part of the support system. As the authors point out its not any easy task to get technology successfully grounded in the school, but it can be done. Throughout this review we have been presented with the pros of technology in education. In this last article the author does not oppose technology but places his emphasis on some considerations that need to be considered when using technology in education. One important point that is brought out is that technology will not improve education if teachers are not properly trained. The author makes the point that teachers can have all of the proper digital tools, but if they are not savvy in how to teach the students to use them the effects may be more damaging than beneficial. The author shares that in his 6th grade classroom he uses VoiceThread and Diigo. He teaches the students how to use these two tools because he says it allows his students to join together and learn from one another as well as enhance their own thinking skills. The use of Diigo motivates the students to interact with nonfiction text. In this way the students can connect online texts about current events in social studies and science curriculum. Students can then have classroom discussion about what they are studying. The author/teacher uses this tool and says it contributes to textbook learning if something better came along he would use it (Ferriter, 2011). Summary/Conclusions Throughout this review the authors emphasize the use of technology in the classroom. It is evident from each review that technology enhances the students learning, if teachers are

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trained in the proper use and knowledge of technological tools such as computers, I-Pads, Smartboards, calculators and many others. Most of the reviews were responses to research that had been done in the late 20th and early 21st century. It is very apparent from these reviews that research will be necessary on a continuous basis. Each contributor realized that the cost to implement technology in education would be a matter of discussion among educators, researchers, district board members and government officials as how to much this would cost and who would finance it. Most contributors based their views on research that had already been performed. However, those who had done research did it using the qualitative method of research. From this literature review one can determine that education is a lifelong process and must be approached by observing advancements in all areas whether traditional or technological. Paul said, forgetting what lies behind I press forward to obtain the prize that is set before me. Phil 3:13.

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12 References

Barnitz, J. G., & Speaker,Jr., R. B. (1999). Electronic and linguistic connections in one diverse 21st-century classroom. The Reading Teacher, 52(8), 874-877. Retrieved November 7, 2012, from the Proquest database. Bertram, B. (1999). Educational reform: How does technology affect educational change?. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 43(1), 42-47. Broadfoot, P. (2000). Comparative education for the 21st century: Retrospect and prospect. Comparative Education, 36(3), 357-371. Retrieved November 7, 2012, from the Proquest database. Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. (n.d.). Dictionary and Thesaurus Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved November 28, 2012, from http://www.merriamwebster.com/ Equipping the 21st Century Classroom. (2012, November 1). Tech & Learning, 33. Retrieved November 5, 2012, from http://www.techlearning.com/features/0039/equipping-the21st-century-classroom/53131 Ferriter, W. M. (2011). Good Teaching Trumps Good Tools. Educational Leadership, 68(5), 8485. Ficklen, E., & Muscara, C. (2001). Harnessing Technology in the Classroom. American Educator, Fall. Retrieved November 6, 2012, from http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/fall2001/ficklen.cfm Gray, D. (2002). Implementing technology in the classroom. The professional medical assistant, 35(2), 24-26. Retrieved November 6, 2012, from the ProQuest Central database. Law, N., Lee, Y., & Chow, A. (2002). Practice characteristics that lead to 21st century learning outcomes. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 18(4), 415-426.

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Loertscher, D. V. (2011). Unleash the Power of Technology in Education. Teacher Librarian, 39(1), 46. Retrieved November 7, 2012, from the ProQuest Central database. Nelson, L. L., Arthur, E. J., Jensen, W. R., & Horn, G. V. (2011). Trading Textbooks for Technology: New Opportunities for Learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(7), 46-50.