ARTICLE CRITIQUE #3

Article Critique #3 Children and Educational Technology

Heather J. Wik University of British Columbia

ETEC 500 Section 65D Dr. Cliff Falk March 12, 2011

ARTICLE CRITIQUE #3 Article Critique #3 Technology is opening new doors for educators to maximize student learning, and educational research can provide direction for professional development and for determining new directions in teacher pedagogy in the classroom. When considering the

implications of research, educators must be aware of the methodology employed in studies, and evaluate their validity and reliability as they consider making decisions about their practice. In this paper I will summarize and critique three articles that relate to the theme of children and educational technologies, then will provide a brief synthesis of the articles, considering how the methodology impacts the results of each. The three articles are: The Effects of Incorporating a Word Processor into a Year Three Writing Program by Beck and Fetherston (2003) Middle School Students Technology Practices and Preferences: ReExamining Gender Differences by Miller, Schweingruber, and Brandenbrug (2001) Exploring Individual Differences in Attitudes toward Audience Response Systems by Kay and Knaack (2009) Article #1 In The Effects of Incorporating a Word Processor into a Year Three Writing Program Beck and Fetherston (2003) discuss their ethnographic qualitative research investigating the use a word processor for creative writing with year three students. The study focused on student attitudes about their current writing program, their attitudes about using a word processor for writing, as well as how writing developed when word processors were used.

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Case studies were developed on each of the seven participants. Data was collected before and after writing tasks using both observation and interview techniques. Results indicated that using a word processor improved students attitudes towards writing, motivated students to stay on task, and produced a higher standard of written work. However, the reliability of the study is called into question as there were several flaws in the methodology, including an insufficient number of participants included, an inadequate length of the study, an inconsistency in writing prompts given to students, the use of the term word processor when a publishing program was used, and insufficient information provided for each student within the case study. Article #2 In Middle School Students Technology Practices and Preferences: Re-Examining Gender Differences Miller, Schweingruber, and Brandenbrug (2001) discuss their quantitative study that concluded the gender gap pertaining to computer access, use and perceived competence had decreased significantly during the previous decade. The survey of 512 middle school students included 68 questions (open and closed), and participating schools and students were selected based on the goal of having a diverse socioeconomic status representation and equal gender representation Miller et al. stated the rapid increase in computer ownership and access to the world wide web had impacted student computer skills and helped narrow the gender gap in terms of computer access, use, and expertise. However, issues with methodology did impede the reliability of this study. The sampling process for the school districts, schools, and student participants for the study was not clearly identified. The survey relied only on self-reported data, and terms such as student use and expertise were not defined. Students based

ARTICLE CRITIQUE #3 their answers on their personal interpretations of what these terms meant, and this diminished result reliability. There was a significant difference in the statistics regarding Internet access at home, with no rationale provided to explain the discrepancy. Finally, students took the survey either during a science or a technology class, which may have impacted their attitudes while taking the survey, threatening the reliability of the results. Article #3 In Exploring Individual Differences in Attitudes Toward Audience Response Systems, Kay and Knaack (2009) discuss their quantitative study which explored individual differences in secondary students attitudes towards ARSs. A total of 659 students in 23 classrooms from 15 schools participated in the study. Teachers were

provided with clickers, a laptop and a LCD projector for a three-month experiment. At the end of the experiment, students completed a survey which contained nine, seven-point Likert scale items. Results of the survey identified three groups who had more positive attitudes about ARSs: A) male students, B) students who were more comfortable with technology, and C) students who did not actively participate in class before ARSs were used. Students also expressed a preference for ARSs being used for formative purposes, rather than as an assessment tool. Three criticisms need to be addressed when evaluating Kay and Knaacks conclusions. First, the selection of the school district as a sample was not identified. Second, all data collected was based on one student survey. Finally, student survey responses were based on very limited exposure to ARSs. Based on teacher reported information, clickers were generally only used once or twice per month. Synthesis

ARTICLE CRITIQUE #3 Each of these articles included a strong review of literature to substantiate the focus of research. The topics were relevant and warranted further investigation. However, in each study, issues arise which challenge their reliability, and educators need to identify methodological issues when weighing the reliability of any studys conclusions.

The studies by Miller et al. and Kay and Knaack use a single survey to gather data. The strength of qualitative research lies in its use of triangulation (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2009, p. 377). Solely using self-reported data for a study leaves it vulnerable to response sets and biases. There are also issues pertaining to sampling in these two studies, and if samples are not randomly selected, then inferences made from the research are questionable (Gay et al., 2009, p. 125). Beck and Fetherstons qualitative study relied on criterion sampling of a small group of students in one class, so generizability is questionable. In both the Beck and Fetherstons study, and Kay and Knaacks study a technology based novelty effect could also have affected the participants attitudes and responses. Study duration was an issue in both Kay and Knaacks and Miller et al.s study. Though very different types of research, insufficient time impacted the reliability of both studies. These two articles also investigate how gender effects student use of technology, and while Miller et al. conclude the gender gap is decreasing, Kay and Knaack found definitive differences between girls and boys in their attitudes towards the technology used in the classroom. If educators are to draw on the conclusion made in such studies, and allow them to transform teaching practice, they must ensure the results are valid and reliable. Conclusion Each of these studies investigates the use of technology in educational settings.

ARTICLE CRITIQUE #3 Research, such as these, can impact how teachers chose to integrate technology into their practice. Before accepting the conclusions stated in any study, teachers need to consider

the nature and quality of the study, and examine the methodology used. Only then can they confidently accept or reject recommendations that arise from educational research.

ARTICLE CRITIQUE #3 Bibliography Beck, N., & Fetherston, T. (2003). The effects of incorporating a word processor into a year three writing program. Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual, 139-161. Gay, L.R., Mills, G.E., & Airasian, P. (2009). Education research: Competencies for analysis and applications. Columbus, Ohio: Pearson. Kay, R. H., & Knaack, L. (2009). Exploring individual differences in attitudes toward audience response systems. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 35(1). Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Miller, L.M., Schweingruber, H., & Brandenburg, C.L. (2001). Middle school students

technology practices and preferences: Re-examining gender differences. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia. 10(2), 125-140.