Chapter 7Chapter 7

Evaluating Educational Technology and Integration Strategies – October 25, 2010

Evaluating Educational Technology and Integration Strategies – October 25, 2010

Evaluating Educational TechnologyEvaluating Educational Technology

• The purpose is to determine if the technology is appropriate and enhances the teaching and learning process.

• To be considered appropriate, it must be suitable for the educational situation, must be motivational, and must promote learning at the correct levels of student ability and academic achievement.

• It must also address curriculum standards and related learning objectives.

The Evaluation CycleThe Evaluation Cycle

Evaluate and Review

Before Instruction During Instruction After Instruction

Sources of Information for EvaluationSources of Information for Evaluation

• School Districts and State Departments of Education

• Professional Educational Organizations• Catalogs• Colleague Recommendations• Published Evaluations• Conferences• The Web

Evaluating Software ApplicationsEvaluating Software Applications

• A rubric is the most appropriate tool to use when evaluating software applications.

• Content is the most important area to consider.• You must determine if the content is valid.• Valid means that 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 – service that software and hardware manufacturers offer to customers to provide answers to questions, repairs, and other assistance.

Evaluating Software ApplicationsEvaluating Software Applications

• Ability Levels• Ability level is the students current

competency level or the skill level a student can achieve for a specific learning objective.

• The academic level is based on the grade level with increments to determine if the student is performing at the appropriate level.

• A good software application will adjust the ability or grade level as a student successfully moves through specific skills.

• You may also be able to set the specific level at which you require students to work.

Evaluating Software ApplicationsEvaluating Software Applications

• Technical Quality and Ease of Use• Technical quality refers to how well the

software is presented and how well it works.• Evaluate the clarity of the screen design,

feedback and student prompts, use of graphics, animation, sound, and other media elements

• Ease of use refers to anything that makes the software easy to use.

• It should be easy for both teachers and students to use while keeping students engaged.

• Student opinions matter.

Evaluating Web Resources – Criteria to Evaluate

Evaluating Web Resources – Criteria to Evaluate

• Authority – credibility of the person or persons who author and maintain the site.

• Affiliation – professional organization, school, school district, university, company, or government office with which a website is affiliated with. URL

• Purpose – the reason the website was created or the intent of the Web site.

• Objectivity – determining the intent or purpose of the Web page and if it is free of bias, such as advertising.

• Content – information it provides (valid, curriculum, topics, level)

• Learning Process – does it engage the student to use higher order thinking skills to go beyond the simple acquisition of knowledge and to become participatory learners.

Evaluating Web Resources – Criteria to Evaluate

Evaluating Web Resources – Criteria to Evaluate

• Audience – who is intended to view and use the Web page

• Currency – how up to date and timely the content is and how often is it updated.

• Design – the way it is arranged, the way it uses instructional design principles to deliver content to the user. Is it easy and enjoyable for the user?

• Again, a rubric is an effective tool for the evaluation of a Web page (site)

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Technology Integration – Assessment

Tools

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Technology Integration – Assessment

Tools• Assessment – any method used to understand

the current knowledge a student possesses. (formal, informal, observation, paper-pencil)

• Reliable assessment – accurately assesses student performance

• Traditional assessment – multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, essay

• Alternative assessments – use non-traditional methods to assess mastery of content standards

Alternative AssessmentsAlternative Assessments

• Authentic assessments – formal or informal, students answer open-ended questions, create questions, conduct hands-on experiments, do research, write, revise, and discuss papers, create portfolios

• Project-based assessment – focused on assessing student projects that are based on real-world situations

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

• Checklists – a predetermined list of performance criteria

• Rating scale – a checklist that uses a numerical value or rating for each criteria

• Rubric – describe specific and measurable criteria for several levels of quality.

• Teacher Observation

Types of IntegrationTypes of Integration

• Subject Specific• Interdisciplinary Curriculum – includes two or

more academic disciplines to form a cross-discipline or subject integrated lesson.

• Cross-discipline – includes a combination of curriculum specific areas, such as math or science, that are integrated with language arts.

• Subject-integrated lesson – integrates multiple skills, such as speaking, reading, thinking, and writing with multiple subject areas such as math, science, and language arts to create a more holistic learning experience.

Integration StrategiesIntegration Strategies

• Use of internet• Educational application software• Enhance lectures and presentations• Teaching assistant – drill and practice,

tutorials• Group and cooperative learning• Publishing• Blog• Wikis• Research• Student response

Chapter 8Chapter 8

Security Issues, Ethics, and Emerging

Technologies in Education

Computer Security: Risks and Safeguards

Computer Security: Risks and Safeguards

• Computer security risk – any event or action that has the potential of causing a loss of computer equipment, software, data, and information, or processing capability.

• Computer crime – any illegal act involving a computer.

Computer VirusesComputer Viruses

• A potentially damaging computer program designed to affect your computer negatively without your knowledge or permission by altering the way it works.

• A segment of a program code that implants itself in a computer file and spreads systematically from one file to another.

• 3 types of viruses: boot sector, file virus, and macro virus.

• Boot sector virus – replaces the boot program used to start the computer with a modified, infected version of the boot program.

• File virus – inserts virus codes into program files, then spreads to any program that accesses the infected file.

• macro virus – uses the macro language of an application to hide virus codes. Certain actions, such as saving the file, activate the virus.

Signs of Virus InfectionSigns of Virus Infection

• An unusual message or graphical image appears on the computer screen.

• An unusual sound or music plays randomly.• The available memory is less than what

should be available.• A program or file is suddenly missing.• An unknown program or file mysteriously

appears.• The size of a file changes without

explanation.• A file becomes corrupted.• A program or file does not work properly.

Safe Computing TipsSafe Computing Tips

• Purchase and install reliable antivirus software.

• Scan all removable media.• Scan all files downloaded from the internet.• Scan all attached files before opening them.• Turn off e-mail preview.• Scan all software before using it, even if it is

shrink-wrapped.• Do not use pirated, illegal copies of

copyrighted software.• Never start your computer with removable

media in the drives.• Install a personal firewall program to help

protect against unwanted incoming attacks.• Back up your files often.• Set your antivirus program to scan

automatically.

Unauthorized Access and UseUnauthorized Access and Use

• Unauthorized access is the use of a computer or network without permission.

• An individual who tries to access a computer or network illegally is called a cracker or hacker.

• Unauthorized use is a computer or data for unapproved or possibly illegal activities.

• A firewall is a security system consisting of hardware and/or software that prevents unauthorized access to data and information on a network.

Ethics and the Information AgeEthics and the Information Age

• The standards that determine whether an action is good or bad is called ethics.

• Computer ethics are the moral guidelines that govern the use of computers, networks, and information systems.

• Five areas of computer ethics: 1) unauthorized use of computers 2) Hardware, software, and information theft3) Information privacy4) Copyright5) Objectionable materials on the internet

Computer Ethics for EducatorsComputer Ethics for Educators

1) An educator will not use a computer to harm other people.

2) An educator will not interfere with others’ computer work.

3) An educator will not look at others’ computer files.4) An educator will not use a computer to steal.5) An educator will not use a computer to lie.6) An educator will not copy or use software without

paying for it.7) An educator will not use others’ computer

resources without permission.8) An educator will not use others’ work.9) An educator will think about the social impact of

the programs he or she creates.10)An educator always will use a computer in a way

that shows respect and consideration for other people.

Acceptable Use PolicyAcceptable Use Policy

An acceptable use policy provides specific guidance for using school computers, networks, and the internet. Most schools and school systems require all staff and students to sign an AUP each year. Teachers must ensure that students fully understand the AUP and that their use of the computer may be monitored. AUPs are important to shelter students from objectionable materials on the internet and from unacceptable use of computers and the internet.

PDJ # 3PDJ # 3

The NETS Standards for teachers states that teachers should understand the

social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the uses of technology in PK-12 schools and apply those principles in practice. In your own words describe the

implications, when a teacher does not apply these principles in practice.

Specifically, when a teacher neglects to monitor the use of the web.