digital education usage models for the classroom of the futurecontiguity’, journal of educational...

Digital education usage models for the classroom of the future

Peter Hamilton, Eileen O’Duffy

Intel Corporation, Intel IT Innovation Centre (UK), E-Mail: [email protected]

Abstract We present a model for teaching and learning with technology to improve the comprehension of key concepts and to support the development of 21st century skills will be outlined including: Curriculum learning content to support the knowledge acquisition of key curriculum objectives; Advanced open-ended learning and teaching toolkits to explore and deepen the students’ understanding of key concepts; Project and activity based learning for knowledge deepening and knowledge creation; Open ended learning to support innovation, problem solving, decision making, teamwork and collaborative learning; Communities of practice enabling teachers share best practice and communicate with students and classes in private and secure environments. This paper is based on our experience developing Intel skoool™.com learning and teaching technology programme which has developed education content and tools in 30 countries and 12 languages and dialects. Keywords: knowledge creation, curriculum objectives, problem solving, collaborative learning.

1 Introduction Flexible, cost effective and well planned ICT design is required to meet the pedagogical needs of learners and to enable teachers and administrative staff in education institutions work effectively.

Personalised Learning-shaping teaching around the different ways children learn. The need is for: • Anytime, anywhere learning – both within the school and in the wider community • Personalised learning where each learner can deepen their knowledge at their pace

and using their learning style, with the help of learner-centered 1-1 mobile computing

• Flexible learning spaces – moving beyond “traditional” classroom models towards learner-centered spaces conducive to collaboration and mentoring

Learning solutions need to provide more that standardized progression and teach to the test. Rich activity-based knowledge deepening and knowledge creation activities require learner-centered 1-1 models with high levels of mobility.

For example, ICT resources enable learners to learn at whatever level is appropriate for them from knowledge acquisition (Knowledge, Comprehension) to knowledge deepening (Application, Analysis) to knowledge creation (Synthesis, Evaluation).

University of Bucharest and “Gh. Asachi” Tehnical University of Iasi

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Instruction objects such as multimedia lessons can be used for knowledge acquisition, toolkits and scaffolded experiments for knowledge deepening and open-ended projects and research activities for knowledge creation and the synthesis of uncertain information.

StandardisedInstruction &

Testing

StandardisedInstruction &

Testing

Learner Enabling Resources

Lecture Coaching Student Centered

KnowledgeCreation

KnowledgeDeepening

KnowledgeAcquisition

‘PersonalProgression’

Open-EndedHigher OrderIndividualised

Open-EndedHigher OrderIndividualised

From Personal Progression to Personal ePortfolio

‘PersonalPortfolio’

Fig. 1 Learner Enabling Resources

2 Learner Enabling Resources The Digital Learning Space: The Digital Learning Space is at the core of the learning models for the 21st Century. The flexibility, adaptability and scalability required and demanded by today’s learners and teachers can be addressed through careful design of the ICT infrastructure, leading to a better learning and teaching experience. The demand for “anytime, anywhere” mobile learning, for example, requires high levels of reliability, manageability and security in the total system to ensure services and applications are always available and secure. Critics of ICT have argued that using ICT may drive and accelerate a standardization approach. Others may argue that ICT helps to encourage or even drives an open-ended learner centric and personalized model of learning. ICT does not in itself drive either approach: ICT is a tool and resource to support and facilitate whichever approach is adopted.

Tethered desk and thin client models may be highly limiting. 1-1 mobile computing with a strong set of software tools and content will support higher order knowledge deepening, knowledge creation and problem solving. This will provide learners with a positive and unlimited learning potential and the resources to develop 21st century skills. Cloud computing: Increased connectivity and significantly improved bandwidth including the wide spread of 100mbps and greater connection speeds in the developed world and the wider spread of DSL, WIMAX Wireless in developing markets and the advent of 4G mobile networks with connection speeds of between 10 and 40 mbps. This growing ease of connectivity together with the trend towards‘Cloud Computing’ represents the next mega-trend.

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“We will move from the Digital Immigrant phase through the Digital Native phase to the Online Native phase” Young users today are very comfortable to live in the Internet Cloud with increasingly more of their data and applications there and increasing levels of online security and privacy. Importance for Economies and Societies. Societies whose students and future workforce and learning in these rich open-ended learning systems supported by technology which foster these 21st Century Skills will have a significant competitive advantage over societies who do not move in these directions. If education transformation and reform policies are not adopted widely and applied based on equality of access digital divides will widen with resulting social and economic impact.

“With technology I can assign much higher level tasks to my students.” Deputy Head

Teacher of St. Thomas More School in London ranking in the top quartile in UK schools ranking. Sept. 2008.

Example: English Literature Assignment. The English teacher (or other first language literature teacher) sets an assignment around a particular author. The assignment requires critical analysis of the author’s writing style. Learners have become familiar with the writings of the author through reading the author’s novels. The teacher provides analysis of the writings in a “classic” manner. There is testing of learner’s knowledge and then the move is towards building on this knowledge. The assignment requires that students firstly work together in groups, so collaboration is very important. The ability to use instant messaging software to share ideas and debate and discuss with other learners …and possibly the author … provides richness and depth to the learning. All participants have an equal input and learning experience. Further knowledge is gained working alone – surfing the internet, accessing libraries of information, looking at analysis of experts on the author.

Finally, the students’ assignments can be published for critique by teacher and colleagues.

Throughout the assignment, the learners can have access through technologies such as email, discussion boards, weblogs, to the teacher, their colleagues, data and information –where and when they decide. Vision Personalised Learning - shaping teaching around the different ways children learn.

The emphasis on personalised learning is a key principle underlying recent educational initiatives. Personalised learning is about tailoring education to ensure that every pupil reaches their full potential, one of the aims of the Five-Year Strategy for Children and Learners,1United Kingdom Department for Education and Skills (DfES) July 2004. It is not individualised learning, where children work alone, nor is it pupils being left to their own devices. It means a strategic and structure approach to shaping

1 DfES : http://www.dfes.gov.uk/


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teaching around the different ways children learn. Many schools and teachers have tailored their curriculum and teaching methods to meet their pupils’ needs for years with various initiatives. What is new is the drive to make these practices universal.

A strategic approach to ICT both in the classroom and linking the classroom and home is a key facilitator and enabler of personalised learning. The DfES publication Harnessing Technology: transforming learning and children's services 2 reflects the ever changing and effective use of ICT across the whole education system and highlights the need for a more strategic approach to the future development of ICT in education, skills and children's services. The strategy addresses priorities in workforce development, organisational change, personalisation of learning, content, access and the procurement of services and identifies six priorities which will apply to 14-19 year olds and lifelong learning as well as schools and children's services:

• an integrated online information service for all citizens • integrated online personal support for children and learners • a collaborative approach to personalised learning activities • a good quality ICT training and support package for practitioners • a leadership and development package for organisational capability in ICT.

3 Learning Styles and Learning Strategies The term “learning styles” has no one definition – in much of the literature it is used loosely and often interchangeably with terms such as “thinking styles”, “cognitive styles” and ‘earning modalities” In addition, a significant number of theorists and researchers (e.g. Kolb) have argued that learning styles are not determined by inherited characteristics, but develop through experience. Styles are therefore not necessarily fixed, but can change over time, even from one situation to the next. The risk here is to do students a disservice by implying they have only one learning style, rather than a flexible repertoire from which to choose, depending on the context. Theorists such as Entwistle, are more interested in how students tackle a specific learning task (learning strategy) than any habitual preference (learning style). What these authors have in common is an emphasis not simply on the learner but on the interaction between the learner, the context and the nature of the task. If, therefore, learning styles are not fixed personality traits, the emphasis shifts from accommodating learning styles to encouraging a balanced approach to learning and – perhaps more importantly – an explicit awareness of the range of approaches available to the learner. Thus for content developers it may be more appropriate to think in terms of accommodating, rather than matching, a range of modalities and styles. Moreno and Mayer (1999)3 found that mixed modality (visual/auditory) presentations were the most effective and Gregorc (1984)4 also observed that learners prefer a variety of instructional approaches. The good news is that

2DfES : http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ 3 Moreno, R and Mayr, R E (1999), ‘Cognitive principles of multimedia learning: the role of modality and contiguity’, Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 358–368 4 Gregorc, A F (1984), ‘Style as a symptom: a phenomenological perspective’, Theory into Practice, 23(1), 51–55


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ICT today has the flexibility to enable this variation in usage happen in a seamless manner.

Each learning style uses ICT hardware and software in different and multifaceted ways. The key message is that the ICT designs need to take account of these differences. Teachers and Learners can select from a range of multimedia and digital applications to match their preferred learning style and strategy and to experiment and investigate different approaches. Advantage can be taken of the opportunity current and future VLE/LMS and other ICT systems can provide, to support personalised learning paths. Thus there is a benefit in enabling learners to reflect on how they learn. Encouraging metacognition (being aware of one’s own thought and learning processes) is therefore perhaps the most important advantage that can be claimed for applying learning styles theory to learning and teaching.

The following table shows some examples of ICT applications supporting varying

learning styles. Visual– learning by seeing

IT Application Examples of Usage Models Modern ICT supports visual learning with high quality graphics, animations, simulations and visualisations. Abstract concepts are brought to life and effectively explained.

Digital photography and video enhances learning and provide rich presentation. Teachers can present concepts and ideas using rich visual media, capturing the learners attention Interactive whiteboards bring this visualisation alive for the whole classroom.

Auditory- learning by hearing

IT Application Examples of Usage Models Auditory learners learn most effectively through dialogue and listening. ICT based learning supports simultaneous, audio, visual and text-based learning.

High quality sound and editing capability enables deeper learning and creative presentations Collaboration with other schools and peers using video and audio tools deepens knowledge

Kinaesthetic- learning by doing

IT Application Examples of Usage Models ICT can truly come into its own for the kinaesthetic learner providing engaging activities to draw the student back into the learning process. Computer based activities have been proven to have significant positive impact on

Advances in gaming technology and policies that support the use of this technology in school will enhance the student’s numeracy, literacy, logic skills and self-confidence. Live data from a physics practical experiment can be captured for a


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confidence levels, attendance rates and drop-out levels, particularly among this group of students5. Kinaesthetic learners benefit from using devices that involve touch, like mice and joysticks, or a Tablet PC, which enables users to write or draw onto a computer using a pen.

measuring device directly to the learner’s notebook, which they can analyse using the PC tools available. Graphic design software and animation tools provide the kinaesthetic learner with the environment for knowledge creation.

4 21st Century Skills and Key Competencies for the Knowledge Economy There is a growing and widely accepted understanding that a different set of skills need to be developed by our students in our school systems. In the United States and also in UNESCO strategies these are referred to as the 21st Century Skills. The European Union in the Lisbon framework outlines eight domains of Key Competences for Lifelong Learning.

These 21st Century Skills are critically important to support the challenges of the modern work-place and the dynamic and rapidly changing knowledge society. Highly structured and disciplined schooling systems do not necessarily prepare students well for the dynamics and challenges of the 21st century workplace and society. More self-motivated, individualized, group and collaborative learning processes, supported by ICT will contribute significantly to the preparation of a more agile modern workforce.

21st Century Skills identify: The EU eight domain of key competence are: 1 Creativity and innovation 2 Critical thinking 3 Problem solving 4 Communicatin 5 Collaboration 6 Information fluency 7 Technogical literacy

1 Communication in the mother tongue 2 Communication in a foreign language 3 Mathematical literacy 4 Basic competences in science and technology 5 Digital competence 6 Learning-to-learn 7 Interpersonal and civic competences 8 Entrepreneurship and Cultural expression

(Source: http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/doc/basicframe.pdf6). A Vision for Virtual Learning Environments – enabling Curriculum Progression and

Higher Order Teaching and Learning Models. Previously a progression of learning and teaching models, starting with Knowledge

Acquisition through Knowledge Deepening to higher order Knowledge Creation and Concept Synthesis, was discussed. It was identified how multi-media curriculum resources can enhance the knowledge acquisition stages while improving student motivation. It can be seen how creative multi-media resources, simulations, learning toolkits, games and project activities can contribute significantly to knowledge deepening and concept understanding. Broader scope research project or experiment assignments will drive students to higher levels of knowledge creation and synthesis.

5 Studies of notebook computer deployment in Henrico County Virginia, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Michigan and Maine, and in the Freedom to Learn Evaluation Report, January 2004


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The figure below illustrates how each of these activities works together to complete a teaching and learning process:

• Curriculum Foundation: Knowledge Acquisition meeting Curriculum Key Objectives providing a foundation knowledge base in each curriculum subject.

• Learning Activities: Knowledge Deepening and Concept Synthesis through problem solving, project activity, experiments and research.

• Reference: to support Learning Activities and Research to provide deeper information. Internet resources and conventional library resources.

• Collaboration and Communication: Student Collaboration and Communication to support problem solving and project work, developing 21st Century Skills.

• Student Centered with Educator as Facilitator. • VLE/LMS will support activity management and tracking allowing the teacher

communicate with students, assess portfolios of work and assign activities. These systems are not yet being extensively used in schools but we believe that as the complete system maturity increases these systems will become essential over the next 5 years.

Fig. 3 Learning Activity and Resource Diagram

The higher order activities and projects and the collaboration, team-work and

reference skills developed in these processes will support the development of 21st Century Skills.

5 Mini Case Studies 5.1 Blogging “The Secret Life of Bees” In 2003 a grade 10 English teachers in the United States set up a Weblog (“Blog”) within the school learning management system to allow students discuss different aspects of Sue

Fig. 2 Skills for the 21st Century


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Monk Kidd’s acclaimed novel about race and prejudice in the southern United States. In the Blog the teacher asked the students several questions which drove them to propose different interpretations of sections of the book. Other teachers and people with a background in literature joined the Blog discussion. Finally a mystery contributor joined the Blog discussion and added some different perspectives to the discussion. The mystery contributor was unveiled as the author of the book creating enormous motivation among the students while creating an interest and much deeper understanding of literature.

5.2 Science Experimentation with real-time Data Collection. IT provides enormous potential for exciting Science projects which can make the experience much more like the real-world and engaging for students. Several techniques for data capture and data analysis add significant extra dimensions to the activity including:

• Data capture with electronic sensors including simple motion sensors, temperature sensors etc.

• Data analysis, graphing and interpretation using spreadsheets. • Digital video and still photography of experiments and scientific phenomena. Professor Adrian Oldknow of the UK Mathematical Association has written a number

of papers describing techniques with motion sensors enabling students to create basic time and motion graphs in the classroom. This technique can be extended into the gymnasium with students running, introducing the principle of acceleration and undertaking exercises to illustrate Newton’s laws of motion. Similar approaches can be envisaged where the data from experiments in physics, chemistry and biology can be captured using the techniques outlined above. The underlying mathematics can also be revealed using the graphing and charting techniques such as some of the principles of calculus in the acceleration example outlined. These techniques address many significant issues in teaching and learning among which are: the integration of mathematics and science, providing real-world context and drawing in the less motivated students including difficult to reach kinesthetic students. Students complete project reports with the data and observations from these activities and answer some questions designed to confirm their comprehension of the topics covered. These reports are submitted in the VLE/LMS for grading by the teacher and can become part of the student’s ePortfolio.

5.3 The skoool™ Maths Toolkit From the www.skoool.com website an open-ended toolkit for teaching and learning Mathematics can be downloaded free of charge by all teachers and students. The UK Mathematical Association and Intel collaborated to develop this toolkit which won the BETT award for Key Stage 3 and 4 Maths in 2006. The toolkit provides resources which are designed to encourage learners to explore the more difficult to understand topics by emphasising the effect of changing variables. The resources support the understanding of the number system, graphical representations, transformations and statistical methods. The toolkit is ideal for whole-class teaching on the interactive whiteboard and also for individual learning at school or home to broaden a student’s understanding of key concepts.


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Fig. 4 skoool.com mathematics toolkit and numberline

Learning Anytime Anywhere The possibilities of learning beyond the school environment are extended through and by the use of ICT. Mobile technologies enable this type of learning and learners can access resources and content in a manner and place that is most suitable to them. Learning at home or in any Wi-Fi location, enables more learning by providing learners with the structure and resources for anytime/anywhere learning. The figure below illustrates that given the proper resources learners will access resources outside of the normal school house and beyond the school week. This data is extracted from web hits on the Skoool™ London Grid for Learning resource and show both hourly and daily activity.

Fig. 5 Daily and weekly usage patterns of skoool.co.uk content in the London

Grid for Learning May 2009


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6 Motivation: A Case Study Building confidence and motivating learners is conducive with improved attainment. This is especially the case for those hard to reach learners, or learners that face extra challenges in their education. ICT has a role to play in increasing confidence and enable a level playing field evolve where all students can achieve to the best of their abilities. A recent deep dive study undertaken by Intel at two secondary in the UK, provided first hand evident of how ICT can improve confidence and motivate learners and teachers.

Case Study: Two schools in Nottingham - Djanogly and Minster Two schools in Nottingham, UK - Minster located in Southwell and Djanogly in the

inner-city – volunteered to undertake a pilot study using Ultra Mobile PC’s. The objective was to better understand the usage need for the ultra mobile form factor requirements in the education sector. The results of the study provided fascinating and valuable data around usage models and the interaction between the learners and the devices. In particular, on the subject of motivation and self esteem, there were a number of findings. Confidence grew as learners took ownership of the devices as they were given the responsibility to use and work with them.

The Ultra Mobile PC provided opportunities for self-paced learning with in turn challenged students at their own level and built up self esteem. The immediacy of continuous feedback also added to this factor. For those students with learning challenges, the “levelling of the playfield” was in evidence. One autistic student’s interaction with his peer group was sub optimal. His teacher witnessed a number of improvements in his learning and social skills once he started working with the UMPC. For example, before, his written work was difficult to read but he could now hand in legible assignments typed on his UMPC. Handwriting was no longer a major barrier to expression so the teacher could better assess his work.

Another student with limited attention span had his self confidence boosted as he collaborated more frequently and shared his learning and became somewhat of an expert in using the Ultra Mobile Device. His advice was sought to solve problems. Teachers witnessed a decrease in his disruptive tendencies and an increase in self-esteem. This illustrates that for this difficult-to-reach learner, the hands-on aspect of learning with ICT drew him into the learning process.

Finally, mobility means students could use the devices wherever and whenever they wanted. The size and style of the ultra-mobile form factor device better fits the lifestyle and style choice of teenage students. This enabled them become familiar with the device and provided opportunities for students to build up their self reliance, which boosted confidence and increased motivation.

REFERENCES

DfES : http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ Moreno, R and Mayr, R E (1999): Cgnitive principles of multimedia learning: the role of modality and

contiguity” in Journal Educational Psychology, 91, 358–368 Gregorc, A F (1984): Style as a symptom: a phenomenological perspective , in Theory into Practice, 23(1),

51–55 Studies and Report (2004): Studies of notebook computer deployment in Henrico County Virginia,

Minneapolis, Minnesota, Michigan and Maine, and in the Freedom to Learn Evaluation Report, January 2004

UE (2004): Implementation of “Education and Training 2010” work programme, Key Competences for LifelongLearning, European Commission,

http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/doc/basicframe.pdf

Effective eLearning

Olimpius Istrate

Intel Corporation, Romania Repr. Office 2 Teheran Str., Bucharest 011932, ROMANIA

E-Mail: [email protected]

Abstract A variety of studies have evaluated the eLearning and concluded that it can help produce positive outcomes. Which are the common elements of the various successful eLearning programmes? What should somebody take into consideration when designing such a programme? Today it is well known that eLearning is effective if it is supported by holistic approaches that include appropriate policies, infrastructure, professional development, and curricula. The present paper is trying to point out some basic elements concerning the design and implementation of an effective eLearning programme.

Keywords: eLearning, research, evidence-based effects

1 eLearning overview Technology integration to support education has been underway for many years. Some of the common ways of integrating technology into education include:

• Teacher PC programs provide encouragement and financial assistance for teachers to acquire PCs and integrate ICT into their teaching practices. When most effective, these programs include professional development and policy modifications, as well as updated digital content and curriculum resources to help teachers use technology to enhance teaching and learning.

• PC labs are frequently used to offer technology access when resources are severely constrained. While PC labs provide some exposure to technology, they limit teachers’ ability to incorporate technology into the curriculum, and often are used only to teach computer literacy.

• Classroom eLearning brings PCs into the classroom, typically via systems stationed at the back of the classroom or computers on wheels (COWs) that are shared by different classrooms. Students have a dedicated device for part of the school day, with the focus on using PCs to enhance learning across the curriculum and not simply to develop technology skills.

• One-to-one (1:1) eLearning provides each teacher and student with a dedicated laptop for use at school and, in many cases, at home. Laptops serve as personal teaching and learning tools that are used throughout the day for many educational tasks and subjects. In a 1:1 environment, students get the maximum value from access to PCs, Internet connectivity, and their integration into the education environment.


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Figure 1: eLearning Continuum Effective eLearning comes from using information and communication technologies

(ICT) to broaden educational opportunity and help students develop the skills they—and their countries—need to thrive in the 21st century. While conclusive, longitudinal studies remain to be done, an emerging body of evidence suggests that eLearning can deliver substantial positive effects:

• Students are more engaged and able to develop 21st century skills. • Teachers have a more positive attitude toward their work and are able to provide

more personalized learning. • Family interaction and parental involvement may increase. • Communities benefit from bridging the digital divide. Economically disadvantaged

students and children with disabilities benefit particularly. • Economic progress can result from direct job creation in the technology industry as

well as from developing a better educated workforce. The effects of 1:1 eLearning appear to increase as technology is more deeply

integrated into the educational experience and students and teachers have technology access throughout the day.

• Trucano’s review of papers dealing with ICT’s benefit for education in developing nations showed that placing PCs in classrooms rather than separate labs enables much greater use of technology for higher order skills. (Trucano, Global)

• In West Virginia, one of the poorest US states, students who experienced classroom eLearning had higher gains in overall scores and in math than those who had technology access only in computer labs. The authors compared classroom eLearning against other policy interventions of similar cost (such as smaller class


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size, additional instructional time, and cross-age tutoring) and found that technology can be one of the most efficient ways to boost outcomes. (Mann et al, USA)

• In a study comparing COWs and 1:1 eLearning environments for fifth, sixth, and seventh graders at a small-town school district in the American Midwest, researchers found that students in the 1:1 environment gained significant advantages on writing performance, including ideas/content, organization, style, and conventions. In addition, math, science, and social studies achievement scores were higher on average for students in the 1:1 environment compared to those using COWs. (Ross et al, USA)

2 Student learning Studies show that eLearning can help increase student engagement, motivation, and attendance—key requisites for learning.

Effective eLearning can also improve performance on core subjects and foster the development of 21st century skills, whether in mature or emerging countries.

• The US state of Maine created 1:1 eLearning environments in schools reaching over 42,000 middle school students and 5,000 teachers. More than 80 percent of teachers surveyed said that students were more engaged and more actively involved in their learning and produced higher quality work. Principals and teachers reported “considerable anecdotal evidence” that eLearning increased student motivation and class participation, and improved behavior. (Silvernail, USA)

• In a 1:1 eLearning program at 10 primary and secondary schools in Malaysia, 85 percent of teachers, many of whom were initially skeptical, reported that the program helped them create an innovative and collaborative eLearning environment within their classrooms. (Malaysia Ministry of Education and Intel Malaysia, Malaysia)

• At a large rural high school, attendance rose from 91 percent to 98 percent after the 1:1 eLearning program began. (Mitchell Institute, USA)

• A meta-analysis of 42 peer-reviewed papers published between 1996 and 2003 found a positive significant correlation of .448 with cognitive outcomes, indicating that average students who used technology would be at the 66th percentile while average students without technology would be at the 50th percentile. The authors observed that “the overall effects of technology on student outcomes may be greater than previously thought.” (Waxman et al, Global)

• In South Africa, a three-year randomized controlled study of the large-scale Khanya project showed math scores were significantly higher for students who participated in a technology program. Khanya is an award-winning project to provide a technology-rich environment and professional development activities to students and teachers throughout the Western Cape region. (Wagner et al, South Africa)


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• Penuel et al performed a research synthesis of 19 programs in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the US that used technology to link home and school. They found that technology-supported programs produced positive effects on reading achievement (+0.08 to + 0.10), writing (+0.20 to +0.34), and math achievement (+0.18 to +0.23), as measured by traditional methods and standards. (Penuel et al, Global)

• A meta-analysis of over 500 studies indicated that students receiving computer-based instruction tend to learn more in less time. (Chinien, Global)

• In a 1:1 class in Puebla, Mexico, teachers observed an improvement in second to fourth grade students’ skills at searching information and ability to write—both important 21st century skills. The eLearning environment gave students the opportunity to conduct Internet research and evaluate the quality of information found. (Escorza and Rodriguez, Mexico)

Although numerous studies report positive outcomes, there are also indications that improper use can lead to negative student behaviors, from playing games to tampering with security measures. (Keri et al, USA) However, solutions such as classroom management software and technology usage policies are well documented and effective at overcoming such obstacles. The potential for negative outcomes underscores the importance of holistic planning, with attention to access, policies, connectivity, professional development, and curriculum, in order to achieve desired benefits.

3 Teaching and Administrative outcomes Researchers have reported that issuing laptops to teachers, or helping them purchase laptops, can empower them to teach better, increase lesson planning and preparation productivity, gain a more positive attitude about their work, and improve efficiency of management and administration tasks.

• Using technology, teachers can access tools that enable them to deliver customized assessments and gain immediate feedback on individual and class progress. (Kerr et al, USA)

• With this feedback, teachers can provide personalized learning opportunities, using remediation and enrichment to deliver more differentiated instruction that better meets each child’s needs. (Warschauer et al, USA)

• In Maine’s state-wide eLearning deployment, teachers with personal PC access said that technology helped them locate and develop better instructional materials and conduct research related to their teaching assignments. Teachers gained access to better quality curricula and learning materials, especially when schools created eLearning portals where teachers could share resources they found or developed. (Silvernail, USA)

• In a Turkish study of primary school teachers and students, 87 percent of teachers surveyed said eLearning improved their ability to conduct project-based learning. They also stated that eLearning supported the shift from teacher-centered to student-centered

• teaching, and enabled them to act as facilitators more than lecturers. (Aydin, Turkey) • Personal PC access has been shown to increase teacher productivity. UK agency

Becta cites a 2005 study by PricewaterhouseCoopers indicating that teachers


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creating a lesson plan from scratch using digital resources saved an average of 26 minutes compared to those who did not. (Becta 2007, UK) When 400 teachers were surveyed on how they used time saved on lesson planning and other tasks, 31 percent said they performed additional preparation, planning and other core tasks, while 47 percent performed new tasks or performed existing tasks to a higher standard. (PricewaterhouseCoopers, UK)

• A review of 17 recent European studies reported that teachers’ roles can be more rewarding in an effective eLearning environment. Teachers who perceive a highly positive impact from ICT tend to use technology in project-oriented, collaborative, and experimental ways. Teachers function as advisors, dialogue partners and facilitators for specific subject domains. (Balanskat et al, Europe)

• In evaluating the Notebooks for Teachers and Principals Program implemented by the Victoria Department of Education and Training, researchers found that teachers felt more valued as professionals as a result of having their own laptops. They also felt that parents viewed them more respectfully, and that they were recognized as important by the government. Some 70 percent of teachers said the program had increased their professional competence in areas such as teaching practices and assessing and reporting student learning. (Gough et al, Australia)

4 Management and Administration • Students and teachers are not the only people who benefit from eLearning. When a

rural Pennsylvania school district equipped all students in grades 3-12 with a laptop and home Internet access, principals said they could provide more effective instructional leadership because they had better visibility into students’ progress and work products. Principals said the enhanced connectivity also improved their capacity to communicate with parents, faculty, and district leaders, and enabled them to perform their responsibilities more efficiently. (Kerr et al, USA)

• There is growing evidence that eLearning supports school improvement efforts. A recent study surveyed the head teachers of 181 British schools that had improved enough to be removed from a “Special Measures and Notice to Improve” list, and found that 82 percent of head teachers indicated technology had played a key role in their school’s achievement. Effective approaches ranged from adopting systems for monitoring and analyzing student progress, to using technology to engage underachieving students. (Hollingsworth, cited in Becta 2008, UK)

A less positive aspect of eLearning environments is that they can expand teacher workloads by increasing clerical expectations or creating a need to adapt curriculum materials. To a certain extent, this can be addressed with professional development, supportive leadership, and improved policies.

5 Dual Investment Strategy for optimal elearning Research indicates that elearning is most effective in a 1:1 eLearning environment where:

• Technology tools and connectivity are deeply integrated into the classroom and used across the curriculum.


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• Teachers are skilled and comfortable using digital resources to enhance teaching and learning.

To achieve this integration and skill, governments and educators must invest in professional development and curriculum resources as well as in PCs and networks. These two areas of investment reinforce each other and increase the return on either type of investment: professional development and curriculum resources help teachers actually use technology to transform teaching and learning, and adequate technology access enables teachers to apply what they learn in professional development activities.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) states that to reap educational benefits from ICT, countries and educational systems must reach a threshold of investments in ICT and in the skills and educational organization to use them (OECD, Global). Backing this up, a survey of 11 international eLearning deployments found that teachers are more likely to integrate technology into their pedagogy when they have technology in the classroom. The average implementation rate for teachers who had lab access only was 71.7 percent, increasing to 87.2 percent when teachers had one PC in their classrooms and reaching 94.8 percent when teachers had access to two to six classroom computers. (Martin, et al, Global)

A second global survey highlights the importance of effective teacher professional development and support. It found that teachers who are most likely to use technology effectively to improve education are those who have completed professional development programs, work in a school with ample support, and have technology in the classroom rather than in a PC lab. (Light and Martin, Global)

6 Social and Community Effects By issuing a laptop to each student, schools aim to meet the educational needs of students who ordinarily could not afford a PC and thereby improve the performance of all students. Research shows that this strategy is working.

• At-risk and low-achieving students, and students whose parents do not have a bachelor’s degree, experience greater positive impact than other groups when 1:1 eLearning is deployed. For example, the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot showed that economically disadvantaged students reached proficiency levels matching the skills of advantaged control students. (Texas Center for Educational Research, USA)

• A qualitative study focused on two US schools with high percentages of immigrant and/or impoverished students. It analyzed the use of 1:1 eLearning to help English language learners develop academic literacy. At an elementary school, Latino fourth-grade students used laptops for pre-and post-reading. At a middle school, immigrant and refugee students used laptops in community projects that required independent reading and research. At both schools, students achieved reading test scores that were higher than their state averages, and the middle school students’ writing scores were above average as well. (Warschauer, USA)

• In studies of students with disabilities, researchers have observed improved student self-esteem, increased motivation and ability to work independently, and other


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academic achievements such as improved quality and quantity of student writing. (Harris, USA)

A number of studies suggest that, from a long-term perspective, a wide array of social and community benefits are associated with improved education. These benefits include reduced criminal activity, reduced reliance on welfare and other social programs, increased charitable giving and volunteer activity—even attainment of desired family size and improved health for the individual and his or her family. (Riddell, Global) Knowing the many ways in which eLearning can improve education, it’s intriguing to consider that eLearning may indirectly enhance these areas as well.

7 Economic Development So far, we’ve discussed research showing how eLearning improves educational achievement. Now we turn to studies that examine how improved achievement can affect a nation’s economic prospects. For many countries, economic development is the driving reason behind eLearning investments.

Recent examples indicate that eLearning investments can improve economic development in two ways: by direct job creation as governments procure the PCs, networks, software, and services to support the eLearning deployment; and indirectly, by developing a better educated workforce.

Direct Economic Impact: Portugal In July 2008, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates announced Project Magellan, an investment by the Government of Portugal to provide locally-built classmate PCs to all Portuguese students aged 6-10. Classmate PCs would be supplied by local technology company JP Sá Couto, Linux* software provider Caixa Magica, and other local ICT companies. JP Sá Couto plans to manufacture and export 4 million classmate PCs in addition to 500,000 units intended for use within Portugal. With Project Magellan, the Government is making a two-fold investment in the nation’s knowledge economy: Portugal’s children will be equipped with the skills to compete for high paying jobs in the future, and Portuguese workers will gain access to high-quality, high-value-added jobs in the near term. According to analysis by Vital Wave Consulting, Project Magellan will generate a total of 1,470 jobs and produce a total economic impact of EUR 2.26 (USD 3.131) billion (Table 1). (Coppock, Portugal)

Indirect Impact: Economic Benefits of a Better-Educated Workforce Although no research clearly addresses the indirect impact of eLearning on the economy, it certainly seems reasonable to think that, by increasing educational achievement, eLearning may be able to ultimately enhance economic attainment.

International comparisons show that education plays a pivotal role in fostering labor productivity and economic growth. For example, Harvard economist William Barro’s analysis of education and economic growth concludes that an increase of one standard deviation in test scores would raise the growth rate of real per capita GDP by 1 percent per year. (Barro, Global)


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A World Bank study further underscores these findings: it reports that raising test scores on the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test by 47 points (the equivalent of one country-level standard deviation) will drive approximately a 1 percent increase in gross domestic product (GDP). The World Bank report also references US research suggesting that an increase of one standard deviation in math performance at the end of high school translates to 12 percent higher annual earnings. (Hanushek and Wossmann, Global)

REFERENCES

*** Intel (2009) Positive benefits of eLearningWhite Paper.Intel World Ahead Program: Education. Becta (2008) Harnessing Technology Review 2008: The Role of Technology and Its Impact on Education,

Summary Report. November 2008. Chinien, Chris (2003) The Use of ICTs in Technical and Vocational Education and Training. UNESCO

Institute for Information Technologies in Education. Făt, Silvia & Adrian Labar (2009) Eficienta utilizarii noilor tehnologii in educatie. EduTIC 2009 (Efficiency

of ICT Use in Education. EduTIC 2009). Bucharest: Centre for Innovation in Education. Hanushek, Eric A. and Wossmann, Ludger. (2007) Education Quality and Economic Growth. World Bank. Martin, Wendy, Katherine McMillan Culp, Andrew Gersick, and Hannah Nudell (2003) Intel Teach to the

Future: Lessons learned from the evaluation of a large-scale technology-interpretation professional development program. Education Development Center’s Center for Children and Technology.

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2009) Education Today: The OECD Perspective. OECD.

Toma, Steliana et al. (2009) Teaching in the Knowledge Society: The Impact of the Intel Teach Program in Romania. Bucharest: Agata Publishing House.

Vlada, Marin (2009) Utilizarea Tehnologiilor eLearning: cele mai importante 10 initiative si proiecte din Romania (Using eLearning Technologies: the Most Important 10 Initiatives and Projects in Romania). In: Elearning.Romania. Bucharest: TEHNE- Centre for Innovation in Education. Available online: http://www.elearning.ro

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