Search

Despite the growing interest in 1:1 computing initiatives, relatively little empirical research has focused on the outcomes of these investments. The current special edition of the Journal of Technology and Assessment presents four empirical studies of K-12 1:1 computing programs and one review of key themes in the conversation about 1:1 computing among advocates and critics. In this introduction to our 1:1 special edition, we synthesize across the studies and discuss the emergent themes. Looking specifically across these studies, we summarize evidence that participation in the 1:1 programs was associated with increased student and teacher technology use, increased student engagement and interest level, and modest increases in student achievement.

Over the past decade, standardized test results have become the primary tool used to judge the effectiveness of schools and educational programs, and today, standardized testing serves as the keystone for educational policy at the state and federal levels. This paper examines the relationship between fourth grade mathematics achievement and technology use at home and at school. Using item level achievement data, individual student's state test scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), and student and teacher responses to detailed technology-use surveys, this study examines the relationship between technology-use and mathematics performance among 986 regular students, from 55 intact fourth grade classrooms in 25 schools across 9 school districts in Massachusetts. The findings from this study suggest that various uses of technology are differentially related to student outcomes and that in general, student and teacher technology uses are weakly related to mathematics achievement on the MCAS. Implications for improving methods for examining the relationship between technology use and standardized test scores are presented. (Contains 2 endnotes, 11 tables and 2 figures.)

With increased emphasis on test-based accountability measures has come increased interest in examining the impact of technology use on students' academic performance. However, few empirical investigations exist that address this issue. This paper (1) examines previous research on the relationship between student achievement and technology use, (2) discusses the methodological and psychometric issues that arise when investigating such issues, and (3) presents a multilevel regression analysis of the relationship between a variety of student and teacher technology uses and fourth grade test scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) English/Language Arts test. In total, 986 fourth grade students from 55 intact classrooms in nine school districts in Massachusetts were included in this study. This study found that, while controlling for both prior achievement and socioeconomic status, students who reported greater frequency of technology use at school to edit papers were likely to have higher total English/language arts test scores and higher writing scores. Use of technology at school to prepare presentations was associated with lower English/language arts outcome measures. Teachers' use of technology for a variety of purposes were not significant predictors of student achievement, and students' recreational use of technology at home was negatively associated with the learning outcomes. (Contains 2 figures, 8 tables and 1 endnote.)

Concept mapping and retrieval practice are both educational methods that have separately been reported to provide significant benefits for learning in diverse settings. Concept mapping involves diagramming a hierarchical representation of relationships between distinct pieces of information, whereas retrieval practice involves retrieving information that was previously coded into memory. The relative benefits of these two methods have never been tested against each other in a classroom setting. Our study was designed to investigate whether or not concept mapping or retrieval practice produced a significant learning benefit in an undergraduate physiology course as measured by exam performance and, if so, was the benefit of one method significantly greater than the other. We found that there was a trend toward increased exam scores for the retrieval practice group compared with both the control group and concept mapping group, and that trend achieved statistical significance for one of the four module exams in the course. We also found that women performed statistically better than men on the module exam that contained a substantial amount of material relating to female reproductive physiology.

In spite of large expenditures on and increased access to educational technologies, a concern remains that computer-based technologies are not being integrated into regular instructional practices. While there is evidence to support the hypothesis that newer teachers' familiarity with technology leads to increased technology integration, a question remains about whether technology use is not only related to the number of years they have been in the teaching professional, but also the number of years they have been teaching at their current school. To examine this issue, this research presents the findings from the analysis of survey data collected from the 2,864 teachers. The data show that the relationship between technology use, the amount of time teachers have been teaching throughout their career, and the number of years they have been at their current school varies according to the ways in which technology use is defined. This article discusses the variety of relationships that were observed in the data and their implications for pre-service and in-service teacher training. (Contains 7 tables.)

Investment in educational technology has increased rapidly in recent years and many observers have begun to question whether, and how technology is being used as a teaching and learning tool. In order to address this issue, this research used survey data collected from 1,404 "middle and high school teachers" in 52 schools across 22 Massachusetts school districts to examine how technology is being used by upper grade teachers, and examines the school and district organizational characteristics that are associated with increased use of technology as a teaching and learning tool. Specifically, this research used hierarchical linear regression (HLM) techniques to model the teacher, school and district characteristics associated with five specific teacher uses of educational technology. This research found that both teacher and organizational characteristics were each found to be associated with the five technology uses, and characteristics varied in their ability to predict the five different uses. (Contains 1 figure and 6 tables.)

Surveyed Massachusetts teachers regarding the extent to which they used technology within and outside of the classroom for instructional purposes. Results highlighted six categories of instructional technology use (preparation, e-mail, teacher- directed student use, recording grades, delivery, and special education and accommodation). New teachers were more comfortable with technology and used it more for preparation, while experienced teachers used it more often to deliver instruction and for student activities. (SM)

Encountering disillusioned alumni throws a wrench into the already complicated science of alumni engagement. From Kay O'Dwyer and Quentin Derryberry, III's dealings with disgruntled graduates of their institutions, Emmanuel College in Massachusetts and Boston University (BU) respectively, they have learned an important lesson: Alumni do not get angry because they are ambivalent--they are angry because they care. If an institution or its alumni office offers a tepid response to a complaint, or if the answer to a graduate's pointed question is no answer at all, that tells alumni that the college, university, or school is not listening. Institutional indifference breeds alumni negativity, and in the era of social media, that sentiment can go viral in a heartbeat. At Emmanuel and BU, O'Dwyer and Derryberry have found that the best tools to build bridges with unhappy alumni are those employed by companies that address consumer complaints: Tackle the issue head-on. Listen and show respect for the graduate's point of view. Resist the urge to counter his or her argument, and do not take the criticism personally. The problem is with the institution, not you. And when necessary, apologize for the strain the situation has caused, even when you and your office are not at fault. A little extra effort--a commitment to transparency, an extended hand (and ear), and a heartfelt conversation--can overcome alumni fears or years of institutional neglect. That kind of authenticity regarding an institution's future direction and painful past clearly resonates with alumni.