How Education Technology Leads to Improved Student Achievement
Published November 2006
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Introduction
There is little doubt that information and communication technologies have changed the world in which we live. They have enabled us to communicate, learn, work and relate to one another differently. This transformed world poses new and interesting questions for legislators who are searching for strategies to positively influence student achievement and who are seeking to ensure that the educational system adequately prepares students for the 21st century and tomorrow’s challenges.
As the representative body that is responsible for the states’ purse strings, legislators also are demanding more rigorous evidence that education funding is increasing student achievement before they make significant additional investments. In particular, because technology is a relatively new tool in education, a high level of scrutiny often is placed on technology’s effectiveness. Nevertheless, in a time when high-stakes testing and restricted resources are driving forces in the delivery of public education, it is crucial for policymakers to have a realistic understanding of the existing evidence of technology’s effect in education and the role it plays in teaching and learning. This brief reviews how technology is used as a tool to support teaching and learning, and how technology affects student achievement.
Why is education technology important? The use of technology in education provides students with technology literacy, information literacy, capacity for life-long learning and other skills necessary for the 21st century workplace. Books such as The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman and recent reports such as Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, authored by the National Academies, have raised concerns that America is falling from its once prominent position as the world’s leader in technology and science. Technology helps prepare students for a world where they will compete with the best and brightest individuals from every corner of the globe. In addition, some argue that today’s students, surrounded by digital technology since infancy, differ fundamentally from previous generations of learners the U.S. educational system was designed to teach.1 Further embedding technology in education at all levels uses the tools students are accustomed to using outside the classroom, further engaging students in the learning process.
How does education technology lead to improved student achievement? A growing body of evidence demonstrates that technology is an effective means for addressing educational needs, goals and requirements. Educators also have identified links between technology and intermediate goals that lead to high achievement, including improved student behavior, engagement and attendance; improved opportunities for educator professional development; increased efficiency in classroom administrative tasks; and improved communication among stakeholders, including parents, teachers, students and administrators. As with all educational interventions, results do vary, depending upon the specific technologies used, the match of technology to educational needs and goals, the effective implementation of that technology, and how achievement is defined and measured.
Legislators considering investing in education technology must understand that an investment in hardware and software alone is not enough to lead to improved student achievement. Effective implementation is as important as the technology itself, and there are certain conditions that support effective implementation. The purpose of using technology should be to meet already established educational goals, and must be accompanied by a teacher who is properly trained to integrate it into teaching and instruction, as well as strong school leadership that ensures effective deployment and implementation. Adequate technical support and the appropriate school infrastructure, including adequate access to computers and bandwidth, are also important conditions that will help ensure technology has a positive effect on student learning and achievement.
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