Ann E. Barron

Large-Scale Research Study on Technology in K–12 Schools

Abstract This article highlights the results of a survey (N=2, 156) in one of the largest school districts in the country, focusing on teachers’ instructional modes related to technology integration as outlined in the National Educational Technology Standards for Students. Approximately 50% of the teachers who responded to the survey indicated that they were using technology as a classroom communication tool. Smaller percentages were reported for technology integration as a productivity, research, or problem-solving tool. In comparisons across subject areas, statistically significant differences were noted when teachers used computers as a research tool or as a problem-solving/decision-making tool. In both cases, science teachers reported the highest usage, followed by mathematics teachers.

Designing Web‐based Training

There are many methods and techniques for delivering instruction through the Web. Academic and industrial courses (taught in a traditional classroom) can be enhanced with links to resources on the Web, or the courses can be delivered virtually—completely via the Web. Instructional content can be delivered through email “correspondence-type” courses, via Web pages written in HTML, or with very complex interactions developed with Java, JavaScript, Shockwave, ActiveX, or other tools. In this article, a range of Web-based instructional options is outlined, general guidelines for designing Web-delivered instruction are provided, and two case studies are discussed. In addition, links to example Web-based training (WBT) sites are included. This article was originally published on the ITForum, an international listserv that is subscribed to by over 1000 professors, graduate students, and practitioners in Instructional Technology. General reactions to the article (that were posted on the ITForum), and responses from the author are included as postscripts to this article.

Differences in Student Information and Communication Technology Literacy Based on Socio-Economic Status, Ethnicity, and Gender: Evidence of a Digital Divide in Florida Schools.

Abstract This research examines student information and communication technology (ICT) literacy and its relationships to a student’s socio-economic status (SES), gender, and ethnicity of middle school students. We recruited 5,990 students from 13 school districts across the state of Florida. Student participants completed the Student Tool for Technology Literacy (ST2L), a performance-based assessment of ICT literacy skills based on the 2008 National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS.S). Results show a digital divide between low and high SES, white and non-white, and female and male students on all measures of the ST2L. Specifically, high-SES, white, and female students outperformed their counterparts. The results provide compelling evidence of a digital divide within Florida schools. The article discusses the implications of the findings for practice and future research.

The effects of time-compressed audio and verbal redundancy on learner performance and satisfaction

Digital audio is becoming increasingly popular in higher education with faculty digitally recording and broadcasting lectures for students to learn-on-demand. Students have discovered accelerated playback features in popular computer software and use it to reduce the amount of time spent listening to audio-enhanced instruction. In the current study, 183 undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three audio-enhanced multimedia presentations that were recorded at three speeds (1.0, 1.4, and 1.8). Results show no significant difference on performance across treatments and a significant difference on satisfaction in favor of 1.4 times the normal audio speed. The results also indicate statistical differences in favor of verbal redundancy, in which the same verbal information was presented on both an auditory and visual channel.

Development and Validation of the Student Tool for Technology Literacy (ST[superscript 2]L)

Abstract This article provides an overview of the development and validation of the Student Tool for Technology Literacy (ST2L). Developing valid and reliable objective performance measures for monitoring technology literacy is important to all organizations charged with equipping students with the technology skills needed to successfully participate in and contribute to a digital and global society. The purpose of the ST2L is to measure student technology literacy for low-stakes purposes of reporting aggregated school results, curricular planning, and students’ self-assessment of technology skills. This article reports the development procedures and results of the pilot test conducted with eighth grade students (N = 1,561) to validate the functioning of this online, interactive tool. Analyses focused on item difficulty and discrimination by ability groups, completion time analysis, internal consistency reliability, and construct validity. ST2L was found to be a sound assessment tool for the intended purpose of low-stakes assessment of technology literacy.

Peer Coaching and Technology Integration: An Evaluation of the Microsoft Peer Coaching Program

This article focuses on an evaluation of the Microsoft Peer Coaching (MPC) program in Florida, USA. First, the design of the MPC materials was analyzed using characteristics of exemplary peer coaching and technology integration models. Second, facilitators (n = 14) and coaches (n = 46) who attended the MPC workshops in Florida were surveyed relative to their attitudes towards technology and perceptions of professional development. The coaches (peer mentors) and facilitators (district support personnel) consisted of teachers and district‐level supervisors from several Florida school districts. Third, the facilitators and coaches were interviewed about perceived benefits and limitations of the MPC program. Analysis of the data suggests that the program design is in close alignment with the literature on exemplary peer coaching. However, the process of peer coaching frequently takes precedence over technology integration. Most of the coaches and facilitators who attended the workshops were enthusiastic about the peer coaching concept and had positive attitudes about the integration of technology. However, the perpetual issues of adequate time and resources for the implementation of peer coaching and the integration of technology in K‐12 classrooms were recurring themes.

Effects of Time-Compressed Narration and Representational Adjunct Images on Cued-Recall, Content Recognition, and Learner Satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of time-compressed narration and representational adjunct images on a learners ability to recall and recognize information. The experiment was a 4 Audio Speeds (1.0 = normal vs. 1.5 = moderate vs. 2.0 = fast vs. 2.5 = fastest rate) × Adjunct Image (Image Present vs. Image Absent) factorial design. Three-hundred five research participants were recruited from a public, southeastern university in the United States. Results showed statistically significant differences at 2.5 times the normal audio speed, in which performance on cued-recall and content recognition tasks was significantly lower than other audio speeds. Furthermore, representational adjunct images had a significant positive effect on cued-recall, but not content recognition. Participants in the normal audio speed and image present groups were significantly more satisfied than those in other treatments. Recommendations to various stakeholders are provided.

An Examination of the Relationships between Student Conduct and the Number of Computers per Student in Florida Schools.

AbstractThe relationship between the numbers of computers in schools and student conduct was investigated using school-level data reported to the Department of Education by all Florida school districts for the 1993–1994, 1994–1995, and 1995–1996 school years. Computer use was defined as the total number of computers used for instruction, and student conduct was defined as the number of conduct violations and number of disciplinary actions taken. In addition, school attendance and staff turnover rates were analyzed. Results from the research among Florida schools reporting consistent increased use of computers in instruction revealed: (a) Elementary schools witnessed fewer conduct violations (effect sizes ranged from −0.67 to 0.04) and disciplinary actions (effect sizes ranged from −0.13 to −0.10), (b) middle/junior high schools experienced fewer conduct violations (effect sizes ranged from −0.35 to −0.14) and disciplinary actions (−0.21 to −0.18), and (c) high schools experienced fewer crimes against prop...

Animated Demonstrations: Evidence of Improved Performance Efficiency and the Worked Example Effect

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of animated demonstrations, to determine if those using animated demonstrations would exhibit the worked example effect [1], and a delayed performance decrement, described as Palmiters animation deficit [2], [3]. The study measured relative condition efficiency (RCE) [4] and developed a construct called performance efficiency (PE). Results revealed the animated demonstration groups assembled the week one problem in significantly less time than the practice group, providing evidence for the worked example effect with animated demonstrations. In addition, subjects from the demonstration groups were significantly more efficient (given performance efficiency) than those from the practice group. Finally, group performance did not differ a week later, providing no evidence of Palmiters animation deficit.

Conjoint Processing of Time-Compressed Narration in Multimedia Instruction: The Effects on Recall, but Not Recognition

Although previous research shows verbal recall of time-compressed narration is significantly enhanced when it is accompanied by a representational adjunct picture (Ritzhaupt & Barron, 2008), the reason for this increased performance remains unclear. One explanation, explored in the current study, is based on the Conjoint Retention Hypothesis (CRH), which posits that mentally stored visual information can serve as a secondary retrieval cue that boosts recall of related verbal material. Four groups of participants (N = 153) listened to a compressed audio narration at different rates of speed. The narration was accompanied by visuals, 50% of which were pictorially-related and 50% of which were pictorially-unrelated. Results show the type of information significantly influenced the recall, but not the recognition performance. While CRH provides the most feasible explanation for the increased recall, the generative-recognize view best explains the differences between recognition and recall performance.