Margaret Cox

Effects of ICT: Do we know what we should know?

Many decades after the introduction of ICT into classrooms there are still unanswered questions about the impact of technology in the long and short term on students’ learning, and how it has affected simple and complex learning tasks. These are important for (a) forming government policies; (b) directing teacher education programmes: (c) advancing national curricula; (d); designing or reforming classroom implementation and (e) analysing costs and benefits. While a plethora of studies has been conducted on the effects of ICT in education, major policy and methodological problems have precluded an unambiguous answer to such questions as:—“Does the way in which ICT is implemented have a major/minor impact on students’ knowledge and understanding?” and “Does the impact affect the surface or deep structure of students’ thinking and acting?” To date we have had no large-scale longitudinal studies of ICT’s impact in education such as we have in the form of studies of earlier major curriculum development projects. Nor have we had many comprehensive studies of the complex interactions between various types of ICT implementation and the effects of other factors such as school-based interventions, socio-economic status and school expenditures which have been shown to have a greater impact on education compared with other previous innovations in education. Furthermore we do not know if previous research studies have used research methods that matched learning objectives to instruments/procedures. Many previous studies are vague as to the actual measures used but we can infer that standardized tests were a frequent measure. In other instances, ad hoc analyses, with criteria that may have varied from analyst to analyst and were not “blind” analyses were certainly used to measure “success.” All of these limitations and uncertainties and many more point to the need for a thorough, rigorous, and multifaceted approach to analysing the impact of ICT on students’ learning. This paper draws on previous research evidence to identify relevant research strategies to address the gaps in our knowledge about ICT and students’ learning explained above.

Design and development of a haptic dental training system: hapTEL

This paper presents a novel design of a virtual dental training system (hapTEL) using haptic technology. The system allows dental students to learn and practice procedures such as dental drilling, caries removal and cavity preparation for tooth restoration. This paper focuses on the hardware design, development and evaluation aspects in relation to the dental training and educational requirements. Detailed discussions on how the system offers dental students a natural operational position are documented. An innovative design of measuring and connecting the dental tools to the haptic device is also shown. Evaluation of the impact on teaching and learning is discussed.

The use of computer assisted learning in primary schools: some factors affectingthe uptake

Abstract This paper describes some of the findings of an ongoing research project into the use of microcomputers in primary schools. Case study investigations were carried out in eight Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) schools. Headteachers and teachers were interviewed and observations were recorded of children working with microcomputers wherever possible. Factors were isolated which promoted or inhibited the uptake of computer assisted learning (CAL) in primary schools. Many teachers of infant children believed that microcomputers were inappropriate for children of this age. Some teachers lacked the confidence to initiate microcomputer use in their teaching without some initial training. The level of uptake was higher in schools where the headteacher had a positive attitude to the value of CAL in the primary curriculum. The extent of use of microcomputers in schools was found to be affected by a number of factors, some of which are described in this paper.

Researching IT in Education.

Many regions around the world are experiencing a gradual paradigm shift away from information technology (IT) use that complements traditional teaching and towards embedded IT use in E-learning that is ubiquitous and pervasive. This has been conceptualized in this article using a framework depicting the affects of these shifts on learning environments that may change schooling and impact society. These trends provide new challenges for educational researchers at national and international levels, requiring attention to the interrelationships among the various components in an educational system. New evidence, which builds on earlier claims of an increasing digital divide between developing and developed countries, has shown that this phenomenon is much more complex than was previously thought. We suggest that a promising way to maximize the knowledge and impact of researching IT in education is to establish longitudinal programmatic research sustained through the establishment of E-learning observatories, which can bring together expertise across a range of disciplines. A major challenge in forming a clear and coherent strategy for researching IT in education lies in the fact that there are multiple stakeholders with differing aims, goals and objectives. Therefore, reciprocal relationships are needed in which practice informs research and research informs practice with support and guidance from policymakers.

Research Methods: Their Design, Applicability and Reliability

A review of research and evaluation studies into IT in education shows us strengths and weaknesses. Both quantitative and qualitative studies conducted in the past have often been based on inadequate design, limited discussion of settings or measurement development and analysis. The limited consideration of different educational settings and the small sample sizes in many studies result in difficulties in generalizing the results. Few studies have been linked to specific learning activities using specific IT tools, further compromising generalisability of factors impacting innovation and implementation activities have seldom been addressed, making studies less than useful to a wider audience. Failure to acknowledge that some research questions, those based on Logo use, for example, are best answered by employing qualitative methods, has limited our understanding of IT’s impact on pupils’ learning. Similarly, the basic differences in epistemological theory and the consequent difference in research design and analysis have seldom been addressed by the research community.Suggestions are offered for improving the quality and applicability of future IT research studies.

Identification of the changes in attitude and pedagogical practices needed to enable teachers to use information technology in the school curriculum

Many different countries have been coping with the difficult decision of whether to include the teaching of information technology (IT) as a separate subject or to encourage the use of IT across the curriculum, within all traditional school subjects. Nations and individual schools which adopt the policy of teaching IT as a separate subject only have to persuade and effect the change in pedagogical practice of a small minority of teachers within a school, whereas if the policy is to effect an integration of IT right across the school curriculum, then the majority of teachers within a school have to change their pedagogical practice to make appropriate use of IT within their lessons.

Making a mark--taking assessment to technology.

During any course of study, students are assessed usually through a range of methods which may include written examinations, coursework assignments, professional practice, oral tests and practical examinations. This article considers the various forms of assessment in dental education and how information and communication technology is being applied to them. As innovative teaching and learning methods such as computer simulations are introduced, the assessment of results, successes and failures is taking on new forms in many traditional courses. The web is also spreading its tentacles into assessment, with the benefits of offering almost instant feedback and support. However, technology brings its own problems, not least by making ever more ingenious methods of plagiarism easier. Educational establishments, therefore, must be aware of such problems and have policies in place to counteract them.

Researching IT in education: EDUsummIT 2011: Researching IT in educ

Many regions around the world are experiencing a gradual paradigm shift away from information technology (IT) use that complements traditional teaching and towards embedded IT use in E-learning that is ubiquitous and pervasive. This has been conceptualized in this article using a framework depicting the affects of these shifts on learning environments that may change schooling and impact society. These trends provide new challenges for educational researchers at national and international levels, requiring attention to the interrelationships among the various components in an educational system. New evidence, which builds on earlier claims of an increasing digital divide between developing and developed countries, has shown that this phenomenon is much more complex than was previously thought. We suggest that a promising way to maximize the knowledge and impact of researching IT in education is to establish longitudinal programmatic research sustained through the establishment of E-learning observatories, which can bring together expertise across a range of disciplines. A major challenge in forming a clear and coherent strategy for researching IT in education lies in the fact that there are multiple stakeholders with differing aims, goals and objectives. Therefore, reciprocal relationships are needed in which practice informs research and research informs practice with support and guidance from policymakers.

The computer in the science curriculum

Abstract Using computers in the science curriculum provides learners with opportunities to build on their own theories of science, through exploratory and collaborative learning. Examples of computer applications in the science curricula are described to illustrate the styles of learning which they promote. Relating these learning styles to some of the most recent research in science education suggests ways in which teachers can use the computers more effectively in the science classroom.

The impact of evaluation through classroom trials on the design and development of educational software

Published papers are available on numerous models for the production of educational software. Teachers have contributed curriculum ideas to many of these. Some Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) development methods include trials of software in schools to provide feedback in the development process. This paper discusses the effectiveness of classroom trials, using an example from the Computers in the Curriculum project. Consideration is given to the relation between this formative development and general research questions concerning the contribution of CAL to learning.