Ronald E. Anderson

Teachers’ Views of Computers as Catalysts for Changes in Their Teaching Practice

AbstractIn this study, we examined the use of computers by teachers and their perception of the impact of computers on their classroom practice. These data draw from 47 teachers from 20 K–12 schools across three states who each completed a questionnaire, participated in three semistructured interviews, and allowed three observations of their classroom. The teachers who had adopted more progressive teaching practices over time felt that computers helped them change, but they did not acknowledge computers as the catalyst for change; instead they cited reflection upon experience, classes taken, and the context or culture of the school. We conclude that for teachers to implement the use of educational technology in a constructivist manner, they must have opportunities to construct pedagogical knowledge in a supportive climate.

School Technology Leadership: An Empirical Investigation of Prevalence and Effect

The general question addressed is what technology leadership attributes make what kind of difference in the success of various technology-related programs. First, this article has integrated the prescriptive literature on technology leadership with the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A) and then has operationalized technology leadership in terms of NETS-A. Data from the 1998 Teaching, Learning, and Computing nationwide survey of more than 800 schools were used to examine technology leadership characteristics and their effect on indicators of technology outcomes. The findings confirm that although technology infrastructure is important, technology leadership is even more necessary for effective utilization of technology in schooling.

Using the new ACM code of ethics in decision making

the public that they deserve to be Judith Perrolle are deserving of its confidence and self-regulating. Self-regulation deembodiment of a set of commitments respect, and of increased social and pends on ways to deter unethical of that association’s members. Someeconomic rewards” [S]. behavior of the members, and a times these commitments are exThe final and most important code, combined with an ethics review pressed as rules and sometimes as function of a code of ethics is its role board, was seen as the solution. ideals, but the essential social funcas an aid to individual decision makCodes of ethics have tended to list tion is to clarify and formally state ing. In the interest of facilitating betpossible violations and threaten sancthose ethical requirements that are ter ethical decision making, we have tions for such violations. ACM’s first important to the group as a profesdeveloped a set of nine classes that code, the Code of Professional Consional association. The new ACM describe situations calling for ethical duct, was adopted in 1972 and folCode of Ethics and Professional Condecision making. These cases address lowed this model. The latest ACM duct follows this philosophy. in turn the topics of intellectual code, the Code of Ethics and ProfesRecent codes of ethics emphasize property, privacy, confidentiality, sional Conduct, was adopted in 1992 socialization or education rather than professional quality, fairness or disand takes a new direction. enforced compliance. A code can crimination, liability, software risks, ACM and many other societies work toward the collective good even conflicts of interest, and unauthorhave had difficulties implementing though it may be a mere distillation ized access to computer systems. an ethics review system and came to of collective experience and reflecWithin each case we begin with a realize that self-regulation depends tion. A major benefit of an educascenario to illustrate a typical ethical mostly on the consensus and committionally oriented code is its contribudecision point and then lay out the ment of its members to ethical behavtion to the group by clarifying the different imperatives (principles) of ior. Now the most important rationprofessionals’ responsibility to socithe new Code of Ethics that pertain ale for a code of ethics is an ety. to that decision. There are 24 princi-

Implications of the Information and Knowledge Society for Education

After an introduction to information and knowledge society concepts, their relevance to education is elaborated. The principal value of these concepts is that they highlight the many social changes happening concurrently with advances in information and communication technology. A conceptual framework is proposed that illuminates the role that knowledge can play in education’s attempt to apply technology to learning. In addition, the link between knowledge and ICT literacy assessment is elaborated. The discussion also stresses the role that knowledge can play in teaching within communities of practice and that technology can play in enhancing the learning and teaching processes.

Qualitative Case Studies of Innovative Pedagogical Practices Using ICT

Abstract The Second Instructional Technology in Education Study: Module 2 (SITES M2) is a series of qualitative studies that identify and describe innovative pedagogical practices in 28 participating countries that use technology. The project resulted in 174 case study reports of innovative practice that are currently being analysed. This paper describes the goals, research questions, and methodology for this study and provides a context for the other papers that are published in this issue. Given the large number of case studies, a combined qualitative and quantitative approach to the research is described.

Social Impacts of Computing: Codes of Professional Ethics

Associations of computing specialists have adopted codes of ethics parallel to those of professional societies of engineers and scientists. These codes have attempted to address the special ethical dilemmas posed by computing. Difficulties in obtaining consensus about ethical imperatives make the development, revision, and maintenance of these codes problematic. The codes of professional ethics from 10 associations are compared with respect to content and focus. A recent revision of the Code of Ethics for the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is offered as a model for social science computing specialists. Keywords: ethics, codes of ethics, computer professionals, computers and society.

The Effects of Schooling on Mathematics Achievement

Using data drawn from the 1977–1978 National Assessment of Educational Progress in mathematics, this study examined the proportion of variance in mathematics achievement attributable to differences in the number of semesters of mathematics studied after taking into account the influence of antecedent conditions, home and community environment, and previous mathematics learning. Background variables accounted for 25 percent of the variance, while exposure to mathematics courses explained an additional 34 percent of the variance. The study was replicated on three different national samples of 2,200 students each using three different measures of mathematics achievement. Similar results were found in each replication.

A Multivariate Model of the Determinants of Extramarital Sexual Permissiveness.

A major purpose of this article is to present the beginning elements of a causal model of extramarital sexual permissiveness and thereby encourage future development of the understanding of this important type of human relationship. Our procedure involved using the National Opinion Research Centers General Social Surveys. Four of these surveys contained a question on extramarital sexual permissiveness (1973, 1974, 1976, 1977). We utilized all four years to examine and test out parts of our model but only the 1977 survey contained the full set of variables in our model. Our final trimmed path model contained nine variables. Other variables were examined and found wanting in some way. The data from the 1977 survey fit our model rather closely. We were also able to test the model with one variable missing using the 1974 NORC survey and found it held up quite well. Tests for interaction were undertaken and although no single variable seemed to require a separate model, there were some interesting specific interactions. In addition, six variables not included in the NORC surveys were suggested for inclusion in an expanded version of the proposed model. A typology of eight items was proposed as a Guttman scale measure of extramarital sexual permissiveness. Finally, suggestions were made for future strategic research and theory development in this area.

Quality Technology Support: What is it? Who Has it? and What Difference Does it Make?

Using the recommendations of the CEO Forum report on Professional Development, we operationalized “quality technology support” as consisting of: 1) access to one-on-one personal guidance and help; 2) frequent teacher participation in technology-oriented professional support among teacher peers; 3) professional development content focused on instruction and integration; and 4) access to resources. Using the 1998 TLC national survey of teachers, we empirically confirmed that the frequency, variety, and increased use of technology in the classroom are associated with the availability of quality technology support. These results suggest that if technology leaders hope teachers will integrate technology they should attend to the instructional aspects of technology support, such as professional development opportunities and learning environments, as well as its technical components.

Females Surpass Males in Computer Problem Solving: Findings from the Minnesota Computer Literacy Assessment:

Results from the 1979 Minnesota Computer Literacy Assessment conducted by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, show that high school females performed better than males in some specific areas of programming. The areas of female superiority are those such as problem analysis and algorithmic application where the problems are expressed verbally rather than mathematically. While these findings may result from unique features of computer education in Minnesota, the findings may also be a consequence of the fact that the Minnesota assessment instrument was relatively free of mathematical bias. These findings and those of the 1982 National Assessment of Science on female superiority in “science decision making” imply that women are better than men at tasks usually defined as systems analysis rather than program coding.