A Study of the Role of Technology in

Modern Education

By Fan Jin, James Cong, and Kevin Wong

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline• Technology in the elementary, middle,

and high school classroom• Technology in the college classroom• Online Universities• Online job training• Other examples• A comparison of technology based

learning versus live classroom learning

• Technology in the elementary, middle, and high school classroom

• Technology in the college classroom• Online Universities• Online job training• Other examples• A comparison of technology based

learning versus live classroom learning

K-12 • Teachers do little to integrate technology into

curricula (Benedetto, 2005)– Proposed reasons: using technology as a tool

requires a paradigm shift for teachers, who must shift their role from giver of knowledge to facilitator of knowledge (Dexter, Anderson, and Becker, 1999)

– Teachers often lack formal training (and confidence) on how to effectively use technology as a useful teaching tool

K-12 • Even though technology may be available, it

is often outdated– Example: Fourth graders at an Millard’s (school

district in Nebraska) Neihardt Elementary attempted to begin an interactive lesson on Lewis and Clark and crippled the entire school’s network system by streaming a video.

– “Up to 32 percent of the district’s computers are obsolete” (Mark Feldhausan, Millard school district’s assistant superintendent for technology)

Technology in the College Classroom

• Princeton: • Blackboard has many functions that would

serve as useful educational supplements, but they are often not taken advantage of – Virtual Classrooms: designed for live, synchronous

interaction (features include live whiteboard, private question and answer, Lecture Mode and Open Participation Mode)

– Discussion Boards (especially in engineering)– Course Cartridges: pre-packaged course materials

Technology at Princeton • Why are these tools not being used?

– Teacher training– Awareness or understanding of technology – Technology may not be pertinent to understanding

of subject– Too impersonal?

Technology at Duke U.• Each member of Class of 2008 received

Apple iPods – For recording lectures, downloading lecture mp3s,

applications in music and foreign language classes

– Now: iPods are selectively distributed to Duke students based on their courses (eligible courses include music, economics, foreign language, various engineering courses)

Online Universities• Example: University of Phoenix• Fully Accredited• Since 1976, more than 171,000 working

professionals have received a degree from Phoenix

• 100% education through internet (including registration, administration)

• Asynchronous learning: pros and cons

University of Phoenix• Lectures are written and posted (not

multimedia)• Available degrees: Associate to PhD• Fields: Business, Technology, Healthcare,

Education, Social and Behavioral Sciences• Instructors provide weekly feedback• For Profit: $500/credit hour • Discussion of Pros and Cons

Online Job Training• Examples: pre-employment online job

training, employee development• Pre-employment (new hires)

– Diagnostic skills assessment, net-based classes, post-class assessment

– Ensures all entry level employees start with the same knowledge base

• Current employees– Re-training– Career development, acquire new skills

Other Examples• Technology Resources:

• Online encyclopedias: wikipedia.com, investopedia.com

• Other websites like howstuffworks.com, about.com, sparknotes.com, etc…

• Academic search: Lexis-Nexis

• Online research

Comparisons• “Achievement compared favorably

across a variety of age and content levels. User satisfaction is higher than in traditional instruction regardless of technology used ” Phipps (1999) Institute for Higher Education Policy

• Bias towards different subjects, gender, student types

Conclusions and areas for Discussion

• Based on the previous examples, it seems as though technology is a very useful and effective teaching tool. However, the benefits of using technology are often not being realized in not-for-profit situations.

• Discussion: Supplement vs. Replacement