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Is There Empirical Evidence? While
it is difficult to answer the question about the impact of technology
in the aggregate, there are numerous powerful examples. Researchers
have found academic improvement in many curriculum areas and in many
ways. For instance: The Buddy System Project is an Indiana–wide effort that supports the use of computers in fourth– and fifth–graders’ homes as well as in schools. Research on the project demonstrates that the use of technology can result in an improvement in writing skills three times higher than those in comparison schools, a better understanding and a broader view of math, more confidence with computer skills, an ability to teach others, greater problem-solving and critical–thinking skills, and enhanced self–confidence and self–esteem (Rockman and Sloan, 1995). This program adds great value to the schools by supporting equity of access to technology, both in school and at home. The work of the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt University has demonstrated that the use of technology can improve the literacy, math, and science skills of students, including students at risk of school failure, by engaging them in reality–based, multidisciplinary tasks (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt University, 1994; Sivin–Kachala and Bialo, 1997). Their work has resulted in widely–used instructional materials, available to all schools. Research from several sources shows a clear link between student achievement on higher level skills and computer access. Students learn how to organize complex information, recognize patterns, draw inferences, and communicate findings. Consequently, they exhibit superior organizational and problem–solving skills as compared to students in more traditional programs (Getting America’s Students Ready for the 21st Century, 1996). In short, they are achieving the goal of education: to produce thinking persons who are comfortable organizing information and able to adapt it to solve problems. Additionally, Wenglinsky’s 1998 research with Educational Testing Services (ETS) notes that eighth–grade students score higher on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) when their teachers use technologies for simulations and applications (Does It Compute?, 1998). Unlike other research on education technology that focuses on just a classroom or two, Does It Compute? is based on analysis of a national database of student test scores, classroom computer use, and other information, including school climate. Some sources for research on the impact of school technology can be found in the resources section of the Leader’s Guide, and they will provide many examples of findings that illustrate the range and variety of impacts — from improved test scores to higher attendance rates and from effective applications in every curriculum area to higher–order thinking skills.
Additional Information 1998
CABE Technology Survey
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