Student: Ericka Johnson
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EDU7005 Dr. Julia Weinberg
Qualitative Reseach Design Assignment 2
Ericka – The concept you are developing has potential to make an important contribution – while the next assignments are important to refine the alignment and develop a credible foundation. The purpose of this activity is to discuss your study as a cased study, mixed method, or program review. You mention case study and mixed method but you do not establish either type of method related to your topic. Please see my comments regarding where the method needs to be developed further prior to writing your next paper. You identify collecting data at two schools- would these be your “cases?” As you progress to the next activity where you are developing the design to include the data analysis the type of qualitative design will continue to be refined. Also I have commented on the importance of using primary data from within the past five years to establish a timely topic. Your use of data to support the ideas is well done – important will be to include more recent data that can be found in the library data base as I explained in the comments. You have the beginning of an important topic – I have commented where I believe your thinking may be connecting ideas that need more explicit discussion. I would be glad to talk with you to help make this connection. Do call if you feel this would be helpful. Creating an aligned problem/purpose and research questions is essential before you further develop the method – the method needs to result in collecting data that will allow for discussion of the problem/purpose. Please review my comments regarding the alignment and then consider a method – either case study or mixed method – where you will be able to collect the data needed to discuss the problem.
Dr. Weinberg Grade: B Date Graded: 10/15/15
Incorporating Technology to Improve the Learning Environment
Introduction
“The charge of teacher educators is to design and model constructivist learning experiences that fully engage students in the effective use of technology to support these designs (DeGennaro, 2010, p. 339).” Traditional methods of instruction are not meeting the needs of modern students. The teacher and instructional leader will need to be knowledgeable of all types of curriculum in order to effectively lead and guide instruction in a school. The responsibility of the instructional leader has grown with new technological advances. There is a new need for curriculum goals to be merged with technology to prepare students for the 21st century. “Educators need to engage in learning designs that are supported and facilitated with and through technology (DeGennaro, 2010, p. 354).”
A conclusion from multiple research studies can be drawn that students will need the use of technology in order to be sufficiently prepared to enter college and the work force. Cope & Ward (2002) concluded that teachers, who view learning as an accumulation of knowledge, use a teacher-centered approach where the teacher inputs information into the students and use assessment techniques to assess knowledge. On the other hand teachers, who view learning as conceptual, are more likely to use a student-centered approach and assess knowledge through debate and discussion. An article published by Edutopia in 2008 explains that, technology will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly technical knowledge-based economy.
Problem Statement
For many years education reformers have pushed the use of technology into schools. Although many schools have technological hardware the incorporation of new technology is minuscule or absent from the learning environment (Gahala, 2001; Cope & Ward, 2002; November, 1998). According to November (1998) in order to improve and ultimately transform teaching and learning technology must be an integral part to move students to a higher academic standard. In many of today’s classrooms there is still a teacher-centered approach, where the teacher is the keeper of knowledge and the knowledge is transferred to the students in a lecture type format. The benefits of combining curriculum and technology in the classroom have the potential to transform the classroom (DeGennaro, 2010; Carroll, 2000; Gahala, 2001). DeGennaro (2010) explains the importance of educators engaging in learning designs that are supported and facilitated with and through technology. The lack of use of technology in classrooms is traced to the unmotivated teacher. The resistance to change and the personal comfort of the teacher-centered approach has caused the implementation of new technological advances in the classroom to be stagnant (DeGennaro, 2010; Cope & Ward, 2002; Gahala, 2001).
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this qualitative research study is to support the theory that the use of technology in the classroom has a positive effect on students in the learning environment. The intent of this paper is to gather information on the use of technology in classrooms from previous research, and the effect of technology on the classroom-learning environment. The analysis of the review of literature supports the theory that technology has an overall positive effect on the learning environment. Teachers can prepare students for the 21st century by constructing learning communities that allow students to feel motivated to complete classroom tasks, gain confidence in their efforts and support a conceptual approach to learning where teachers become the ‘expert learner” and students ‘novice learners’, as defined by Thomas Carroll in 2000.
Research Questions
The following quantitative and qualitative research questions elaborate on how the research purpose will be fulfilled. These questions allow the researcher to identify the effect incorporating technology into classroom instruction has on learners in the learning environment.
Q1. How does regular implementation of technology into classroom instruction improve students’ academic achievement in core subject areas?
Q4. How does the role of the teacher and students change as learners when technology is implemented regularly during instruction?
Review of Literature
Authors who have conducted research on the effects of incorporating technology in classrooms promote the idea that students will need to experience learning through the use of technology and collaboration with peers and teachers. The technical approach also requires students to collaborate with one another. They often seek answers from peers rather than their teacher when working on projects together. In a study on the effects of technology on classrooms and students, teachers reported observing an increased inclination by students to work collaboratively and to provide peer tutoring (Means, Blando, Olson, Middleton, Morocco, Remz, & Zorfass, 1994).
Teachers can prepare students for the 21st century by constructing learning communities that allow students to feel motivated to complete classroom tasks, gain confidence in their efforts and support a conceptual approach to learning where teachers become the “expert learner” and students “novice learners”, as defined by Thomas Carroll in 2000. New networked learning communities embrace the idea that classroom learning is reciprocal and all learners have room to grow and gain new knowledge from one another. The novice learners in the community will grow to become mature learners and later develop into expert learners with more education in a particular field of study (Carroll, 2002).
Jan Gahala (2001) describes the new learning environment as the vehicle for promoting meaningful engagement. New technology will allow students to work on authentic, meaningful, and challenging problems similar to tasks performed by professionals. Teachers will accept a new role in the new learning environment, where they are comfortable allowing students to move into areas where they may lack knowledge themselves. Gahala (2001) explains that as students become more self-directed, teachers who are not accustomed to acting as facilitators or coaches may not understand how technology can be used as part of activities that are not teacher-directed.
Cope and Ward’s (2002) research on teacher’s perception of technology in the classroom found that a teacher’s perception of technology is highly likely to determine the context of the learning environment. Experienced teachers with little or no professional development of learning technologies, or inappropriate perceptions of technology are less likely to incorporate technology into their daily instruction. Cope and Ward (2002) concluded that there is a need for more professional development time for teachers, so that there will be a shift in the perceptions of teachers as it relates to technology.
“Technology is transforming society, and schools do not have a choice as to whether they will incorporate technology but rather how well they use it to enhance learning (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory & Illinois State Board of Education, 1995).” A technology plan will be a guide for learning communities to implement technology, support teacher development, and manage funds for technological purchases. “To be successful, a technology plan must promote meaningful learning and collaboration, provide for the needed professional development and support, and respond flexibly to change (November, 1998, p.).”
Methodology
This study will use the qualitative methodology of face-to-face interviews, surveys and a review of literature to collect and analyze data and generalizations from earlier research studies. Schools will be chosen based on the results of a local school district’s School Technology and Readiness (STAR) chart results. The STAR chart is a teacher tool for planning and self-assessing, which is designed and aligned with the Long-Range Plan for Technology from 2006-2020. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reporting system is used to collect the data on the progress of districts receiving funds from Title II, Part D funds. The researcher will select at least two schools with overall ratings ranging from Early Technology, Developing Technology, Advanced Technology, and Target Technology as identified by the STAR chart.
Interviews will be conducted with both students and teachers from the selected schools to gain their perspective on the use of technology in the classroom and the effect on the learning environment. In addition, surveys will be utilized along with structured and unstructured interviews as a means of collecting data associated with the current instructional practices being implemented in individual teacher’s classrooms. The surveys will also be used to gather information from teachers as to their local access to technology and resources available at the campus level.
Quantitative vs. Qualitative
Quantitative research relies on text and image data, it has unique steps in data analysis and draw on divers designs. This type of research may rely on several different data sources and uses specific protocols for recording data. The information is analyzed through a multi step process and encompasses a specific approach for documenting the validity of the data collected (Creswell, 2014). Quantitative research has the ability to prove or disprove a hypothesis through the statistical analysis of data. The researcher, through the streamlined process, draws conclusions. The goal of the researcher is to determine the cause and affect relationship based on the collection of data. Because quantitative research is standard across many disciplines, the quantitative approach to research is an excellent way of finalizing results. Quantitative research focuses on specific behaviors that can be quantified, or counted (Cozby, P., 2012).
Researchers use quantitative and qualitative research methods to explain, what is going on and why it is going on? Researchers must choose a method of research in order to clearly clarify their conclusions through a process that is acceptable in the research community. There has been a long debate on which method is best. The reality is that they both have their own strengths and weaknesses, so the question becomes, “Which method should be used?” The choice should be based on what research questions are asked. A researcher may choose to follow a quantitative, qualitative method or a mixed method that embodies both methods.
A qualitative design is broad and exploratory. The qualitative method attempts to describe the whole picture, whereas quantitative research is narrow and focused and conclusive. Each method has its own designs and techniques associated with each. More often than not, interviews, and case studies are associated with qualitative research while experiments and surveys are generally associated with quantitative research (Shuttleworth, 2008).
There are several advantages to using a qualitative method. It a great way of finalizing results. Because data is collected and analyzed with a statistical mathematical approach, the hypotheses is easily proven or disproved. The structure of quantitative methods has not changed for centuries, for this reason it is standard across many scientific disciplines. Another benefit of using quantitative methods is experiments are able to filter out external factors. And if properly designed, the results can be seen as unbiased, reliable, and real (Shuttleworth, 2008).
While there are several advantages to using a qualitative research approach, there are limitations to the method also. Quantitative research can become expensive and difficult to accomplish. Additionally, they take a lot of time to perform. Quantitative methods are often very difficult for researchers without a statistical background because of the extensive mathematical approach that is required to analyze data collected. Due to some ambiguity that occurs when analyzing data to prove a hypothesis, the experiment may require additional testing and refinement of the design (Shuttleworth, 2008). Furthermore there is no room for gray areas in quantitative research. The hypothesis is proven or disproven and nothing in between. There is simply a yes or no answer to the research questions.
Resources
Carroll, T. G. (2000). If we didn’t have the schools we have today, would we create the schools we have today? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 1(1), 117-140.
Cope, C., & Ward, P. (2002). Integrating learning technology into classrooms: The importance of teachers’ perceptions. Educational Technology & Society, 5(1), 67-74.
Cozby, P., Bates, S. (2012). Methods in behavioral research. Boston: McGraw Hill Higher Education.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. (4th ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
DeGennaro, D. (2010). Grounded in theory: Immersing pre-service teachers in technology-mediated learning. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 10(3), 338-359.
Gahala, J. (2001). Critical Issue: promoting technology use in schools. Learning Point Associates Home. Retrieved February 8, 2013, from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200.htm
Means, B., Blando, J., Olson, K., Middleton, T., Morocco, C. C., Remz, A. R., & Zorfass, J. (1993). Using technology to support education reform. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office
November, A. (n.d.). Critical issue: developing a school or district technology plan. ncrel.org. Retrieved February 8, 2013, from www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te300.htm
Shuttleworth, Martyn. (Sep 14, 2008). Qualitative Research Design. Retrieved Oct 9, 2015 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/qualitative-research-design
