Student successes with classroom technology depends on how professors use it

With differing opinions regarding technology inside of classrooms, there are no set guidelines to follow when attempting to effectively merge technology and education together.

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As stated by the National Social Science Association (NSSA), choosing how to integrate technology into classrooms is an integral aspect in assuring that both students and professors are benefitting from their educational environments.

The research conducted by the NSSA stressed the importance of recognizing the traits of today’s students. Doing so “may open the door to a modern-era classroom that we have still yet to see.”

Focusing on student preferences is crucial in assuring the proper integration of technology in education

According to a study of 4,374 college students, average preferences regarding technology in classrooms differs slightly based on gender.

Other reasoning behind the differing opinions pertaining to technology use in classrooms is based on each student's choice of major and previous experiences that students have had with technology in their educational careers.

Mr. Kevin Wen received his Bachelor's Degree in Computer and Information Systems Security and Information Assurance from Capitol Technology University in Laurel, Maryland. He started working for a computer and network security company, Tenable Network Company shortly after receiving his first degree. Wen is currently in the process of earning his Masters Degree in Information Systems Security and Information Assurance, also from Capital Technology University.

Wen explained how technology has helped him throughout his entire educational career by creating a more accessible and immersive learning experience.

In 2013, Dr. Monica Flipping-Wynn, a professor from Jackson State University, surveyed 30 students regarding their opinions about technology use in classrooms.

The study emphasized how technology in classrooms should be utilized in order to evolve and meet the needs of today's students.

Jaylen, a student participant stated, “If a teacher asks the students in their class what they prefer and actually take the things they say into consideration, they could probably get a lot accomplished.”

Stacey Roshan, a Maryland educator, focused her research on analyzing the effect that using her own method of integrating technology into her classroom would have on her students. Roshan found great success after she adjusted her lesson plans to "meet the needs of" her students.

Roshan “reversed the whole dynamic of the class” and managed to figure out how to benefit from bringing technology into her classroom. As a result of Roshan’s willingness to incorporate technology into her teaching methods, her students received higher test scores than students who were in a classroom that lacked technology based lesson plans.

Conversely, not all teachers are willing to bring technology into their classrooms, as they would then be forced to adjust to an unknown teaching style.

Researchers from Bowling Green State University studied multiple “digital generation student teachers” and the impact that barriers such as self-efficacy, risk taking, perceived computer skills, and access to technology and support, could potentially have on their use of technology in classrooms.

Internal factors such as self-efficacy, risk taking, and perceived computer skills had a positive correlation to the participants’ use of technology. Meaning, if a participant believed that they had low levels of either self-efficacy, risk taking, or perceived computer skills, they would be less likely to use technology in their classroom.

Bandura, in his Social Cognitive Theory, defined self efficacy as "how well one feels s/he can perform a task and how his/her behavior will lead to a specific outcome."

In regards to how self efficacy would have an impact on one's decision to use technology in classrooms, "the more positively the participants perceived the outcome of using technology on student learning, the more likely it was that they would integrate" technology into their classroom practices.

Similar results were found in regards to external factors such as access to technology and support. A participant lacking the resources that would aid them in learning about new technologies would then be less likely to use technology in their classroom.

Stemming from this study, it can be said that because of both internal and external barriers, even if today’s teachers are considered to be “digital natives,” where they have “grown up in a digital world with digital technology being an integral part of their lives,” there is no guarantee that they will automatically conform to a technology based lesson plan.

Many of the key components necessary to develop successful educational technology practices are controlled and “stifled by non-technological resistance and politics.” NSSA claims that these "controllers of today’s educational system" are hindering the advancements that could be made to properly implement technology into schools.

Blended learning assists in boosting test scores and increasing retention rates in college students

The results from a recent Texas A&M study revealed the potential benefits that could arise after using technology in college level classrooms.

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After testing the effectiveness of a certain type of blended learning, a “flipped” classroom model, where students are provided with online lectures to go over before discussion based meetings, researchers saw many positive benefits.

Researchers concluded that using a “flipped” classroom model in a college-level calculus class resulted in “higher levels of student achievement and self efficacy, and improved levels of understanding during and after each lecture.”

As mentioned throughout this research, similar studies have been conducted that focus on the effects that could stem from utilizing a blended learning environment.

However, not all effects are beneficial in regards to students and professors. The effectiveness of a blended learning model depends on how both professors and students implement and use technology for educational purposes.

Wen, as mentioned previously, is currently using blended learning to obtain his Masters Degree from Capital Technology University. Wen explained how blending learning has allowed him to balance his intensive Masters program and work full time at Tenable Network Company.

Differences in how college students use technology during class time could be indicative of why there are varying outlooks regarding the effects of digital integration in schools 

According to a University of Connecticut study, when students are in a classroom setting their focus often “shifts from work to non-work tasks”, which results in “diminishing focus on the course specific information being presented.” In the classroom, “work tasks” refer to things such as taking notes on the lecture, whereas “non-work tasks” include texting, checking emails, and going on social media sites.

Using technology for tasks unrelated to the course information, “inadvertently increases the amount of time students need to spend studying to retain information… decreasing efficiency in studying habits and decreasing exam performance and overall grades.”

Researchers tested the implications from using technology in class for unrelated tasks. As predicted, “students who reported using technology in class had lower GPAs than students who did not use technology in class.”

Although this confirms the claim that the “use of technology devices within classrooms has been shown to lower academic performance,” there are many ways in which professors can appropriately use technology to engage their students and boost overall morale.

Wen explained how using technology in education has proved to be very beneficial in his own experiences. He stated, "without being able to use technology in my schooling, I would not be in the position that I am in today."

Clicker technology proves to be successful in bridging the gap between distraction and engagement in a digital classroom

Clickers in college classrooms have become increasingly popular due to their ability to raise levels of engagement and provide feedback on both an individual and a group level.

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In a large lecture setting, professors are often presented with the challenge of interacting with students on an individual basis. With the help of clickers, teachers are able to send students questions to answer, and then “project a histogram or bar chart onto a screen to display the breakdown of student votes.”

In an American Sociological Association article, Mollborn and Hoekstra focused on the ways in which clickers would affect “critical thinking and discussion in large sociology classes.”

According to this research, professors in varying subjects have become more reliant on a “new technological tool, audience response systems, or ‘clickers’ to increase attendance, participation, engagement, and learning.”

Not only does this engagement tool add variety to the traditional learning environment, but it also, as Mollhorn and Hoekstra claim, “rewards for regular attendance and motivates students to read and learn course material.

They concluded that when using clickers, professors should adjust their questions to assist in the general aspects relating to each class.

After testing the use of clickers in certain Sociology classes, it was found that the questions presented should aim to elicit student based responses by asking open ended questions instead of asking straight forward questions that are typically asked in most natural science classrooms.

“Many students felt that using clickers under this pedagogical model increases engagement in the class and fosters feelings of solidarity in the learning community.”

By simply adding one technological element to a classroom, clickers alter the learning environment because of the way in which students are forced to become more engaged in class.

With this new classroom technology, there are many different ways that clickers can be implemented to benefit the learning capability of students and also the teaching capability of educators.

Draper and Brown established seven possible classroom uses for clickers, which include “assessment, instant feedback on learning, instant feedback on one’s teaching, peer assessment, community building, demonstrating human response, and encouraging debate.”

Additionally, by using the results of each clicker question, professors are able to decide if they should “revisit material that was generally not well understood” or if they should move on with material that was comprehended by the majority of the votes.

Researchers, Premkumar and Coupal, stated the main focus of instructors should be on “one’s pedagogy, not clicker technology.” Professors should use the clickers only in addition to material that has already been prepared, and not as the main focal point of each lesson plan.

A similar study that was conducted by a member of the Marketing Education Review  added on to the findings mentioned above. Researchers found that with clickers, “students get the opportunity to express themselves and see what others in the class are thinking.”

Clickers also facilitate participation in shyer students, “by providing anonymity and offering the opportunity to draw out and expose a variety of student opinions.”

Collectively, the benefits that stem from using clickers in college classrooms create a space that promotes “critical thinking which is highly beneficial to the overall learning process.”

Online survey sheds light on student responses to clicker usage in classrooms

After conducting an online survey, I found that the majority of college students use certain devices in class more often than others.

When asked how students use their cell phones, laptops, and tablets during class, there were multiple significant trends.

The first trend pertains to how students use their cell phones during class. The majority of voters, 18 out of 32 students stated that they used their cell phone to text during class, whereas only four of the voters stated that they used their cell phone for activities relating to the class.

The second trend is based on how students use their laptops during class. 27 out of 32 students stated that they use their laptops for class related activities as opposed to things such as "social media" and "surfing the web."

The final trend that was found from the results of the survey pertains to tablet use in class. 11 out of 32 respondents stated they never use a tablet in class, and 10 out of 32 respondents stated they use a tablet during class for class related activities.

From these results, conclusions can be drawn about how student use of technology changes when different devices are being used.