Action Research: Technology in the Classroom By: Lindsey Keirstead Amanda Maye Andrea Preston Erica White

Wendy Bokhorst-Heng April 10, 2013. ED 3323

Table of Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................................. 1 Connections to Literature ......................................................................................................2 Data Collection............................................................................................................................ 4 Results and conclusions ..........................................................................................................5 Actions ............................................................................................................................................8 Reflections ....................................................................................................................................10 Implications and Recommendations..................................................................................11

Introduction
Our group chose to focus on the emerging topic of technology in the classroom, particularly on how to control it. Our specific research question was: will using the strategy of random selection with third year communication students increase the control of technology in the classroom? This question is important to us because the amount of students using technology is increasing and we need to know how we can control it in our future classrooms. As a group, we found that through our undergraduate experience, many students used technology in the classroom and it was very distracting for people around them, as well as ourselves. When working and observing students of all ages in the 21st Century context, we have noticed that technology has become more prevalent in younger age groups. Thus, we concluded that this study would be useful for teachers of all grade levels.

Connections to the Literature

Teachers Use Technology in Classroom Control By: Marcy Paulson October 10, 2009. The author discusses how technology can be incorporated into classroom instruction in order to engage students and maintain classroom control. Paulson suggests that students should use websites, blogs, and podcasts to help them understand the topics taught in class. They can also use these to express the information they have learned as a form of assessment. The author distinguished that when students are engaged with technology they are interested in what they are doing, and therefore classroom engagement is strong. From Distraction to Engagement: Wireless Devices in the Classroom By: Berlin Fang December 22, 2009. This article details technology use, primarily in university classrooms. The author addresses the advantages and disadvantages of eliminating personal technology use altogether. Fang suggests that technology should be incorporated into lessons because it is part of twenty first century skills and twenty first century skills are important part of todays society. There are many suggestions on how to control technology such as creating a contract with students. It is important to involve students in the use of technology. One idea we found interesting was having rules for technology stated on the syllabus. Iowa State University has a rule that if your cell phone rings in class you must sing a verse of a song or lead a class discussion. This could be a fun way to control technology while involving students in a light hearted manner. The article has many suggestions for classroom control that could be easily implemented.

Interview with Keith Bodner Professor of Religious Studies at Crandall University April, 2013. 1. Do you allow technology in the classroom? NO PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES E.G. LAPTOPS, CELLPHONES, I-PADS ARE ALLOWED, BUT I MYSELF AS THE LECTURE USE VARIOUS TOOLS. 2. How do you find that your decision on technology in the classroom impacts student engagement? SHOCKINGLY POSITIVE BARELY ANYONE COMPLAINS, AND LOTS OF STUDENTS ARE QUITE HAPPY, IN FACT REALLY HAPPY WITH THE RULE. THE TEMPTATION TO DISTRACTION IS SIMPLY TOO PALPABLE. 3. Have you always had this outlook on technology in the classroom? If no, what changed your outlook? TOO MANY FAILURES FORCED ME TO DO SOMETHING DRASTIC SINCE THEN, THE FAILURE RATE IS LOWER, AS I HAVE TRACKED IT. This brief interview suggests that implementing rule of no technology in the classroom is effective and directly correlates with success rates among students. He did indicate that he feels as though he is swimming against the tide suggesting that most of his colleagues and students are pro technology, but he feels as though the results are worth the few issues that the rule.

COMP (Classroom Organization and Management Program) Vanderbilt University/ 2010 COMP offered a wide variety of classroom management strategies that would reduce the use of technology and increase student engagement in the classroom. Ideas such as physical proximity, classroom layout, procedures, and rules can all contribute to controlling technology in the classroom. We found a lot of great ideas in this book and feel that classroom management can certainly have an impact on the use of technology in the classroom.

Data Collection
We collected data through observation, questionnaires (attached), interviews and literature review. Our research plan was to use the knowledge we had gained through our research to implement necessary strategies in hopes of creating a more engaging classroom environment. Prior to observing the class, we met with the professor and brainstormed possible strategies that could be used. This collaboration continued as we met with the professor after each observation period to discuss the next intervention.

Results and Conclusions

Figure 1: Do you use Technology in the Classroom?

5 Number of Students 4 3 2 1 0 Yes Sometimes Student Response No

Figure 1: Our hypothesis for this question was proven to be true. We had all agreed that the students would be using technology in the classroom.

Figure 2: Do you use Technology for Class Purposes only?

5 Number of Students 4 3 2 1 0 Yes Sometimes Student Response No

Figure 2: The results for this question were also congruent with the hypothesis we created. There is a mixture of technology for personal use and class use.

Figure 3: Why are Phones used in the Classroom?

3 Number of Students

0 Texting Internet Games Note Taking Different uses of Technology

Figure 3: The results for this question were not surprising to us. We discussed how we thought the majority of students would be using their cell phones for personal use and texting.

Figure 4: Why are Computers used in the Classroom?

3 Number of Students

0 Note Taking Email Facebook Different uses of Technology Research

Figure 4: The answers collected for this question surprised all members of the group. The students use their computers mostly for research purposes to further the discussions that happen in class.

Figure 5: Would you stop using Technology in the classroom if there was:
0% More use of technology in the classroom 40% More Group discussion and work Random Selection 60% Professor was able to watch 0%

Figure 5: Because we anticipated that most of the students would choose the answer if the professor was able to watch, we decided to suggest to the professor to float and work the room more.

Figure 6: What Would Make you Choose NOT to use Technology for Personal Reasons?
Interactive Content 13% Tactile Instruction 37% 25% Exerbreaks Prohibited 13% 12% There is no Reason to stop using my computer/phone

Figure 6: As a group, we were very interested in the responses we received from this question. The students in this particular class enjoy in depth group discussions and would be less likely to use their technology for personal reasons if this strategy was implemented, along with small group work.

Actions
The following actions were suggested as strategies for decreasing use of technology among students and increasing engagement in class content: Work the Room/ Physical Proximity: Professor walks around the room pausing near students who are using technology for personal reasons as a non-verbal reminder to stay on task. It is basically an intimidation method that encourages students to stay engaged in classroom content.

Random Selection /Discussion: Rather than ask for voluntary participation in class, the professor will ask a question, pause, then choose a student to respond. This encourages all students to think of an answer and encourages them to remain engaged in the class discussion. This is also a good way to assess what students have done assigned readings.

Group Work: Give students opportunity to work in groups, or pairs. One way to implement this strategy is to give each group a different question to discuss. After discussion, the teacher gives each group the opportunity to share their response with the class. This not only keeps all students engaged but covers a number of questions in an efficient manner.

Technology: As a way to decrease the use of technology in the classroom, using technology in teaching methods can be a way to increase engagement and interest in the topic of discussion. Video clips, music, power points, and films can all be incorporated as a ways to decrease lecture time and increase engagement.

Carousel: Questions are written on chart paper and posted around the room. Either individually, or in small groups, students will spread out and answer the first question. After a minute or two, have the students rotate, and add to the other questions. It is important to increase the time after each rotation offering a longer period of time for students to consider the answers of their classmates before writing their own answers. Encourage students to give DIFFERENT answers in order to avoid repetition.

Offer Paper Copies of Readings: Provide students with a paper copy of the readings in order to avoid having students rely on online versions. If students have a print copy, they will be less tempted to open non-related internet pages while viewing their reading online.

Exer-break: Part way through class, have students stand up and move around. This lets students have a short mental break and re-gain focus. The exer-break can incorporate classroom content. For example, the teacher can use a carousel activity or simply just get students up and moving.

Reflections
We anticipated that most students would be using technology for personal purposes. We were correct on this. We also felt that the strategies would be somewhat effective since we have learned about many of them in our Education courses and also from our research. It was more difficult than we expected to tell what exactly students were using their technology for. We could easily observe what was on laptop screens, however, we could only make assumptions as to what was being done on cellular phone devices and I pods/pads. We found that methods of intimidation were only temporarily successful. Students would minimize games or personal internet sites when the professor was near, yet would bring them up again as soon as the professor walked away. Random Selection worked a little better, because students felt pressure to answer, however it was only effective during the discussion period. Incorporating technology use into lessons was quite effective for maintaining student engagement. On different occasions, students were shown videos, films, listened to songs and shown power points. The students were engaged in these activities, particularly when there was a task involved such as a question to answer. The end result of our research concluded that class engagement through interactive activities, discussion, group work and random selection was the best way to control technology in the classroom. If students are engaged in the class material they generally do not feel the need to use their phones or laptops for entertainment.

Implications and Recommendations

This information can be useful for teachers of all grade levels. Technology is not only used in higher-grade levels but lower-grade levels as well. Although technology can benefit learning, it can also hinder it. It has to be controlled by the teacher or it can become distracting. Technology should only be used in the classroom for instructional purposes. This research could be used to provide teachers with successful strategies that can be used to control technology in the classroom of all grade levels. If we repeated this study, we would change the arrangement of the classroom. We did not feel that the U shaped classroom was ideal for observation; however, we did not want students to suspect that we were observing them for technological reasons. It would have also been nice to observe a class with more students. We would have preferred to spread the research out over a longer period of time. This would have given us the opportunity to implement more strategies. We did not get a chance to implement all of the strategies that we came up with and we would have liked to test them out to see how the students would respond. However, we did provide the professor with more strategies that could be used and he plans on implementing them in the future. The next steps that we would have liked to take include implementing strategies such as group work, a carousel activity and an exer-break. In terms of our teaching context, we have discovered several different strategies that we will be able to implement within our classrooms to help control technology. Technology is an important aspect of the classroom in the 21st Century. We feel that implementing these strategies will benefit the students more rather than removing it all together.