Computers in classroom have mixed impact on learning: OECD report

At a time when school boards across Canada are equipping classrooms

with new laptops, tablets and desktop computers to bring learning into
the digital age, a global study raises questions over whether all that
technology necessarily means better education results.
A report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development released on Tuesday said the impact of information and
communication technologies (ICT) on student performance is mixed, at
best.
Test results from 31 countries show no appreciable improvements in
student achievement in reading, mathematics or science in the countries
that had invested heavily in ICT for education, the report said.
There has been a push to introduce computers into classrooms in
developed countries, including Canada, as a teaching tool to make
students more engaged and generate better education outcomes. But the
OECD report supports some of the worries that have been put forward
by teachers and unions: that the technology could be a distraction if not
used and implemented properly.
According to the reports authors, where students frequently use
computers in the classroom, the technology can become a distraction and
education outcomes are weaker when compared with those classrooms
where technology is used moderately for specific learning projects or
once or twice a week.
Technology is most effective when students use the Internet in the
classroom for guided research and project work, OECD analyst
Francesco Avvisati said. The same technology can take away from
learning when students use devices for online chatting but even online

software that drills students on their math skills does not consolidate
their learning and lead to better results, he added.
Jim Slotta, an associate professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in
Education and Canada Research Chair in Education and Technology,
said the report is encouraging because it paints a complex picture.
If you read this report as saying that its up in the air about whether
technology is helpful for learning, thats the wrong reading, he said.
The data used by the OECD are based on the Program for International
Student Assessment (PISA), which assesses 15-year-old students around
the world on reading, math, science and digital reading.
Canadian data for how students used information and communication
technologies in the classroom were not included in the study because
information provided to the OECD is voluntary and the group did not
receive that data.
Professor Slotta said the data used by the OECD are vexing to
researchers because they draw on education systems from different
cultural contexts and can be difficult to interpret, especially in relation to
technology in the classroom.
Personally, my feeling is that the research on how to use technology
well for learning is just beginning to turn over some interesting, useful
new leaves in the book, he said, adding that the OECD report covers
the period from 2000 to 2012 without any mention of technological
developments in the past three years.
Technology is most effective in the classroom when it is used to develop
skills similar to those that adults are using in everyday life, such as
finding resources, critiquing arguments, communicating with peers,
solving problems and working with data, Prof. Slotta said.

When youve set up a curriculum that is aligned with those kinds of

practices, you wont see as much of a misfit as when you try to just bolt
the technology on to the old paradigm of instruction with the problems,
and homework and lecture content, he said.
One of the more ambitious education technology projects in Canada
started last year when the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board
started handing out tablet computers to all students in Grade 4 and
above. Its goal is to put a tablet in the hands of every student by 2019.
Prince Edward Island is installing Wi-Fi in its schools, replacing 7,000
computers and aiming to have students bring their own devices to class.
Technology can have a huge impact on student achievement and
engagement because it is often what students choose to use every day to
communicate, learn, create and collaborate with each other, Hal Perry,
PEIs Education, Early Learning and Culture Minister, said last week.
The lessons of the OECD study apply to any country rolling out
computer devices in classrooms, according to the reports authors.
It is important that educators remain in the drivers seat, so to speak,
when introducing technology in classrooms, that technology is not
becoming too prominent because it can distract, Mr. Avvisati said.
He said countries such as Japan, Korea and Germany have seen
important strides in education outcomes without a massive injection of
classroom technology investment that they could probably afford.
The worry among parents is that a lack of classroom technology could
mean that their children are left behind in the digital age.
But that lack of investment in classroom technology in some countries
and focus on the learning environment and the teacher-student
relationship has not affected digital reading skills, which is measured

by the ability of children to navigate complex online searches, Mr.

Avvisati said.
When it comes to digital reading skills, the OECD data on Canada show
above-average results, with Canada ranking fifth behind Hong Kong,
Japan, Korea and Singapore.
The key to any technology rollout in the classroom is clear goals and
training for teachers, but ultimately it is about training good teachers,
Mr. Avvitsati said.
We know that technology can really enhance good teaching, but the key
ingredient is the good teaching to start with. [Technology is] more an
amplifier and its a tool for good teachers rather than a magic wand
which transforms bad teachers into good ones. We see that the best
teachers tend to use it moderately, he said.

Reading Comprehension
What is the main idea of this report?
A.
There are many sides of having
technology in the classroom.
B.
Canada is less advanced than japan,
Korea and Germany.
C.Parents are worried about their children.
D.
Technology is very distracting.

True/ False/ Not Given (T/F/NG)

1. Using technology in classroom equals better
education (ng)
2. Using information and communication technologies
in moderation is best (t)
3. Technology is unproductive when students use it for
guided research (f)
4. More Use of Technology with Less Physical Activity
Leads to Obesity (ng)

5. Technology is fruitless in the classroom when it is

used to develop skills (f)
6. Parents worry that their children would fall behind if
they dont use technology (t)

Short answer
What are some of the worries that have been forwarded by
teachers?
..
What are some positive and negative sides of in class technology?

Why did professor. Slotta say that the data used by the OECD
annoying?

When is technology most effective in the classroom?

What do parents worry about?

What is the key of any technology rollout in the classroom?

Multiple choices
What does (PISA) not valuate?
a) Reading
b) Science
c) Writing
d) Math
Why wasnt the Canadian data for how students use information
technology not included in the study?
a) Because it is voluntary and the group didnt receive the data
b) Because it was not related to the subject
c) They draw on education systems from different cultural
context.
d) They got lost in the files
What are some examples on skills developed by technology?

a) Communicating with peers

b) Critiquing arguments
c) Solving problems
d) All of the above