Running head: IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lori Curles

Literature Review

ITEC 8133

November 24, 2019

In schools, the use of technology has been around for many years but the way it has been

taught and used has drastically changed over the years (Autio, 2016). Some of the first
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technology in schools started at the basic levels but were revolutionary for teaching and learning.

Take a moment to think about a time period in teaching when making a copy did not mean

running to the copy room but instead having to use a mimeograph machine to roll out your class

set. This basic technology is where instructional technology gets roots, but classroom

technology has now moved past the basic level and well into the interactive level.

Technology has now become so woven into the fabric of teaching that there are standards

just for integrating technology into the classroom. Fortunately, with technology new advances

access to technology is becoming more possible for all students. According to ACT Research &

Center for Equity in Learning, less than 1% of students have no access to electronic devices at

home in the United States (Moore, Vitale, & Stawinoga, 2018). Students having access to

technology, even outside of school helps build technology skills and promotes collaboration

outside of the classroom.

Technology is a versatile tool in the classroom but for this tool to be effective it needs to

be used for more than just basic delivery of information. Teaching and learning specific

technology is not sufficient to help increase learning, teachers must also learn how to integrate

technology into teaching (Misha, Koehler, & Kereluik, 2009). Teachers should not be focused

on learning to master every new technology but rather finding technology tools to help facilitate

learning and increase engagement. Many times teachers attempt to use new technology in

activities and end up teaching the technology over the content. Learning how to use technology

is a valuable skill but should not be teachers focus. The use of technology on learning extends

past a students years in the classroom and prepares them to be successful in their future careers

(Murati & Ceka, 2017). Students today will be faced with the challenge of new and ever
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changing technology and as teachers we are faced with the challenge to teach them how to be

successful in mastering technology skills.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how technology is used and encouraged through

professional learning opportunities at Jane Macon Middle School and the impact this has on

teaching and learning. At Jane Macon there is a fair amount and diverse types of technology

available to teachers. There is not the capacity to become a 1:1 school but the school does take

steps to provide technology when and where it is needed. Unfortunately, there is little to no

professional development on how to integrate technology into learning. With the right

professional development this problem can be addressed.

Technology in the Classroom

Classroom technology is a broad term. To many veteran teachers, classroom technology

is a computer and projector, but if you ask a teacher just graduating from college they should be

able to list off several emerging applications, hardware, and web based classroom technology

that is on the cutting edge. Technology is still relatively new and a quickly changing (Misha,

Koehler, & Kereluik, 2009). The internet was a revolutionary invention, but is now just a

platform for new technologies to emerge from. Web 2.0 tools are the next new thing. Web 2.0

tools take the internet to the next level and allow for users to communicate and collaborate

virtually (DiBella & Williams, 2015). No matter the level of technology integration using

technology properly is important for student success.

Evaluating Technology Needs in School

Technology in the classroom in some form has been around for many years but the idea

to study new technology is relatively new. In the last 10 years, studies focusing on the

advantages and disadvantages of emerging technology in the classroom have gone from almost
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none to hundreds a year (Montoro, Colon, Moreno, & Steffens, 2019). Schools need to look at

the technology they have available and then assess what they need. The way to best determine

the technology needs of a school is to perform a needs assessment of the school. A needs

assessment typically will show that needs can range from technology support, financial support

to be able to buy new technologies, and a whole school integration of technology with support

from the principal (Vatanartiran & Karadeniz, 2015). Needs assessments are critical to finding

the areas of a school that need improvement so crucial time and money is not wasted in training

and purchasing materials teachers do not need. There is a new and fierce push for technology

integration in classrooms, but through analysis you can focus defining the needs of a school

(O’Reilly, 2016). Once needs are determined, a plan of action can be developed to successfully

implement technology with support.

Challenges of Implementing Technology

There are many factors that affect and limit technology integration in schools. Inadequate

infrastructure, like good wifi routers to support multi-devices, outlets for charging devices, and

inadequate access to technology by all students are several primary reasons (Harrell & Bynum,

2018). The physical limitations in a school can be a large factor of why technology is not

integrated properly. If a school does not have computers or devices it is difficult for all students

to have access. If the network of the school is not uptodate it can cause connectivity problems.

All these things can be fixed but at a cost. There is also the financial reason some schools do not

properly integrate technology. Some school districts do not have the money to update and add

technology. Teacher’s apprehension of their knowledge, ability to use it properly and lack of

training of technology were also challenges in implementing technology (Harrell & Bynum,

2018).
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Attitudes Toward Technology in the Classroom

Successful integration of technology into a school starts with everyone who is involved

being supportive of the implementation. This starts at the county level, down to the schools, then

administration, teachers and students becoming willing to learn and implement new classroom

technology. Teachers are usually hesitant on new technology because they are worried about the

frustrations of new technologies (Harrell & Bynum, 2018). Teachers fresh out of college do not

share this feeling of negativity towards technology. Perspective teachers have a positive attitude

towards classroom technology (Oguz, Izci, Caliskan, & Sahin, 2015). This positive attitude can

be difficult to find in veteran teachers when implementing new technology in the classroom. It

can be difficult to create positive attitudes towards integrating technology but the most impact on

increasing teachers positive attitude towards integrating technology is providing above adequate

training for the teachers on the new technology. Many teachers see technology as overwhelming

and many times fail due to negative attitudes in teachers not the product inself (Islahi & Nasrin,

2019). Once teachers have become engaged students quickly feel the same way.

Importance of a Positive Attitude Towards Technology

Attitudes influence not only the acceptance of technology in the classroom but the

likeliness a teacher will continue to try using new technology (Islahi & Nasrin, 2019).

Technology is not a one size fits all model. It is important that integrating technology does not

focus on one specific technology tool, but rather a variety of tools that teachers and students can

choose from to use. Getting everyone in a positive mindset about implementing technology will

increase student engagement and learning.

Professional Development for Technology Integration

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The direction of a school is driven by the leadership of a school. Principals direct

teachers to the areas they feel important and focus on training teachers in those areas. Principals

who focus on school wide integration and supported professional learning of technology directly

showed better integration of technology in the school (Thannimalai & Raman, 2018). The shift

needs to be made where technology is supported from a top down approach. As principals are

considering their focus of school years and teacher growth technology should be kept in mind.

Not all principals have knowledge of technology already and will need their own professional

learning to be able to support teachers.

Current State of Professional Development on Technology

When implementing professional learning for teachers on technology, best practices and

research based methods should be used. Teachers should participate in professional learning that

models the way students should interact with technology (van Thiel, 2018). Allowing teachers to

take on this students role helps teachers understand areas students might struggle and helps them

see how it engages students. Teachers need more than just the opportunity for professional

development on technology. The professional development development needs to be higher

order thinking related for integration in the classroom to increase (Harrell & Bynum, 2018).

When teachers use the technology and see how it affects their understanding they in turn see a

connection student can gain from using the same technology. Implementing technology and

training must be a continuous process (van Thiel, 2018). Professional learning should not be a

one time thing on technology. It should consist of training, implementation, feedback, revisions,

and continued training with the cycle continuing for all new technology.

Impact of Technology use in the Classroom

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With the addition of technology to schools, there is no such thing as a traditional

classroom anymore. When used properly, technology has improved the learning and teaching

process and allowed students to learn outside of the physical classroom (Harrell & Bynum,

2018). Technology allows students to collaborate and learn in new ways in and outside of the

classroom. Teachers should implement technology in the classroom that students already use

outside of the classroom because it eliminates the need for student training (van Thiel, 2017).

Using technology students are familiar with connects students school experiences with real world

experiences. Using technology in the classroom also prepares students to use technology

throughout their life.

Impact on Teaching Practices

The use of technology in the classroom has a variety of effects when implemented

properly. The proper use of technology in the classroom can shift learning from teacher centered

to student center, which allows students to direct their own learning (Wang, 2013). This switch

in learning is important because it gives the student the sense of investment in their own

learning. Using technology properly in the classroom also holds students' attention, supports

individualized learning, increase active participation, makes learning lasting, useful, and increase

self-confidence in students (Tatli, Akbulut, & Altinsik, 2019). Keeping students engaged by

using technology to increase student learning.

Impact on Student Outcomes

Using technology allows for all students to be able to interact and express themselves in

new ways. Many students are timid and do not like to volunteer to speak in front of the class, but

are willing to use technology to interact and collaborate with other students (Wang, 2013).

Collaboration is part of the learning experience. Technology allows students to collaborate with
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the people that are physically near them and virtually near their work. When students feel

comfortable to collaborate they are more open to learning. Productivity of students is increased

when students have positive attitudes toward using technology (Eslamian, Rajabion, Tofighi, &

Khalili, 2019). Students having positive attitudes toward technology is the first step to

increasing learning.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how technology is used and supported through

professional learning opportunities at Jane Macon Middle School and the impact this has on

teaching and learning. This study will use a needs assessment to determine the technological

needs of Jane Macon Middle school. The study will also look at the attitudes of the school

towards the use of technology in the classroom and towards professional development associated

with classroom technology. Support is a key factor for technology implementation to be

successful and the study will also look at how supportive of an environment Jane Macon has for

implementing classroom technology. Ultimately, these factors will determine what impact

technology has on teaching, learning, and student outcomes.

Research Questions

1. At what level does Jane Macon Middle School provides a supportive environment for

technology use?

2. At what level does Jane Macon Middle School provides professional development to use

technology?

3. How is technology used at Jane Macon Middle School?

4. What is the impact of technology on teaching and learning, and student outcomes
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