Technology Tools For Assessment and Evaluation

This article discusses the NETS-T standards of technology use for teachers, and how the standards are aligned with the course work of the IT classes offered at WWU. Evaluations of student progress toward meeting these goals has revealed that many students don't have a full understanding of assessment technologies. This has prompted questions about what can be changed in the IT curriculum to better educate students about the role of assessment and evaluation technologies. This article outlines the faculties plan to implement models of assessment technologies and provide better conceptual understandings for student teachers. This article also seeks to provide a conceptual understanding of assessment and assessment technology by providing background knowledge for the reader.

The article begins by explaining the difference between assessment, analysis, and evaluation. Assessment are the data collection procedures, analysis is the process of organizing the data into an interpretable form, and evaluation is making a judgment and a decision based on the information that has been gathered. The article also discusses formative and summative evaluation used to make decisions about what to teach (formative) and how to teach (summative). The role of assessment technologies, this article states, should be to bridge the gap between formative and summative evaluation. Assessment technologies are tools that are used to enhance assessment, analysis, and evaluation. The technologies are distinct form the actual methods though, the article emphasizes.

Assessment technologies help support the decision making process in multiple ways, and this article describes a taxonomy categorizing assessment tools based on their functional characteristics:

Producing and Creating Measures: Developing and formatting tests and other assessments

Grading graphing and reporting: Interpreting data and displaying it in an organized and interpretable form

Measuring specific skills and competencies: software programs can measure program specific skills or other specific skills

Ongoing progress monitoring: Curriculum based measures and general outcome measures (such as ORF) are included in online programs and other software, which compare scores to national standards.

Situated Performance Assessment: Digital software and other programs provide a means for evaluating performance completing specified tasks.

 Interactive Tasks and Simulation: Software can provide more authentic contexts in which students perform tasks.

Electronic Portfolios: Using digital technologies to collect and organize performance data as well as growth and evaluation of learning information.

Data Warehousing and Aggregation: Effective storage of large amounts of assessment data and information which can be accessed later for analysis and evaluation.

The authors conclude by stating that there are many tools an educator can use to collect and analyze information, and that these technologies provide us with many more options for conducting assessments and displaying data so it is interpretable. It is important that teachers understand the availability of existing tools as well as how they pertain to certain aspects of the decision making model; these are important and necessary understandings needed to make effective instructional decisions.

Reflection:
I liked this article, especially because it gave me a good refresher on some of the concepts we learned about in CBE (which I was in need of). Fully understanding many of the subjects in the course and being able to apply the concepts to real contexts is definitely not a simple task, but I liked the way this article presented specific assessment technologies and related them to the decision making model and other CBE concepts. I would agree with the authors that a full conceptual understanding of the decision making model and assessment technologies is needed in order to bridge the gap between them, although this seems like an entirely different kind of knowledge that is separate from knowing about CBE or assessment technologies. Bridging the gap between the two subjects definitely warrants further explanation, which I think this article does a good job of doing. I would really like to brush up on what I learned last quarter now.

The I Generation-From Toddlers to Teenagers: A Conversation With Jane M. Healy

In this article the author, Carol Tell, has a conversation with Jane M. Healy about the use of computer technologies for educational purposes. Jane Healy has been an educator for the past 20 years, and at the forefront of computer technology's integration into classrooms in public schools nation wide. Healy describes her original stance on computer technologies in classrooms and says that 20 years ago she was a big proponent of computer technologies in the classroom. Today she thinks much differently though. Healy argues that the push for increasing use of computer technology is a bad thing, and that educators need to be wary of relying too heavily on computer technology. Computers will never be able to replace the educational weight of good teaching or the dynamic relationship between the teacher and their students. To assume that computers can replace a teacher, which is a view that has been more widely adopted in recent years, shows just how little our culture knows about the learning process for young children. Healy does agree that computer technologies can supplement teaching if applied in the right ways, and can be used collaboratively with teaching practices to enhance learning. The view that young students should dictate their own educational experiences is a dangerous one though, and Healy argues that young children are not in a position to decide what is and isn't important to learn. The effects of increasing use of computers, especially with young children, are yet to be seen. Healy is sure that high use of computer technologies is a bad thing for many young and developing children. These early years are critical for developing social skills, language, reasoning, problem solving, and children's attention span; and relying too heavily on computers means that there are less opportunities for children to develop these skills in real life contexts. Healy believes that there may be health and psychological effects from using computers too much at a young age; such as carpal tunnel, depression, lethargy, trouble with interpersonal relationships, shortened attention span, and vision problems. Another big question that Healy brings up, is how can the information that students are learning through the use of a computer be applied to a broader context? Many times the students is reliant on the computer and the program they are using in order to demonstrate the skills they have learned, thus if you take the computer away, what has the student learned that they can do without the computer? We should ask the question, who is really doing the thinking, the student or the software programmer? When students complete a task with power point, they have not really done much work or learned very much. The ease of use with the program and the results of a high quality presentation make teachers think the student has learned much more than they actually have. The last point that Healy makes, is that we as educators are instilling values into our students when we have them rely so heavily on computers. What will the values be of these children around education and learning experiences? What will they think is critical thinking? What will they think social interaction is? What will they think being thoughtful is? What will think being human is? These are questions that teachers need to ask, and educators must be critical of technology and the consequences of relying too heavily on computers.

Reflection:
I think I already voiced a somewhat similar point of view in my response to the Resnick article. There are many things that I think Healy is correct to be wary of. I really agree that it's dangerous to think that computer technologies could replace the interactions between the students and the teacher. Social skills, language, attention span, and reasoning are things that can only be effectively taught through teacher and peer to peer interaction in my opinion. A computer is not a good medium for teaching these things, especially with young children. I also think that we are teaching our students to rely too heavily on computer technology. I won't argue that this is not the way our culture functions now, I am aware that in our modern world we are highly dependent on advanced computer technology. Not educating children about how to effectively use this technology does them a disservice in their education, because they will need to know these things in their adult life if they're to be successful. However, I think that shifting the focus of teaching away from social interactions and the development of skills that are independent from using a computer is something that educators and parents should be cautious of. I don't like to cite my personal experiences too much, but I have met countless young adults and children who it seems have missed out on a lot of real life educational opportunities because of TV, video games, computers, and the internet. These individuals definitely struggle with interpersonal interactions, and I would argue that they have shorter attention spans and lower motivation to work at something for longer than it takes to receive instant gratification. I can't say my experiences prove anything, but I know many people have had encounters with individuals with similar problems. It doesn't mean that computer technologies cannot be used to enhance educational opportunities, and I would be a hypocrite if I said I did not like the convenience computers have afforded me. I just don't think young children should be so heavily exposed to them though; I am adamant that educators and parents should be engaging these children in real life activities that build essential lifelong skills.

On the Road to Cultural Bias: A Critique of The Oregon Trail CD-ROM

The Oregon Trail CD-ROM has been acclaimed as an educational simulation that effectively blends reading, writing, history, geography, math, and science content. This CD-ROM has been said by many to serve as a good educational tool. The author or this article, Bill Bigelow, points out the many ways in which the  the Oregon Trail is culturally biased and insensitive. The children using this simulation will encounter many biases that are sexist, racist, and contemptuous of the environment, and portray an inaccurate historical explanation of the western expansion of European Americans.


 The author points out that the player can only choose to be a white male settler, which ignores the roles that women and people of other races experiences during the historical time period. Slavery is almost completely ignored. There is only one experience in the simulation, that the author describes, which eludes to slavery's existence and the experiences of African Americans during the time period. Although African Americans are present in The Oregon Trail, descriptions what their lives would have been like are left out. Bigelow also discusses the fact that Oregon had passes laws restricting African Americans from having residency in Oregon during the time period. This is because of fears that their interactions with Native Americans would create substantial anti-white sentiment, this fact is ignored completely in the simulation though. The Oregon Trail also depicts European settlers relations with Native Americans in a very biased way. The simulation handbook tells players that Indians are fearful of white settlers because of diseases and because of their dislike of the settlers wastefulness of natural resources. This is a huge understatement of the state of relations between western settlers and the Indian tribes living here the author point out. The simulation mentions nothing about the violence towards Native Americans or the devastation the western expansion had on the Indian cultures and the environments in which they lived. The author discusses how teachers need to be aware of the content of CD-ROM educational tools and the biases that they may contain before using them as educational tools. The  author especially cautions being critical of educational simulations depicting people, places, and certain time periods. This is part of developing critical computer literacy, and is a skill that all teachers should build when using educational CD-ROM and digital technology.

Reflection:
I highly agreed with all of the points that the author made, but I would argue that Bigelow should extend his argument beyond CD-ROM simulations to the history curriculum. While The Oregon Trail portrays many blatant biases, I think that these biases are due to cultural perceptions of the history of the western expansion. The fact that the Oregon Trail CD-ROM was acclaimed at one point would support the argument that cultural biases are not uncommon in our culture. The history books that are used to educate elementary and middle school children discuss some important cultural events and phenomenons that were happening during this time period (such as slavery and the injustices committed toward Native Americans), but there is no emphasis placed on these topic by any means. In my own experiences in history and social studies, I can remember covering the topic of slavery very well. However, one of the largest inaccuracies in my early education was the claim that slavery and it's effects are a thing of our nations past. I would say that the same view point was emphasized when covering the history of the Native Americans and the travesties that occurred because of the western expansion. We would cover the topics quickly and then move on without considering the effects that the events have had on the day and age we live in. I would argue that the U.S. public education curriculum adheres to a view that these events are history, and that we should move on. The same could be said for the history of Women's rights and the history that has surrounded those events. All of these subjects are taught to some degree in public school, but the modern day effects of these historical events are largely ignored. Biases that existed during those time periods are accepted as a thing of the past when they are not; and these biases continue to promote injustices towards different ethnicities and genders. I could write more on the subject but I think my opinion come's across pretty clearly. I feel strongly about the subject and the way the public education system goes about addressing it. I think these events are not a thing of the past, and all of the groups discussed in this article still suffer injustices because of the biases that are perpetuated and ignored.

Digital Edge Project

The Apple Learning Interchange websiste, or iTunes U, is a collection of podcasts that contain lectures or presentations on a number of different academic subjects. Writing, science, music, world geography, cultural studies, and study tips, are just a few examples of the different subjects that are included on the website. These lectures, lessons, and presentations have been put together by many different academic and educational sources such as Stanford, Yale, MIT, Oxford, Berkley, and many others. The goal of the site is to enhance educational opportunities and practices for both teachers and learners around the world through free digital communication between academic resources and the public.

Reflection:
I watched and listened to three of the resources listed on iTunes U: Quest Science and Nature, Roys Writing Tools, and Three Countries You Ought to Know About. I would have to say I was pretty impressed with the Quest videos, particularly because there were so many different science subjects to choose from and the videos were pretty extensive in their explanation of the subject. I could see how this would be a great educational tool in any science classroom or for anyone who's interested in learning more about any of the subjects. I was tempted to watch them all day actually. The presentations in Three Countries You Ought to Know About were educational in their review of different countries geography, environments, and cultures, but I thought the reviews of the countries were a little too brief. These presentations could still serve to supplement a world studies classroom though, and I myself found the information in the videos interesting. Roys Writing Tools is a compilation of audio tracks of lectures on effective uses of writing. I think that the information in these lectures is useful, however the presentation format seemed a little bland. I also think that writing is a subject that is usually taught better using direct instruction. Expecting students to learn correct writing conventions from a audio recording might be a little much, writing lessons require more active participation on the part of the students in my opinion. Overall I think that the quality of the podcasts varies quite a bit, some serve as better educational tools than others, but all of them could be quite useful for teachers of any subject. I liked this resource a lot.

Resnick Article

I ended up writing quite a bit in response to this article because of my reaction to the author’s ideas, and I would have to say that I was pretty critical of them overall. The author, Mitchel Resnick, starts the article by claiming that most of the world will have access to computer technologies in the future. This is because of the declining cost of computation we will see in the future. Mitchell claims that because of this advancement in computer technologies and their availability, the way people learn will be fundamentally transformed. The world will see what Mitchell calls a "learning revolution" which is compared to the "green revolution" brought about by advancements in biotechnologies. The fact that many environmental and social criticisms of the green revolution exist and are arguably true might be besides the point; but it seems to me that the author starts off on a note that is overly optimistic about the affect of technological advances and their impact. The author’s idea that computers will become cheaper and cheaper until the end of time is also complimented by the idea that natural resources will no longer be the driving force behind our societies and economies one day.    

The author goes on to talk about computer technologies and the access to information they allow. Mitchell compares computers to education in the way that they are both highly associated with information. Education has more to do with learning however, which is a highly dynamic and interactive process through which people construct ideas. Mitchell writes that while computers allow access to information, they will need to be highly interactive in order to promote educational experiences for students. Computers are already allowing for these experiences though, as they allow for manipulation and construction of things that were not previously possible in an educational setting. Computers allow students to explore ideas that are not taught in primary education as well, and students can learn how to become better learners by becoming more technologically fluent with computer technology.

While I would agree with Mitchell that a higher level of educational opportunities is offered to children because of computer technology, I'm critical of Mitchel's opinion that computers should play the primary role in a student’s education. Mitchel argues that we should be rethinking how people learn. Instead of breaking the shcool day up into hour sessions of separate subjects, we should be allowing children to explore the rich connections between these subjects on their own via computer technology and the internet. Teachers should not be assuming the role of "chief executives" of classrooms but rather as a  "consultant" in the students educational experiences. It is more important to be learning how to become better learners, Mitchel argues, rather than learning to multiply fractions or memorize the world’s capitals.

There are a few themes in Mitchels arguments that I agreed with, however his view that students should be primarily responsible for their own learning through computers and the internet is somewhat alarming. The fundamental philosophy of learning, where people interact dynamically with their environment, is changed to a view where people interact with a computer (with a human consultant of course). While computers allow a limitless range of information and opportunities to construct things that would not be easily possible in the physical world, the idea that they should take the forefront over actual interactions with the physical world and the social environment doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. Classroom interactions serve a large function in this respect, and it seems to me that Mitchel ignores the large role teachers have to play in facilitating these experiences for students. Mitchel’s argument that classes should allow students more time to explore the connections between different subjects, rather than isolate subjects into hour periods for study; is an idea that makes a lot of sense. However, claiming that students would fully understand the connections between subjects without a rich understanding of the subjects themselves is questionable. Mitchell seems to criticize bad teaching practices when he argues that students should be learning to become better learners rather than memorize world capitals and drill math facts. What is more important than memorization and drilling is building a strong foundational understanding of world geography and number sense, as many effective teacher would understand. 

Technology is playing a bigger and bigger role in aiding a classroom teachers and facilitating educational experiences. It also cannot be ignored that computer technology and communication plays a bigger role in the world today than it ever has. The future will see an even bigger expansion of the role that computers play in society and cultures across the globe, and it is important that students understand how to navigate through a technologically advanced world. However effective computer technology might become as an educational tool though, in my opinion they should not be viewed as a replacement for real social and physical interactions with the environment. I would say that this view is becoming less and less emphasized in our culture, and perhaps that’s why I had such a strong reaction to this article.