SCP - Week 3:

This week in SCP there was no tutorial or lecture. However, in accessing the SCP facebook page there was a study provided for the students to have a read and share their thoughts on blogger. This research study employed a second-order meta-analysis procedure to summarize 40 years of research activity inorder to address, whether or not the use of computer technology has affected student achievement in formal face-to-face classrooms as compared to classrooms that do not use technology - this has effectively the 'big question' to be answered by the following review. The 'big question', is a relevant question, as we enter a globalising world where IT has become a essential to everyday living. Furthered by the the fact that nearly every classroom, nowadays, has some form of computer support. Although research studies comparing various forms of technology use in both control and treatment groups are becoming popular, it does not seem that technology versus no technology comparisons will become definite. This review on educational research was done by, Rana M. Tamim, Robert M. Bernard, Eugene Borokhovski, Philip C. Abrami and Richard F. Schmid in January 2011. The online version of this article can be found at: http://rer.sagepub.com/content/81/1/4.


The review was rather complex as it tried to grasp the intentions of various studies and analysis that had been done in the previous 40 years and then compare and contrast these seperate studies in order to answer the 'big question'.

As Tamim, R., et al. explain, there have been so many different studies done all trying to conclude whether the use of technology is advantageous to students. The downside to this study was an inability to make an accurate conclusion based on the fragmentation of research and data found. To explain the true depth, broad and varied nature of the studies, Tamim outlines that, "more than 60 meta-analyses have appeared in the literature since 1980, each focusing on a specific question addressing different aspects such as subject matter, grade level, and type of technology.Although each of the published meta-analyses provides a valuable piece of information, no single one is capable of answering the overarching question of the overall impact of technology use on student achievement" (Tamim, R., et al. 2011). Other researches include: "...Mark Lipsey and David Wilson (Lipsey & Wilson, 1993;Wilson & Lipsey, 2001), both addressing psychological, behavioral, and educational treatments; Sipe and Curlette (1997), targeting factors related to educational achievement; Møller and Jennions(2002), focusing on issuesin evolutionary biology; Barrick, Mount, and Judge (2001), addressing personality and performance; Peterson (2001), studying college students and social science research; andLuborsky et al. (2002), addressing psychotherapy research" (Tamim, R., et al. 2011) .

Despite the fact that the nature of the study was too broad. I found it interesting to note that Robert Kozma (e.g., 1991, 1994) and Chris Dede (e.g.,1996),believe computers may possess properties or affordances that can directly change the nature of teaching and learning. "Their views, by implication,encourage the study of computers and other educational media use in the classroom for their potential to foster better achievement and bolster student attitudes toward schooling and learning in general" (Tamim, R., et al. 2011). As a student myself, I personally agree with Kozma and Dede's conclusions based on the increased positive attitude towards the use of computer technology. Although summaries were few and far between, the review did find that "one of technology’s main strengths may lie in supporting students’ efforts to achieve rather than acting as a tool for delivering content" (Tamim, R., et al. 2011). This statement holds true to any academic/coaching pedagogue. Technology may not necessarily always allow for the best presentation of knowledge. However, the potential for technology to support the cognitive learning aspect of information and the ease of access to knowledge is unbeatable!

Thankyou for reading this blog

For another read on such ideas see:
http://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?q=cache:D9sdyD9yTKUJ:scholar.google.com/+techniques+used+to+tap+into+learning+styles&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5