evaluating educational technology
DESCRIPTION
Dr. Dale McManis' slides from her presentation on evaluating early childhood educational technology from NAEYC 2013.TRANSCRIPT
WANT TO EVALUATE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY? AN INTERACTIVE TOOL
KIT COMES TO THE RESCUE!
NAEYC Annual Conference Nov. 2013-‐Washington, DC Lilla Dale McManis, M.Ed., Ph.D. Research Director-‐Hatch Early Learning [email protected] LillaDaleMcManis@DrLDMcManis
Copyright 2013.
• What is educaIonal technology?
• What does the research say? • How can we evaluate it? • How do we integrate it into the
program/classroom? • What would you like
technology to look like in your program?
Road Map
*Disclaimer: Photos do not imply endorsement.
What is Educa0onal Technology?
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From an Adult Expert
Educational technology is the study & ethical practice of facilitating learning & improving performance by creating, using & managing appropriate technological processes & resources.
Associa'on for Educa'onal Communica'ons and Technology, 2008
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I like computers because they teach me so much and if I had a friend who didn’t have a computer, I would tell him the cat and cow story is my favorite because it is so funny! They go to another country with the cat on the cow!
Sebas'an, 5 years Mudpies Child Development Center Winston-‐Salem, NC
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From a Child Expert
Groups
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How Children Learn Best • Experiences that are: – Meaningful – Engaging – Allow children to be successful – Can result in self-‐efficacy
• Belief that one has the necessary skills and competencies to complete challenging and important tasks
NAEYC/Rogers Center Tech Posi'on Statement 2012
What is Developmentally Appropriate Prac0ce for Technology?
• Accounts for age & developmental status
• Promotes progress • Maintains interest
NAEYC /Rogers Center Technology Posi0on Statement Guiding Principle
EffecIve uses of technology and media are: • acIve • hands-‐on • engaging • empowering • give the child control • provide adapIve scaffolds to ease task accomplishment
• one of many opIons to support children’s learning
How Not to Use Technology with Children
The quesIon now is how can we best use technology for educaIon?
The quesIon is no longer should we have educaIonal technology?
Outcomes-‐Based Research
Why has the Ques0on Changed? • 30 years of Research • PosiIve Outcomes for Early Learners
• Tools of the Culture
Cogni0ve Development
see reviews by Penuel et al. 2009; McCarrick & Xiaoming 2007; Glaubke 2007; Clements & Sarama 2003
Language/Literacy
Preschoolers’ language acIvity, measured by words spoken per minute, has been found to be almost twice as high at the computer than during other other acIviIes, including playdough, blocks, art, or games (Muhlstein and Cro\). In story telling, Riding and Tite found that preschoolers told longer and more structured stories when they saw graphic presentaIons on a computer than when they did not.
PBS Content on iPods/Smartphones
(Chiong & Shuler 2010)
• children spend more Ime engaged Wood, 2001
Children make gains in math & reading
ZiVle 2004; Swan, Schenker & Kratcoski 2008
Children make gains in math & reading
McManis et al., 2010
82% Ready to Read & 92% School Ready in Math
Touchscreen Computers iStartSmart Efficacy Study showed staIsIcally significant literacy/language & math outcomes for children (2012).
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TOPEL Bracken
Diffe
rence score*
Standardized Test
Improvement in Standardized Test Scores
Control (n=70)
iSS (n=55)
eBooks • PBS study with parents reading ebooks basic and enhanced and print books with their 3-‐6 year olds
• Looked at narraIve recall & comprehension • MulImedia features of enhanced e-‐books grabbed children’s ahenIon
• Those same features also distracted young readers and led more to “non-‐content related interacIons”
(Chiong et al 2012) (Photo from Cooney Center)
Cogni0ve Development
see reviews by Penuel et al. 2009; McCarrick & Xiaoming 2007; Glaubke 2007; Clements & Sarama 2003
WriIng & Math
• Computer-‐based wriIng can allow for more fluid ideas. Young children are freed from mechanical concerns, so they have fewer mechanical errors AND less worry about making mistakes (Bangert-‐Drowns; Jones & Pellegrini).
• Moxley et al found 3 year-‐ olds using the computer to write showed steady improvement in spelling and story wriIng, including invented spellings, and at age 4 they outperformed children without computer based wriIng experiences.
• Concrete experience with 3 dimensional objects is a fundamental approach for teaching math that shouldn’t change, however Brinkley & Watson found 3-‐year-‐olds learned sorIng from a computer task as easily as from a concrete doll task; so it is a comparable approach.
• When doing these tasks on computers, children learned to understand and apply concepts such as symmetry, paherns and spaIal order (Wright).
IntervenIon group of kindergartners made significant gains in comparison to the non-‐intervenIon group in increased levels of mathemaIcal, representaIonal and symbolic development of fracIons.
(Goodwin 2008)
Social-‐EmoIonal Development
• Encouragement • CooperaIon • CollaboraIon
(see reviews by Penuel et al. 2009; McCarrick & Xiaoming 2007; Glaubke 2007; Clements & Sarama 2003
& Sarama 2003)
• Muller & Perlmuher found that children at the computer spent 9 Imes as much Ime talking to peers than when they did puzzles.
• Praise and encouragement of peers is prevalent when at the computer (Klinzing & Hall).
• Rather than disrupIng ongoing play, the computer center has been found to facilitate posiIve social interacIons such as cooperaIon and helping behaviors (King & Alloway; Rhee & Chavnagri).
Children collaborated more & spent more Ime engaged
Wood 2001
Interac0ve Whiteboards
• McManis & Gunnewig (2012) found preschool children exhibited high levels of cooperaIve and collaboraIve play when using mulI-‐touch table with acIviIes designed to teach and support these behaviors
WPS Hatch Study, 2012
Advanced Skills • MoIvaIon • Higher-‐Order
Thinking • Meta-‐CogniIon
(see reviews by Penuel et al. 2009; McCarrick & Xiaoming 2007; Glaubke 2007; Clements & Sarama 2003
• One skill is being able to stay interested in a task long enough to learn it which Shade found when children used the computer together.
• When children are in control (which is key for these outcomes) there is increased: • creaIvity (Escobedo) • problem-‐solving skills • decision-‐making ability (Nastasi et al.) • understanding of cause and effect (Goodwin, Goodwin, & Garel) • longer ahenIon span (Haugland)
Special Needs • Social-‐EmoIonal • Fine Motor • Gross Motor • CommunicaIon • CogniIon • Self-‐Help
Hu'nger & Johanson 2000
• HunInger and Johanson found that special needs preschool children in a computer based program made progress in all developmental areas, including social-‐emoIonal, fine and gross motor, communicaIon, cogniIon, and self-‐help.
• When they joined the program, the children were only making an average gain of ½ month per month. However, while parIcipaIng in the program they were making on average, gains of 1.8 months per month; the results indicated that the computer made a unique contribuIon.
• AddiIonally, looking across 11 common classroom acIviIes, result showed that computer use was most o\en followed by desirable behaviors such as sharing, communicaIng, taking turns, and focusing and least likely to be followed by aggression
ELL/Dual Language Learners
• PosiIve astudes toward learning • MoIvates learners to develop strategies for successful learning
• Results in improved sentence structure and breadth of content
• Strengthens the development of auditory skills
Waxman & Tellez 2002
• With 100 million first-‐grade-‐aged children worldwide having no access to schooling, the One Laptop Per Child organizaIon did something unique in two remote Ethiopian villages—dropping off tablets with preloaded programs.
• Children were sIll heavily engaged in using the tablets a\er several months.
• Observed reciIng the “alphabet song,” and spelling words. One boy, exposed to literacy games with animal pictures, used a paint program and wrote the word “Lion.”
(hhp://mashable.com/2012/10/29/tablets-‐ethiopian-‐children/)
Where are we going?
Affordances
• Touch responsive • InteracIvity • CustomizaIon • Child-‐friendly
Types of Interac0ve Technology
Survey Says…. NaIonal survey of almost 500 teacher and administrator respondents… • Almost all have desktops/laptops • Half have IWBs • A third have tablets • Learn more @Simon, F., Nemeth, K., & McManis, D. (2013). Technology in
ECE classrooms: Results of a new survey and implicaIons for the field. Exchange Magazine, 213, 68-‐75. hhp://hatchearlylearning.com/ece-‐tech-‐survey-‐2012/
Mobile Technologies • Children learn to use them quickly
• Encourages independence
• Explore more complex and abstract concepts
Michael Cohen Group & USDOE 2011; Couse & Chen 2010; Shuler 2009
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• Enhances mastery of concepts • Vocabulary • Phonological
awareness
Chiong & Shuler 2010; Horowitz, Sosenko & Hoffman 2006; Bebell, Dorris & Muir 2012
Mul0-‐touch Tables • Can handle a large number of touches simultaneously • Offers a 360° birds-‐eye view • Promotes cooperaIve/collaboraIve learning • Most of the research is with older children. If there are not
enough ‘assets’, this can hurt cooperaIve and collaboraIve learning just as it does in any non-‐tech sesng.
SelecIng Appropriate EducaIonal Technology
• Goals • Technology • Content
Food for Thought
Just spending money on computers without a plan will have a low probability of increasing achievement…
Clements & Sarama, 2003
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Building Blocks for Good Educa0onal Technology for Early Learners
• Based on theory – Child development – Learning – Teaching
• Based on good design principles – Child-‐friendly – Promotes progress – Supports teaching
• Based on meaningful and relevant outcomes – Knowledge – Skills – Self-‐efficacy
Driving Theory • Piaget—Cogni0ve Developmental Theory: Children acIvely construct knowledge.
• Vygotsky—Sociocultural Theory: Modeling & language essenIal for children’s learning.
• Skinner—Behaviorism: Children learn based on environmental acIons and reacIons.
• Bandura—Social Learning Theory: Children’s learning occurs socially through observaIon, imitaIon, and modeling.
Key Steps to Evalua0ng Ed Tech 1. Establish learning goals for the children 2. IndenIfy the hardware or device(s) you have or would like to have
3. Analyze features and content of the so\ware in meeIng learning goals
4. Plan how the educaIonal technology will be integrated into the curriculum
Learning Goals
• Approaches to Learning
• CogniIve • Social-‐EmoIonal
Hardware/Devices Much wider variety of types of technology and content available: – Desktops/laptops – InteracIve whiteboards – Tablets – Tables – eReaders, smartpens, iPod touch, digital cameras
(Rideout 2011; Gutnik et al. 2010)
EducaIonal • Focus • Standards • Feedback
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Is this content learning versus winning?
• Valuable instrucIonal Ime is not used for “gaming entertainment”.
• Rather game-‐like with specific and appropriate learning goals.
Research & Standards Based
Ensure that the skills the so\ware is designed to teach or enhance are deemed necessary by research (and/or the curriculum, framework and/or standards of your program).
Teaching & Feedback
• Correct developmental course • EffecIve teaching paths
• Learning sequence obvious, process-‐oriented, and correct.
• Teaching component before responses. • For example, the names of the lehers are
taught before asking children to idenIfy them.
• Subject Maher • Skill Level • Interest & Appeal • Pre-‐readers • Free of Bias
Age Appropriate
Subject Ma[er & Skill Level • Meets developmental needs of children using it.
• For example, so\ware should introduce counIng before addiIon; or the names of emoIons before asking children to apply to situaIons.
• Consider too if so\ware will be used by children older or younger than intended range and how they may react-‐from frustraIon to boredom.
Interest & Appeal
Survey Says! Teacher or Child Led? We asked teachers to consider a typical week for a child in their classroom and describe their use of technology. • A third indicate a balance of half teacher-‐directed/guided and half child-‐iniIated learning acIviIes
• About equal numbers of a quarter each indicate they fall on the side of mostly child-‐iniIated, with some Ime for teacher-‐directed/guided learning acIviIes
• or the side of mostly teacher-‐directed/guided, with some Ime for child-‐iniIated learning acIviIes
Child Friendly • Clear & Simple
Choices • OpportuniIes
for Success • Independent
Learning
Enjoyable & Engaging • Variety • Rewards • Graphics • Audio
Assessment & Progress Monitoring Most valuable role to inform instrucIon at individual child level. To become a part of the instrucIonal cycle means progress monitoring-‐assessment feature must be easy to interpret. Ability to share with parents can moIvate and support them in increasing engagement with children at home.
Digital Porzolios sIll VERY appropriate!
Detailed reports help teachers keep children well on track
Updates & Alerts
Feature that gives teachers and administrators reminders and reports at a high level.
Survey Says! Tech for Progress Monitoring
• Eighty percent of teachers report using technology for progress monitoring/child assessment
• Followed closely by three quarters of administrators reporIng technology used for this purpose
AddiIonal Features • CustomizaIon • Create AcIviIes
Your turn to Evaluate!
Let’s Use the Toolkit Together!
Your Assignment! • Find a so\ware program/content you are familiar with being used by young children. • Complete the EvaluaIon Tool. • What score did it receive? • Did it rate as you expected? • Differently?
Integra0on is Essen0al
Educator Support
Sufficient InteracIon Time
Sustained Staff Development
Sheingold & Hadley, 1990
Takes Ime to fully support children’s learning
“Training must be ongoing and systemaIc if teachers are to properly complete the ‘learning cycle’ of technology-‐related professional development” (Kinneman)
Summary
• Research supports young children can benefit from using educaIonal technology
• But it must be of high quality and developmentally appropriate
• There are key aspects that must be considered • EvaluaIng in a thoughzul, intenIonal, and regular manner will help pracIIoners make the best decisions for early learners
Q & A
Evalua0ng Educa0onal Technology • eBook with Tool &
References, Webinar & Journal arIcle
h[p://www.hatchearlychildhood.com/pages/evalua0ng-‐technology-‐for-‐early-‐learners
h[p://www.hatchearlychildhood.com/pages/webinar-‐sept-‐2011-‐evalua0ng-‐early-‐learning-‐technology h[p://www.naeyc.org/yc/ar0cle/finding-‐educa0on-‐in-‐educa0onal-‐technology
Good places for connec0ons • LinkedIn: Early Childhood Technology Network • Twi[er: #ecetechchat • ISTE: Early Learning & Technology SIG
hhp://www.iste.org/connect/special-‐interest-‐groups/sigelt • NAEYC: Technology and Young Children Interest Forum
hhp://www.naeyc.org/yc/files/yc/file/201211/OnOurMinds1112.pdf • MeeIng of The Technology and Young Children Interest Forum
welcomes new and returning members to our annual meeIng. Join us as we explore technology innovaIons, share research, collaborate on new project ideas, and plan technology and young children Annual Conference sessions for next year. For more informaIon, contact Lynn Hartle at [email protected]. Thursday 6:00-‐7:30 p.m. Washington Conven0on Center, Room 153
Main Sources • InternaIonal Society for Technology in EducaIon. (2008). Na'onal Educa'onal
Technology Standards for Teachers. hVp://www.iste.org/standards/nets-‐for-‐teachers/nets-‐for-‐teachers-‐2008.aspx
• McCarrick, K., & Xiaoming, L. (2007). Buried treasure: The impact of computer use on young children’s social, cogniIve, language development and moIvaIon. AACE Journal, 15 (1), 73-‐95.
• McManis, L.D., & Gunnewig, S. (2012). Finding the EducaIon in EducaIonal Technology with Early Learners. Young Children, 67 (3), 14-‐24. hhp://www.naeyc.org/yc/arIcle/finding-‐educaIon-‐in-‐educaIonal-‐technology
• NAEYC & FRC. (2012). Technology Tools and Interac've Media in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8.” hhp://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-‐and-‐young-‐children
• Public BroadcasIng Service and Grunwald Associates. (2011). Deepening Connec'ons: Teachers Increasingly Rely on Media and Technology. Report of the Public BroadcasIng Service. Arlington, VA: Public BroadcasIng Service. www.pbs.org/teachers/grunwald/pbs-‐grunwald-‐2010.pdf
• Simon, F., Nemeth, K., & McManis, D. (2013). Technology in ECE classrooms: Results of a new survey and implicaIons for the field. Exchange Magazine, 213, 68-‐75. hhp://hatchearlylearning.com/ece-‐tech-‐survey-‐2012/
Where we will be next…..
• NaIonal Head Start AssociaIon Conference April 18 in Nashville – Using Technology to Support Social-‐EmoIonal Development in Young Children
• McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership ConnecIons Conference May 10-‐12 in Chicago – EvaluaIng EducaIonal Technology in Early Childhood
• InternaIonal Society for Technology in EducaIon (ISTE) Conference June 25 in San Diego – School Readiness: Outcomes and Approaches
We’d like to stay in touch…..
Slides will be posted via our blog @ hhp://hatchearlylearning.com/resources/blog/
Dale on Twi[er: Lilla Dale McManis@DrLDMcManis