Critical Issues in Evaluating Education Technology

Abstract

This chapter highlights some issues that are critical in evaluating technology in education such that it will be implemented to meet educational goals and it will also serve as a spotlight for policy makers and educators to make a worthwhile return on their technology investment. Schools and institutions of learning invest heavily on technology before establishing clear plans on how it will be integrated into teaching and learning to achieve educational goals. Even though many studies have reported positive impact of technology on students’ learning yet; not much of studies have been carried out to investigate whether the investment on technology in schools have been commensurate with the investment. Particularly needs assessment on both students and teachers’ technology needs is often ignored before technology implementation. Educators and policy makers need to consider certain evaluation issues before committing huge budgets into technology. It is crucial to ask what can technology do that cannot be done without it, what percentage of the institution’s budget should be invested on technology, how should technology be integrated in the curriculum to achieve educational goals and lots more before investing on educational technology to avoid resource wastage. Thus, this chapter highlights these critical issues in the light of a study conducted on the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in Malaysian secondary school (Adedokun, 2008). The research investigated some concerns that culminated from the integration of ICT in the instruction of English, mathematics and science in Malaysia among which are: Can the teachers deliver? Do they have the strong will to deliver? Are there adequate facilities for them to carry out this new task? Do they possess the necessary skills for them to be able to deliver? Does the government provide adequate training on the integration of ICT in subject content? Are the students prepared for the change in the medium of instruction? What is the present situation in schools with regards to the use of ICT? And is better teaching and learning achieved with the integration of ICT?

An Exploration of the Lived Experiences of a Visual Art Teacher in a Smart Classroom

“…Indeed, she viewed the smart space as a potential solution for increasing student engagement, optimising teaching and learning strategies, and improving outcomes. This phenomenon is contrary to several research findings, which note the difficulties in establishing a clear connection between technology and learning outcomes because of the number of factors that may influence results, including but not limited to: teaching effectiveness, quality of digital resources, time on task and effective feedback (Adedokun-Shittu & Shittu, 2011;Lei & Zhao, 2007;Papadakis et al, 2020). In this instance we note that it is not a case of technology but a whole system working in harmony as one, including the actors.…”

“…Indeed, it was Roberta's actions that made the smart space a useful educational system. She combined different ideas and strategies to create practical solutions to specific challenges related to the limitations posed by time, physical space and resources, demonstrating that a smart classroom, like any other digital tool, by itself has no impact on teaching and learning (Adedokun-Shittu & Shittu, 2011;Dron, 2018). Roberta seized the opportunity, created by the smart classroom, to concentrate more on the direct teaching of small groups and individuals as needed.…”

“…Initially, the smart space acted as a hook attracting and engaging students with new learning resources as they entered the classroom. Within a short time, Roberta adopted the smart learning classroom to solve existing challenges related to time, resources and space, demonstrating an in-depth understanding of how and when to use technology to support teaching and learning and achieve set goals (Adedokun-Shittu & Shittu, 2011).…”

Knowledge Management Implementation in Information Society

“…Research indicates that an effective way of increasing system acceptance is user involvement during systems development (Adedokun-Shittu & Shittu, 2011;Tait & Vessey, 1988). One of the most important factors for success is motivating users/staff to use the system.…”