Educational Technology Research Past and Present: Balancing Rigor and Relevance to Impact School Learning

Abstract

Today, the exponential growth of technology usage in education, via such applications of distance education, Internet access, simulations, and educational games, has raised substantially the focus and importance of educational technology research. In this paper, we examine the past and present research trends, with emphasis on the role and contribution of research evidence for informing instructional practices and policies to improve learning in schools. Specific topics addressed include: (a) varied conceptions of "effective" technology uses in classroom instruction as topics for research, (b) historical trends in research approaches and topics of inquiry; (c) alternative research designs for balancing internal (rigor) and external (relevance) validity; and (d) suggested directions for future research. Attention is devoted to describing varied experimental designs as options for achieving appropriate rigor and relevance of research evidence, and using mixed-methods research for investigating and understanding technology applications in complex real-life settings.

Effects of mobile devices on K–12 students' achievement: a meta‐analysis

“…The use of mobile devices in mathematics classrooms has been rapidly increasing (Carr, 2012;Ross, Morrison, & Lowther, 2010). Mathematics teachers and students have been using a variety of mobile devices such as smartphones, iPads, tablets, iPods and PDAs for teaching and learning mathematics (Agostinho et al, 2015;Nedungadi & Raman, 2012).…”

The Internet in face‐to‐face higher education: Can interactive learning improve academic achievement?

“…The incorporation of technology into education is not a homogenous intervention (Ross, Morrison & Lowther, ). Today, the Internet can be used to accomplish various types of learning (Means et al , ): Expository, where content is transmitted unidirectionally via the technology. Active, where students use the technology individually to explore information and solve problems. Interactive, where the technology mediates human interaction and knowledge emerges from such interaction. …”

“…Therefore, the higher academic achievement of students on blended learning courses compared to those on fully face‐to‐face courses (for a detailed review of research on this issue, see Tamim et al , ) cannot be explained as something intrinsic to the incorporation of the Internet into education, but rather as a consequence of the different instructional conditions that may be associated with the technology. However, while the conclusions of such studies (Means et al , ; Ross et al , ) highlight the need for further research to elucidate what the conditions are that make blended learning improve achievement, the data analysed in the studies reviewed do not allow this question to be answered.…”

Promoting Pedagogical Agility in Learning Spaces: Toward a Comprehensive Framework of Faculty Support and Innovation

“…The ubiquity and importance of technology in higher education (e.g., Becker et al, 2017) requires an accompanying vigilance to understand and promote its effective use. This is especially true to the extent technology can promote or impede learning (e.g., Clunie, Morris, Joynes, & Pickering, 2018;Ross, Morrison, & Lowther, 2010). Therefore, merely equipping classrooms with instructional technologies is insufficient if the expectation is appropriate and successful faculty adoption and implementation.…”