impact of icts in education: evidence and future directions

1  

Impact of ICT in Education Oystein  Johannessen  Educa2on  Impact  Fellow  

1  

2

Outline

• What do we mean by "impact"?

• What do we know about the effects of ICT?

• The Road(s) Ahead

3

Approaches to Impact • End point of intervention

•  Impact and assessing impact is often related to policy goals

• Quantifying versus assessing impact

• Axis: "Raising standards" vs "Assessing Learning"

4

Approaches to Impact •  Quantitative approach

•  Causal relationship between ICT use and gains in national tests through statistical analysis

•  Hard to isolate ICT as one of many variables influencing learning processes

•  Qualitative approach

•  Assessing impact via interviews and questionnaires among key stakeholders

•  Perceived versus real impact

5

6

Some findings from EUN Impact Study

•  ICT impacts positively on educational performance in primary schools, especially in the native language, less in science, and not in mathematics (Machin, UK, 2006)

•  ICT improves attainment levels of school children in native language (above all), in science and in design and technology, between ages 7 and 16, particularly in primary schools.

•  Pupils, parents and parents consider ICT has a positive impact on pupils´ learning (Rambøll, 2006)

7

OECD on Impact of ICTs

•  It is the quality of usage rather the amount of usage that defines the impact of ICT

• PISA studies have shown correlations between ICT familiarity at home and PISA scores

• No clear correlation between in-school ICT use and PISA score

8

PISA

9

EUN Netbook Study

10

Acer-EUN Netbook Study - about the study

11

Acer-EUN Netbook Study - findings

12

Acer-EUN Netbook Study - findings

13

The Roads Ahead

• The Indicator Road

• The Assessment Road

• The Competency Road

• The Social Road

14

Indicator Road

15

Indicator Road

16

Assessment Road •  Evidence shows that assessment is key to educational

practice and change

•  Emerging research indicates that ICT in assessing different competences are used in a narrow way

•  The ACT21S Project are developing innovative approaches to ICT and assessment

•  Assessment of digital literacy can be a driver for change of how ICT is used to assess key competences

17

The Competency Road

•  ICT as a lever for enhancing literacy, reading skills and numeracy

•  ICT and social skills

•  ICT, creativity and entrepreneurship

18

The Social Road

• Access

• Equity

• Quality

• Employability

19

Summing up • The impact agenda still has to be knowledge-

based.

• The scope of issues is wide. Need for a plethora of approaches to topics and methods.

• Quasi-experimental approaches involving learners should be explored further.

20