February 2001 — Features

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Assessing the Impact of Instructional Technology on Student Achievement

by Lorraine Sherry, Shelley Billig, Daniel Jesse, and Deborah Watson-Acosta

  • Motivation was related to metacognition. The relationship between class motivation and metacognition was slightly stronger (R = .307, p < the relationship between school motivation and metacognition (R = .282, p < .0001).
  • The relationship between metacognition and inquiry learning (Beta = .546, p < .0001) was stronger than the relationship between metacognition and application of skills (Beta = .282, p < .0001).
  • The relationship between inquiry learning and the student learning process outcome (Beta = .384, p = .001) was stronger than the relationship between application of skills and the student learning process outcome (Beta = -.055, not significant).
  • The relationship between application of skills and the student product outcome (Beta = .371, p = .004) was stronger than the relationship between inquiry learning and the student product outcome (Beta = .063, not significant).

Clearly, correlation d'es not imply causality. However, when each of these elements was considered as an independent variable, there was a corresponding change in associated dependent variables. For example, there was a significant correlation between motivation and metacognition, indicating that students' enthusiasm for learning with technology may stimulate students' metacognitive (strategic) thinking processes. The significant correlations between motivation, metacognition, inquiry learning, and the student learning process score indicate that motivation may drive increases in the four elements connected by the first path. Similarly, the significant correlations between motivation, metacognition, application of skills, and the student product score indicate that motivation may drive increases in the four elements connected by the second path.

Based on the significant correlations of the two teacher measurements of student achievement with the student survey data, these data validated the evaluation team's extension of the Developing Expertise model to explain increases in student performance as a result of engaging in technology-supported learning activities. Moreover, nearly all students across the project met the standards for both the teacher-created student product assessment and the learning process assessment. This indicates that, in general, the project had a positive impact on student achievement.

 

Conclusions

These preliminary findings suggest that teachers should emphasize the use of metacognitive skills, application of skills, and inquiry learning as they infuse technology into their respective academic content areas. Moreover, these activities are directly in line with the Vermont Reasoning and Problem Solving Standards, and with similar standards in other states. The ISTE/NETS standards for assessment and evaluation also suggest that teachers: