Koshon Mitchell May 22, 2013 EDET 780

Critique 1

Lynch, J. (2006). Assessing Effects of Technology Usage on Mathematics Learning. Mathematics Education Research Journal, Vol. 18, No.3, 29-43 http://www.merga.net.au/documents/MERJ_18_3_Lynch.pdf

Introduction

According to Julianne Lynch Computer-based technologies are now commonplace in classrooms, and the integration of various technologies into the teaching and learning of math is becoming policy in most developed countries (p. 29, 2006). A focus on the effects of educational practice can perpetuate popular misunderstandings of what technology is, how effective it is and what it means to use technology. Often, the forms of educational research that are most visible and most persuasive to lay audiences and policy-makers are those that provide simplistic, sometimes misleading, treatments of technology usage. When discussing the ways in which particular theoretical constructs frame or allow us to see classroom technology use, this article interrogates these constructs in terms of their potential to reduce ignorance (p. 30, 2006).

The purpose of the article was to focus on the effects of technology usage on mathematical learning by analyzing the impact of implementing various technologies in mathematics classrooms and evaluating the results. In an attempt to eliminate bias in the research Lynch used various examples of technology integration across multiple platforms including Australia, Africa, Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America. In order to raise critical questions about the quality of educational research and the way educational practice is framed, first, two large scale quantitative studies, taken from the broad field of educational computing, are contrasted. In 1994, the Israeli State Lottery sponsored a program that provided computers to many primary and middle schools in Israel, aiming to reduce the student to computer ratio in these schools to 10:1 by 1998. Researchers compared the test scores of students in schools that received the new computers with those of students in schools that did not, focusing on the fourth and eighth grades and concluding that the provision of computers did not appear to have any educational benefits. To establish a baseline for the effectiveness of the technology use the study used a quantitative survey to establish the frequency of computer use. Three main findings were reported. First, teachers in schools that received new computers reported an increase in frequency use of computers in classrooms. Second, this increased use of computers did not appear to translate into higher test scores. Finally, fourth graders in schools that received new computers performed less well on their mathematics tests than fourth graders in schools not involved in the program. (p. 33, 2006).

The second type of study focused on qualitatively different effects of qualitatively different usages. A study conducted in New Jersey conducted a large scale quantitative study on computer usage and reported that eighth grade students that used for more time, but used them mainly for

drill and practice, scored below average on standardized mathematics tests, while students who used computers for less time but used the time for specific applications and computer simulations of real world problems scored above average on the same tests. The findings of this study provide us with a starting point for understanding and critiquing practice; they provide a challenge to popular positions of unqualified support for, and unqualified rejection of, computing technology in education, and they can be used to inform decisions about educational practice. Critique This study sought to answer the question, how can we assess the effects of technology usage on mathematics learning? As a result the study attempted to include examples of various methods of integrating technology into mathematics lessons and displaying the results while clarifying several misconceptions about the effects of technology usage on mathematics learning. The introduction included some terminology regarding the key concepts and background information that readers outside of education may not be familiar with and the report lacked a formal literature review as well as a section dedicated to methodology used in the study. The lack of the methodology section does present a challenge to readers not a member of the targeted audience. However, the authors comfortable writing style does allow the reader to relate to key concepts easily. The material presented applies to both my own research topic for this course and my personal career as I attempt to seek various methods to engage my students in activities that are both rigorous and relevant while preparing them for the 21st century. The author pointed out that popular representations often position new technologies as agents that will either provide solutions to all the problems of modern schooling or lead to the downfall

of all that is valuable and all that works in schools (though in a context of increasing digital hegemony the latter position has become less tolerable) (p. 32, 2006). Conclusion In conclusion I believe this study provided some insight to a major misconception about the effects of technology usage on mathematics learning. Although most technology companies (software or hardware) provide evidence that the use of technology will increase student engagement, the reality of deficient schools and low performing students causes administrators to formulate an illusion that increasing technology usage on mathematics learning will also lead to an increase in mathematical academic performance. However the study failed to mention all of the independent variables that could have affected the outcome of the various experiments. The study was very useful to me because I utilize technology in my mathematics classroom with an attempt to increase academic performance and build concepts and skills that will be useful to my students. I now have additional things to consider when evaluating the effectiveness of integrating technology in my mathematics classroom. I would like to know if instances where an increase in technology usage on mathematical learning was directly associated with an increase in academic performance and I would also like a more detailed background in the various subjects in the experiments ranging from socioeconomics, academic background, fluency with technology prior to the integration in a mathematics classroom and topics covered.