Technology Transitions for Instructional Materials

Current classroom materials are disappointing. The educational system still focuses primarily on textbooks as the primary mode of instruction despite other more viable alternatives.  As long as schools treat e-books, on-line tutorials, and digital presentations as supplemental materials, then publishers will continue focus their business efforts on creating marketable textbooks. Other than meeting the state's Standard Course of Study requirements, there are few hard and fast rules for the Textbook Adoption Committee to follow. In the end, the selected textbook was still designed to appeal to the purchaser--not the true end user. The "supplemental" material, like digital presentations or Power Points, provided to teachers have more in common with textbooks than presentation software, i.e. excessive wordiness with small fonts, poor graphics (if included at all), and no animations/transitions. An older generation would find this suitable for learning with complete explanations and no distracting movements, but a younger, multi-tasking generation enjoys detailed illustrations, less words, and more interaction. Design and instructional mode needs to be mindful of the student target audience not just what teachers are comfortable using.

Results from the on-line survey reveal 90% of students prefer watching a digital presentation as opposed to reading a textbook for introductory material. Even though preference alone does not automatically guarantee improved learning, research did reinforce the value of appropriate digital presentation format enhancements to improve lower level cognitive recall; therefore, this digital learning format is no longer a wave of the future but a necessity. Power Points should be a standard tool in a teacher's repertoire in communicating essential information and designed for the student.

“Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow”
Custom Education Plan for Everyone

New technological advancements are already impacting our schools with distance learning, e-books, blogs, SMART Boards, video tutorials, and broad-band internet access. As electronic instruction continues to evolve, it will soon be possible to tailor instructional methods specifically to that student’s learning needs.

Even now, software predicts student growth based on EOC test scores, and it provides a measurement to determine school excellence and federal funding. How much more powerful if technology was pro-active? Rather than a static snapshot of the academic big picture, the goal should be an evolving awareness of student learning styles and how to best meet those needs.

If that means changing all digital presentations to a purple version, because it is their favorite color then that is useful information. Obviously, the computer would monitor guided-practice exercises and mastery tests to provide data-driven solutions and real-time feedback. Classroom interaction could be reserved for exploration and discussion, not simple informational dissemination.

Student Belief in Success is Crucial

During research, one class consistently out-performed the other two. Multiple causes were investigated and eliminated such as, potential teacher presentation differences, stronger visual learning modality, and lower concentration of LD/At-Risk students. In the end, it was a success factor completely beyond my control: past academic achievement and future grade expectations.

Based on a student survey, a staggering 92% of students expected to achieve an A to C grade as compared to only 68% average for the other classes. From the beginning, this particular group demonstrated advanced abstract conceptual mastery, higher involvement in class discussion, and increased willingness to stay for afterschool tutorials as compared to the other classes’ characteristically lackluster attempts at simple factual recall.

Although teacher presentation and classroom management skills are critical,  the ability to recall facts, to organize information, and apply abstract concepts are impacted more by an internal locus of student control than external factors within teacher control.