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8 Digital Technology
Pages 163-196

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From page 163...
... of the device mechanisms and purchases an intelligent tutoring system that offers individualized instruction and virtual reality simulations; it also explains device mechanisms and common misconceptions. Use of the system results in a significant reduction in errors.
From page 164...
... Since that report was published, new technologies have been developed and researchers have expanded understanding of how digital technology can most effectively be used to foster learning. In this chapter, we discuss ways to align learning technologies with goals for learning, drawing on research on new technologies that have shown promise for stimulating active learning and supporting learning in school and in the workforce.
From page 165...
... Box 8-1 summarizes information delivery and input features and other technological BOX 8-1  Key Affordances of Learning Technologies 1. Interactivity.
From page 166...
... , multimedia computer-mediated communication, computer-supported collaborative learning, conversational agents, tutors on demand, and crowd sourcing. affordances that support learning at deeper levels (this list builds on work by Mayer [2009]
From page 167...
... The learner selects the word that names the picture and receives immediate feedback (correct versus incorrect)
From page 168...
... . Intelligent tutoring systems can also support deep learning with models (Sottilare et al., 2014; VanLehn, 2011)
From page 169...
... Hundreds of studies have shown the effectiveness of intelligent tutoring systems in promoting deeper learning for some populations of learners on core literacy and numeracy skills, complex STEM topics, and 21st century skills (Kulik and Fletcher, 2016)
From page 170...
... Learning technologies have been designed to promote deeper conceptual learning as part of group collaboration. Two examples for which the developers have shown positive effects are described in Box 8-2.
From page 171...
... , and the teacher agent immediately answers each ques BOX 8-2  Web-Based Technologies for Group Learning The Knowledge Forum is a redesign of the Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environments (CSILE) described in HPL I
From page 172...
... . TECHNOLOGIES THAT STIMULATE ACTIVE LEARNING We have pointed to the importance of stimulating active student learning rather than merely delivering information to the student through books and lectures (see Chapters 5 and 7)
From page 173...
... Further, the literature on adult populations (college students and other adults) suggests that users play video games for a variety of cognitive, affective, and social reasons.
From page 174...
... . Ready to Learn transmedia interventions that combine media-based and nonmedia activities into coherent curriculum units have shown positive effects on early reading and mathemat ics skills for preschoolers from homes with low income (Pasnik and Llorente, 2013; Pasnik et al., 2015; Penuel et al., 2012)
From page 175...
... Educators view digital technology as a mixed blessing for academic learning. For example, writing teachers report that online activity has helped equip teen learners to understand multiple points of view, but they worry that the informal style of text messages and Internet posts has crept into students' scholastic writing and that common practices such as "retweeting" and "copy and paste" have desensitized students to the seriousness of plagiarism (Purcell et al., 2013)
From page 176...
... Making is a form of active learning because it is experiential and engages students in developing their own understanding of a domain through doing. Active learning strategies are generally understood to be student-centered, inquiry-based instructional approaches (Kuh, 2008)
From page 177...
... In both cases, students' design work is supported by industry mentors working with teachers in the makerspace. Embodied Cognition Another new area of active research, embodied cognition, has become closely intertwined with digital technology advances.
From page 178...
... Immersive environments also have been developed to train soldiers on equipment maintenance, troubleshooting and repair, and other tasks that require reasoning and more thoughtful deliberation. The tech nologies have included mixed-reality environments with conversational agents and avatars for the learning of language, social interactions, and collaborations that are culturally appropriate (Johnson and Valente, 2009; Swartout et al., 2013)
From page 179...
... Conversational Agents Another new technology that can stimulate active learning is the computerized conversational agent. Digital agents are designed to engage the learner in dialogues that promote reasoning, social interaction, conscious deliberation, and model learning (D'Mello et al., 2014; Lehman et al., 2013)
From page 180...
... TECHNOLOGIES FOR INSTRUCTION Learning technology can be used to support instruction, and this sec tion explores the evidence for this technology's capability to support three instructional goals: linking formal and informal learning to improve learners' outcomes, orchestrating the complexities of instruction in the classroom, and developing students' writing through interactivity and feedback. Linking Formal and Informal Learning Researchers have explored ways educators might recruit the vast bod ies of informal knowledge learners acquire from their cultural contexts and self-directed learning to help achieve formal learning objectives in schools and workplaces.
From page 181...
... Online "hangouts" and other informal online groups of students support academic learning for college students in large lecture courses. Early research suggested that membership in study groups can be helpful in a challenging course (Treisman, 1992)
From page 182...
... , the challenge clearly suggests the importance of devoting considerable training time to that integration, rather than attempting to cover it in a few lectures or a single course. Professional development in technology integration is more successful when it is of ex tended duration, gives teams of teachers from the same school or program the opportunity to collaborate in using concrete practices and to comment on each other's practice, is coherent with the other practices and change initiatives at their schools, and demonstrates ways to leverage data from digital learning systems for formative purposes (Fishman and Dede, 2016)
From page 183...
... These systems can be used to distribute writing assignments and learning resources, provide immediate feedback to students, provide feedback on plagiarism, and allow students to submit their writing to the teacher or to peers for evaluation and feedback. The automated feedback may allow teachers to focus on what a student's writing reveals about a deeper understanding of the material (Cassidy et al., 2016; Warschauer and Grimes, 2008)
From page 184...
... In this section, the committee reviews the issues associated with digital dashboards, distance learning, universal design, mobile devices, and features of technologies that may be addressed through further application of principles from the science of learning. Digital Dashboard Digital dashboards allow a learner to monitor his own progress through the learning environment.
From page 185...
... . Digital technology can support synchronous communication between instructors and students, such as participating in a live Webinar, using technology-based instruction in the classroom, or corresponding in a course chatroom (instructor and learners spatially separated but interacting in real time)
From page 186...
... . Social communication may be used more in the future as learning environments become more digitally supported, self-regulated, and socially connected.
From page 187...
... Mobile applications can be adapted for different learning contexts inside and outside of school. Well-designed mobile applications can also be adapted to a learner's abilities and desires, which may have positive effects on the learning process and peoples' attitudes about their learning experiences (García-Cabot et al., 2015; Hsu et al., 2013)
From page 188...
... There are ways both teachers and designers can help students benefit from technology. One is to provide adequate instructions for interacting with the technology.
From page 189...
... Universal Design Universal Design for Learning refers to a framework for drawing on relevant research to design educational experiences that are optimal for all learners, including those with specific learning challenges. Removing obstacles to interacting with technology has been a key objective of Universal Design (Burgstahler, 2015; Meyer et al., 2014)
From page 190...
... Technology for Learning in Later Life Several trends suggest digital technologies can support both formal and informal learning in adults. Older adults are increasingly comfortable using technological devices, including tablets and computers (Pew Research Center, 2014)
From page 191...
... and Center for Universal Design (1997)
From page 192...
... Social connectedness is linked to successful cognitive aging (Ballesteros et al., 2015) , so collaborative learning opportunities may lead to enriched social connections that improve cognition and mitigate cognitive decline.
From page 193...
... . At this point, for example, access to the Internet is widespread, but the tools to use the current generation of digital learning resources and to create content for online distribution is much less so.
From page 194...
... It remains to be seen, therefore, whether plans like ConnectED are sufficiently viable to be implemented within the next decade. A Systematic Approach to Implementation Effective implementation of digital technology for learning is vital, and failure to properly consider implementation challenges may significantly limit the benefits to be gained from using technology.
From page 195...
... Many factors can affect the impact of a technology when it is used on a large scale, including the characteristics of learners, the sociocultural context, the nature of the affordances the technology provides, the curriculum and materials to be used for learning, the faithfulness with which the technology is implemented, and the involvement of instructors and learners in the implementation process. Some researchers have advocated taking a "systems approach" in implementing learning technologies, in order to take into account the multiple factors that may affect the impact of the technology.
From page 196...
... From the available evidence on uses of digital technologies in people's learning, we draw two conclusions: CONCLUSION 8-1:  The decision to use a technology for learn ing should be based on evidence indicating that the technol ogy has a positive impact in situations that are similar with respect to: the types of learning and goals for learning; • characteristics of the learners; • the learning environment; • f  eatures of the social and cultural context likely to affect • learning; and •  he level of support in using the technology to be provided t to learners and educators. CONCLUSION 8-2: Effective use of technologies in formal education and training requires careful planning for imple mentation that addresses factors known to affect learning.


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