Just when many schools hope to replace textbooks with laptops, a study from the U.S. Department of Education has concluded that K-12 software isn’t significantly boosting students performance.
Could hurt K-12 e-book cause
Software supporters reply that the results would be better with improved teacher training. For now, however, this is at least a very minor setback to the cause of e-books in schools—since e-books can piggyback on laptops and PDAs bought with K-12 software in mind.
Of course, in the end, isn’t it an issue of the quality of the teaching? E-books can help by increasing the number of books available to meet the needs and interests of students–ideally nudged in the right direction by teachers. The benefits may or may not show up quickly in scores from the usual tests.
Inevitable questions ahead for $100 laptop approach
Please note that the Washington Post, source of the news on the study, doesn’t mention either e-books or OLPC‘s $100 laptop for the Third World, now intended to be bundled with Nicholas Negroponte‘s pet pedagogy of hyperconstructivism. But the ramifications are clear for both. Sooner or later studies—generating their own share of controversies—will be made to ascertain effectiveness of various tech-heavy approaches in K-12. Richard Bellaver at Ball State University has already been doing important K-12 e-book research in the related areas of reading comprehension and usability and sees promise for e-books.
About the screenshot: It’s from a Web page promoting the Waterford Early Reading Program.
Update, 11:55 a.m.: See Education Week story.
Teachers don’t need to “nudge” kids towards the right books. They need to DEMAND that the kids read the classics and understand the deeper meaning of the works. Teachers need to teach and quit relying on technology as a crutch. They need to increase the homework load and set higher standards for students.
The report can be read online at
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20074005/
Well I continue to say that right or wrong, OLPC will not be in USA schools due to teachers unions reaction to his Constructionists ideals and computer retailers freaking on his $150 price point.