Does technology positively impact student learning?

Does technology positively impact student learning? Although David Warlick has noted that the question may not really matter that much, educators, citizens, and policymakers still are interested in this issue as they seek to justify current and expanded technology funding in schools.

The Metiri Group has just issued a report commissioned by Cisco Systems that finds that technology can have significant impacts on student learning outcomes when implemented with fidelity. The report, Technology in Schools: What the Research Says, notes that school organizations must pay “serious attention . . . to leadership development, professional development for teachers, school culture, curricular redesign, and teacher preparation” in order to see the learning benefits of their technology investments. The results are no big surprise for technology advocates, but it is nice to see additional research support for our claims.

Guess what? All of these issues (except teacher preparation) are under the control of school leaders. Now, what are we going to do to help administrators ramp up their technology leadership skills?

You can download the full report or read eSchoolNews’ article.