NEW REPORT: 43% of Students Feel Unprepared to Use Technology in College and Work Life

Research states technology can support student-centered learning if part of larger, integrated plan

QUINCY, Mass., July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an effort to prepare all of New England's learners with the skills and knowledge they need for full participation in postsecondary education, work and life, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation (NMEF) promotes the integration of student-centered learning at the high school level across New England.

As part of this work, NMEF has released a new report, Integrating Technology with Student-Centered Learning. The report was prepared by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) for NMEF's Research and Development Initiative and examines current literature in order to better understand how technology might be used to personalize learning for students. The report examines the integration of computer- and web-based tools, applications, and games, as well as video and technology associated with mechanical and electrical engineering.

According to the report, which was prepared by EDC's Babette Moeller and Tim Reitzes, 43 percent of high school students feel unprepared to use technology as they look ahead to college and work; only 8 percent of teachers fully integrate technology in the classroom; and many teachers lack confidence in their own technology-related skills.

"Teachers and students often utilize technology and social networking in their everyday lives," said Beth M. Miller, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation for NMEF. "However, in the past, technology has not always improved achievement.  As this report makes clear, we are truly at a crossroads in the potential for technology to enhance student-centered teaching and learning."

The report points to evidence that technology has the potential to help expand education beyond traditional boundaries and support key practices of student-centered learning.

According to the report, technology holds the potential to:

• Help diagnose and address individual needs. Technology can help establish a clear baseline from which teachers can then serve as coaches and advisors, steering students to the right mix of resources and projects that meet specific academic requirements.
• Equip students with skills essential for work and life in a 21st century global society. Technology can enhance the knowledge and skills valued by employers and not typically measured in achievement tests, including: problem solving; creativity; collaboration; data management and communication.
• Provide an active experience for students. Technology can equip students to independently organize their learning process. At the same time, technology transfers some responsibility for learning to students. Through online learning and digital games, students have the ability to direct their own progress.

The report provides portraits of student-centered models where technology has been successfully integrated, such as High Tech High, a network of K-12 charter schools in the San Diego area that utilize technology to document and assess student learning through digital portfolios; and Quest to Learn, a New York public school that uses a video game-based curriculum.

The report also mentions that technology can:

• Provide an invaluable way to deliver more student- centered/personalized learning in a cost-effective way.  
• Enhance academic achievement, civic engagement, acquisition of leadership skills, and personal/social development.

"Our review of the research found evidence that technology alone will not enhance learning nor will it change traditional learning environments into more relevant, innovative ones," said EDC's Babette Moeller, co-author of the report. "But we did find that technology can be used effectively to personalize the learning experience when it is part of a larger student-centered learning plan and when teachers are involved in helping them make the most of it."

The report also points out that there has been relatively little research studying the effects of similar technology across different subgroups. The authors point out that such research would be necessary before specific technology could be recommended to close academic achievement gaps between populations.

Download Integrating Technology with Student-Centered Learning.

About the Nellie Mae Education Foundation
The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is the largest charitable organization in New England that focuses exclusively on education. The Foundation supports the promotion and integration of student-centered approaches to learning at the middle and high school levels across New England. To elevate student-centered approaches, the Foundation utilizes a three-part strategy that focuses on: developing and enhancing models of practice; reshaping education policies; and increasing public understanding and demand for high quality educational experiences. The Foundation's new initiative areas are: District Level Systems Change; State Level Systems Change; Research and Development; and Public Understanding. Since 1998, the Foundation has distributed over $123 million in grants. For more information, visit www.nmefdn.org.

About Education Development Center, Inc.
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), is a global nonprofit organization that addresses some of the world's most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic development. EDC manages 350 projects in 35 countries. Visit www.edc.org.

Contact:  Nick Lorenzen
Nellie Mae Education Foundation
781-348-4239, [email protected]

SOURCE Nellie Mae Education Foundation