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Accountability: Responsibility and reasonable expectations
- Educational Researcher
, 2003
"... so must administrators, parents, and policymakers. Students and teachers have a responsibility to put forth a reasonable level of ef-fort, while administrators and policymakers have a responsibil-ity to provide the means—both instructional resources and professional development—for teachers and stud ..."
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so must administrators, parents, and policymakers. Students and teachers have a responsibility to put forth a reasonable level of ef-fort, while administrators and policymakers have a responsibil-ity to provide the means—both instructional resources and professional development—for teachers and students to meet the expectations of the accountability system. Parents also need to share responsibility. Porter and Chester’s (2001) discussion of “symmetric ac-countability ” systems provides a rationale for the belief that shared responsibility of students, teachers, administrators, and policymakers is critical for accountability to contribute to im-provements in education. Their idea of symmetry is that incentives need to be distributed across all parties to encourage the shared re-sponsibility that is needed for real improvement. Although broadly shared responsibility is the most likely way for expectations to be achieved, the reality is that most accountability systems now in place focus so heavily on educators and/or students that others are largely ignored. Greater emphasis needs to be given to other responsible parties. Researchers also need to share responsibility. We have the re-sponsibility to provide solid information about the strengths and weaknesses of alternative approaches and interventions, one of which is the accountability system itself. I doubt that anyone would say that we already know all we need to know to design a highly effective accountability system that is sure to contribute to the broad goal of improving education without having major unintended negative side effects. However, we do have a good deal of information based on research and past experience with a variety of accountability systems that have been used by states and the federal government. Accountability systems need to be designed in ways that are consistent with that evidence and past experience regarding the factors that enhance positive effects and minimize negative effects.
Creating a framework for research on systemic technology innovations
- The Journal of The Learning Sciences
, 2004
"... This article examines why cognitively oriented technology innovations, designed to foster deep thinking and learning, have not become widespread in K–12 schools. We argue a key reason is that most design-based research does not explicitly address sys-temic issues of usability, scalability and sustai ..."
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This article examines why cognitively oriented technology innovations, designed to foster deep thinking and learning, have not become widespread in K–12 schools. We argue a key reason is that most design-based research does not explicitly address sys-temic issues of usability, scalability and sustainability. This limitation must be over-come if research is to create usable knowledge that addresses the challenges con-fronting technology innovations when implemented in real-world school contexts. This is especially important in an era when political forces push schools away from the cognitively rich, inquiry-oriented approaches espoused by the Learning Sciences. We suggest expanding our conception of design-based research to include research on innovations in the context of systemic reform as a potential solution to the prob-lem. To that end, we introduce research questions and issues arising from our own ex-periences with a technology-rich innovation in the context of a systemic reform ini-tiative as a starting point in the creation of an expanded design-based research agenda. These questions and issues have important implications for both the contin-ued viability of research on technologies for learning and on the future of technology use in schools that stems from such research. Over the past decade, the Learning Sciences have built on knowledge of how people learn (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999) and made major investments in the de-sign and development of learning environments that employ technology to foster
When each one has one: The influences on teaching strategies and student achievement of using laptops
- in the classroom. Educational Technology Research and Development
, 2003
"... In this study, we examined the educational effects of providing fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-grade students with 24-hour access to laptop computers. Specifically we examined the impact of laptops on classroom activities, and on student use of technology and their writing and problem-solving skills. P ..."
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In this study, we examined the educational effects of providing fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-grade students with 24-hour access to laptop computers. Specifically we examined the impact of laptops on classroom activities, and on student use of technology and their writing and problem-solving skills. Participating teachers received computer integration training using the iNtegrating Technology for inQuiry (NTeQ) model to develop problem-based lessons that engage students in critically examining authentic issues, and strengthen research and writing skills. A matched treatment-control group design was employed, in which classes taught
Teachers’ beliefs about issues in the implementation of a student-centered learning environment
- Educational Technology Research and Development
, 2003
"... technology-enhanced student-centered learning environments (SCLEs) will be affected by their beliefs about effective practices. In order for student-centered programs to be used as intended, designers must be aware of the key issues that will shape their implementation and the beliefs teachers hold ..."
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Cited by 34 (0 self)
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technology-enhanced student-centered learning environments (SCLEs) will be affected by their beliefs about effective practices. In order for student-centered programs to be used as intended, designers must be aware of the key issues that will shape their implementation and the beliefs teachers hold about these issues. This case study examined 15 teachers ’ beliefs about student-centered learning as they implemented Alien Rescue, a computer-based program for middle school science that was designed to create a SCLE in the classroom. Considerations for the design of similar programs are offered.
2005 A Historical Perspective on Validity Arguments for Accountability Testing. Chapter 1
- in Uses and Misuses of Data for Educational Accountability and Improvement. The 104th Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Part 2. Joan
"... findings and opinions expressed do not reflect the positions or policies of the National ..."
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findings and opinions expressed do not reflect the positions or policies of the National
in press). Integrating curriculum, instruction, assessment, and evaluation in a technology-supported genetics environment
"... This article describes an extended collaboration between a development team and an evaluation team working with GenScope, an open-ended exploratory software tool. In some respects, this was a routine evaluation, documenting substantial gains (of roughly 1 SD) in genetics reasoning ability in all but ..."
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This article describes an extended collaboration between a development team and an evaluation team working with GenScope, an open-ended exploratory software tool. In some respects, this was a routine evaluation, documenting substantial gains (of roughly 1 SD) in genetics reasoning ability in all but 1 of 17 classes, despite challenges presented by school computer-lab settings. Relative to matched comparison classes, larger gains were found in technical biology and general science courses but not in college prep or honors biology courses. In other respects, our effort illustrates the value of new views of assess-ment, technology, and research. The alignment of a sophisticated research assessment and simple classroom assessments shed light on initial failures, spurring revision. By refining the GenScope activities and extending the class-room assessments, we supported worthwhile whole-class discourse around the shared understanding of the software. A follow-up study in a laptop-equipped classroom yielded the absolute and relative gains (3.1 SD and 1.6 SD) that proponents of such innovations have long promised. In retrospect, the strengths and weakness of the study illustrate the value of newer “design-based” approaches to educational research.
Systems Development Group Project: A Real-World Experience
- Information Systems Education Journal
, 2006
"... The Group Systems Development Project course of the Information Systems major at the University of Cape Town is a practical course designed to integrate the body of knowledge obtained in other undergraduate theoretical courses. The main objective of the course is to give students a real world experi ..."
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The Group Systems Development Project course of the Information Systems major at the University of Cape Town is a practical course designed to integrate the body of knowledge obtained in other undergraduate theoretical courses. The main objective of the course is to give students a real world experience of the diverse and complex nature of the Information Systems profession and provide them with adequate skills for the global marketplace. This paper describes the objectives as well as the deliverables and the administration of the course. The basic course content is outlined, and the various stakeholders and their roles are identified. Some discussion is provided regarding the comprehensive set of assessment strategies that has been implemented as well as a number of critical issues that have emerged. Finally, the need for ongoing research in this area is addressed.
Behind test scores: What struggling readers really need. The Reading Teacher
, 2004
"... Every year thousands of U.S. students takestandardized tests and state reading tests,and every year thousands fail them. With the implementation of the No Child Left Behind legislation (www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml), which mandates testing all children from grades 3 to 8 every year, these numbers w ..."
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Cited by 16 (0 self)
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Every year thousands of U.S. students takestandardized tests and state reading tests,and every year thousands fail them. With the implementation of the No Child Left Behind legislation (www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml), which mandates testing all children from grades 3 to 8 every year, these numbers will grow ex-ponentially, and alarming numbers of schools and students will be targeted for “improvement.” Whether you believe this increased focus on test-ing is good news or bad, if you are an educator, you are undoubtedly concerned about the chil-dren who struggle every day with reading and the implications of their test failure. Although legislators, administrators, par-ents, and educators have been warned repeatedly not to rely on a single measure to make impor-
Teaching with rubrics: The good, the bad, and the ugly
- College Teaching
, 2005
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