Technology in Education

The problem being addressed in this study was the discrepancy of student achievement in low socioeconomic populations as it relates to integration of technology. The purpose of this study was to answer the question: Do technology-enriched classrooms have positive, negative, or neutral effects on students of low socioeconomic status? The author hypothesized that technology-enriched classrooms raised achievement levels and self-esteem of students of low socioeconomic status. This study compared the accomplishments of elementary students in technology-enriched classrooms and students in traditional classrooms in terms of student achievement, self-esteem, and classroom interaction. Classes from five Louisiana elementary schools were randomly assigned to either treatment or control groups. Treatment classrooms included a variety of technology upgrades and equipment while control classrooms did not. The subjects involved were a sample composed of 211 students of low socioeconomic status and of various backgrounds, races, and ability levels. The research concluded that mathematics achievement, composite self-esteem, school self esteem, and general self-esteem showed statistically significant differences, favoring the treatment group. Technology-enriched classrooms were far more likely to consist of a student-initiated environment where students participated in not only teacher led instruction but also student instruction in the form of computer workgroups. The literature reports many similar study outcomes: technology enriched classrooms were prone to produce more student focused and individualized interactions, and non-technological classrooms consisted of the traditional model of teacher centeredness. In addition, interaction analyses found a significant difference between type of classroom and type of verbal interactions occurring within those frameworks, with treatment groups exhibiting more automaticity and social interaction. The control groups showed very little autonomy. Children in technology-enriched classrooms appear to have scored higher on standardized math tests; take control of their learning environment; work well in cooperative groups; and place worth in their ability to become productive students and citizens. Whether computer technologies caused these positive findings remains debatable, as many variables were involved in the mix. However, many researchers believed the conclusion to be valid because students are digital natives and prefer

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