From Outmoded to Moodle
A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the College of Education
Touro University - California
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
in
TEACHING
by
Christine Williams
December 2010
Abstract
It is said of Oscar Wilde that he wished for "...schools beautiful, so beautiful that the punishment for undutiful children should be that they should be debarred from going to school the next day." (Aldington, 1946, p 655) Although Wilde was speaking of the aesthetic of the school's grounds and buildings, it is an interesting idea that a school be such a desirable place to be that the ultimate punishment would be to suspend a student. What appears to be so prevalent in many schools, especially at the secondary level, is a lack of motivation to perform up to ability, to attend on a regular basis, or to be even a part of the learning experience. The traditional classroom is becoming obsolete, and if we as educators are going to improve student participation and learning, we are going to have to examine the best ways in which to do so. The purpose of this project is to investigate the various means of improving student learning via technology and to develop practices that better incorporate technology in the classroom.
There are two questions here: 1) Can the better implementation of technology increase student motivation and learning? and 2) In the classroom, what should stay traditional and what should be on line? In this thesis, the researcher will examine the history and implementation of digital media. Student motivation and improved learning due to digital media will also be examined. This will be done in tandem with streamlining those lessons already using digital media and converting more lessons to digital delivery.
Introduction
“Adapt or die.” As educators today know all to well, the tail end of 20th Century ushered in the newest wave of technology in the classroom. Indeed, it is only growing ever faster in the 21st century, so fast that sometimes the innovations and latest trends appear before there is even an opportunity to assess the efficacy of the older technological developments. Pressure is also being brought to bear on teachers to increase student performance on standardized tests, sometimes to the detriment of inspired and creative teaching. Students, it seems, appear to be less interested in learning for learning’s sake; they want immediate gratification for their performance. Now the latest pressure appears to be merit pay, where a teacher’s compensation will be based on her students’ test performance. So how does a teacher these days meet the rigorous demands of improving test scores, be creative and inspiring despite being hampered by rigid and dull pacing guides (which skim only the surface of a content area or standard), and motivate her students, more and more of whom seem to have a disconnect with school and academics. There are many factors at play here, and the solution to most of these fall outside the scope of this study. However, it appears that the most prudent thing for an educator to do is to use young people’s love and expertise of gadgetry and blending it together with the best teaching practices. By doing so, a real possibility emerges, one in which students are more motivated to learn, teachers can overcome the ponderous pacing guides by injecting creativity and inspiration back into teaching, and performance, both in the classroom and on the tests, improves. This researcher believes that for future success, a hybridized classroom, one that combines technology and traditional teaching, is the best way to achieve this.
Problem
Currently in California the emphasis on standardized testing has only increased. Unfortunately, the next spanner in the works appears to be basing teacher compensation on their students’ performances. No matter how much this idea of merit pay based on test scores is sorely misguided in this researcher’s opinion, there seems to be little point in hoping it will simply go away. Policymakers appear to be disinterested in a better application of these funds, i.e., paying the money based on performance to the students who took the tests. In Vacaville Unified School District where the researcher has taught primarily eighth grade Language Arts for twenty-one years, she has seen a steady decrease in student performance and motivation to do their best. One of the biggest roadblocks to improving their motivation and performance level is the district’s policy of social promotion for K8 pupils, or, as many of the teachers call it, “Failure is an option” policy. If an eighth grader knows he need not work in any of his classes and will be promoted with full freshman standing the next year, provided he receives a D- in either Language Arts or math, there is no reason for him to apply himself. This leads, of course, to lowered performance on the STAR tests. This is due primarily for two reasons: one, they have not applied themselves during the year and don’t know the content as well as they should, and two, students know that the score will not affect their grades, therefore, there is no reason to try their best on the tests. It is no wonder that most of the schools in the district, if not all, are in program improvement, including this researcher’s school, Willis Jepson Middle School. In 2009-2010, Jepson entered its fourth year of program improvement (School Accountability Report Card 2008-2009, Jepson Middle School). It is the researcher’s belief that, although this district’s promotion policy as regards K8 pupils needs to change, it won’t, and so it is necessary for her to strike out and create a learning environment that increasing student performance.
Background and Need
When most people now think of technology in the classroom, for most, the computer comes to mind. However, teachers have been using technology for a great deal longer than classroom computers were even conceived of, let alone implemented. In the early part of the twentieth century, teachers began to use film in their instruction (Cuban, 1986, p. 12). Cuban cites two surveys (albeit somewhat flawed, in Cuban's opinion) conducted by the NEA to investigate how widespread the usage of film in the classroom was. The first survey conducted in 1946 found that the frequency with which film was used was relatively the same at both the elementary and junior high school level. By senior high school, the frequency of usage had dropped with 20.7% of teachers reporting film was used frequently as opposed to 37.5% in the elementary grades and 34.9% in junior high. (Cuban, 1986, pp. 14 -16) The second survey was held in 1954. In both the secondary and elementary levels, usage in the classroom had increased slightly in secondary schools from 20.7% to 23% teachers reporting frequent use. 42 % of elementary teachers reported using film frequently, again a slight increase over the results from the 1946 survey. (Cuban, 1986, p. 16). Interestingly enough, the reasons given for the infrequent or no use of film as an instructional tool seem to echo the reasons given today for the lack of integration of technology in the classroom: teachers lacking the skills necessary to implement film in their integration of films curriculum; expense that film entailed; not enough equipment to go around; and the search to find the best films to fit a teacher's content area. (Cuban, 1986, p. 18). These are the same problems facing teachers today: lack of skills, lack of money; equal access; and appropriate materials.
The use of radio in the classroom soon followed the introduction of film as an instructional tool in schools. Unlike films, which were shown when the teacher determined, there were broadcasts given at certain times of the day to which the teachers tuned in. (Cuban, 1986, p.19 - 24) As with films in the classroom, there were many of the same roadblocks present when it came to implementing radio broadcasts, and the demand for such broadcasts was short-lived. (Cuban, 1986, p. 25 - 26). Television was the next technological innovation, and it now standard equipment in most public schools along with DVD players and VCRs. They have become as ordinary as pencil sharpeners and whiteboards. One would think that in reading these first two paragraphs that the purpose of this project would be to flee from the use of technology in the classroom. It is true that the same problems that hampered easy inclusion of the early forms of technology are still present. So given all the negatives and pitfalls of using technology in the classroom up until now, why integrate more of it into the classroom?
The difference between then and now may lie in this: there is one change that was not as significant then, and that is the booming use of technology by people, especially the younger generation. According to a project by the Pew Research Center, "Social Media and Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults," teens and young adults comprise the two largest groups (93%) for whom the "... internet is a central and indispensable element in [their] live..." (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, and Zickuhr, 2009, p. 5) When it comes to computer ownership (laptop or desktop), more teens than not have computers. The study notes that "Nearly seven in ten (69%) teens ages 12 - 17 have a computer." (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, and Zichuhr, 2009, p. 10) This intertwining of technology with this latest generation's life style is not going to change; in fact, it is believed by some that this group, the "Millennials," may be "reshaping the nation..." (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, and Zickuhr, 2009)
So how are teachers adapting to the advancements in technology and use in the classroom? According to a recent survey by Grunwald Associates, LLC, teachers still are using the old standbys of televisions, video players, etc. (traditional media). However, more and more teachers are now coming on board with more up-to-date digital media such as social networking and virtual professional communities. (Digitally Inclined, 2009, p. 1) The teachers who were using digital media with their students more and more felt that there were two benefits to doing so: being more effective as teachers and creating more effective learners. (Digitally Inclined, 2009, p. 5). And even when teachers use traditional media, the survey revealed that teachers have become better at incorporating television and video (traditional media) into the classroom. Among the reasons given for using these media, 76 % of the teachers polled stated it "increases student motivation," while 87% of them claimed it "reinforces and expands on the content they are teaching." 76% of the teachers also said that it "helps them respond to a variety of learning styles." Among the benefits that are reaped by using television and video, the poll listed that 49% felt it made them more effective in the classroom. (Digitally Inclined, 2009, p. 8). Clearly, there is merit in not only improving the classroom use of traditional media, but also in the development of digital media.
Recent studies seem to bear out the teachers' claims that the implementation of more modern technological developments does increase student learning and motivation. According to a study of his own classes taught at Houston University, Brian McFarlin found that learning and performance were increased for those students who participated in a hybrid course. He compared the performance of 658 students he had taught a single course on the physiology. 348 students who took the traditional course, while 312 took the hybrid class. He found that students in the hybrid class did much better than those in the traditional setting. On the first exam, the hybrid class's students scored 10% higher; on the second exam, these same students scored 17.8% higher. This averaged out to a total of all scores with the hybrid class students having better scores by14.0% than those enrolled in a traditional university lecture class. His final findings indicate that an 83% improvement in grades was due to those students taking a hybrid class. (McFarlin, 2008, p. 89 -90)
McFarlin's findings are also borne out by a study on motivation in a hybrid course conducted at a Turkish University. What is interesting about Omer Delialioglu's paper is his discovery that a student's source of motivation was also a factor. Those students motivated intrinsically tending to enjoy the hybrid course better than those who were extrinsically motivated. He interviewed individually each of the twenty-five students enrolled in hybrid course on computer networks and communication in 2002 at Middle Eastern Technical University. The students who were motivated extrinsically tended to have a less positive opinion of the course than those intrinsically motivated. (Delialioglu, 2004, p.271) So while a hybridized class can improve motivation, a teacher needs to be conscious of her students' sources of motivation. Are they extrinsic (good grades, for example) or intrinsic (love of learning)?
It is apparent that there is a real need to restructure the way in which lessons are presented. This generation and the ones that follow are different in their learning behaviors due to the increasing reliance on various technological developments like texting, I-Pods, cell phones, the Internet, etc. While the content of any subject may remain the same, the approach must change if teachers are going to effective in disseminating their curriculum.
Purpose
The purpose of this thesis project is to explore the various types of technology used in the classroom from the most basic types (television, VCRs, and DVD players) to advanced types like hybridized classrooms or completely virtual education. It is this researcher's hope that there will two positives outcomes from this project. The first outcome hoped for is using technology to reduce the amount of paperwork, improve parent/teacher communication, and ease the workload. The second and more important desired outcome is to improve student participation and motivation in the learning process, thereby increasing their level of knowledge and rate of success on standardized tests as well as in the classroom.
Willis Jepson Middle School, where the researcher works, is located in the town of Vacaville, California, a community of approximately 100,000 people. Up until about thirty-five years ago, Vacaville was a small town along the Interstate 80 corridor between the Bay Area and Sacramento, but the cost of housing in the Bay Area as well as the building of a state prison in Vacaville created an abrupt and rapid growth in this once small town. Willis Jepson, a junior high school in town, underwent restructuring when the student population grew so large that a second high school was needed. The second junior high school, Will C. Wood, was turned into a 9 - 12 high school, an elementary school, Vaca Pena, was converted to a 7/8 middle school, and Jepson became a 7/8 middle school as well, losing its ninth grade class to what had been the town's only high school, Vacaville High.
The population consists of 1042 students. The ethnic/racial groups break down as follows: African American (6.43%), Amerindian/Alaskan Native (0.77%), Asian (1.92%), Filipino (1.44%), Latino (26.39%), Pacific Islander (0.67%) , white (52.88%), and multiple or no response (9.50%) (School Accountability Report Card, 2008 -2009, Jepson Middle School). Some of the students also fall into one or more groups: socioeconomically disadvantaged (32.00%), English learners (10.00%), and students with disabilities (11.00%) (SARC 2008-2009, Jepson Middle School).
As regards technology, Willis Jepson offers two one-semester long courses. Computer technology introduces students to basic computer usage and application. Video production and web design focuses on digital video production. Students produce the "daily school news" as well as create public service announcements to promote good behavior and to promote events. From 2001 to 2003, Jepson underwent extensive renovations, which included a new updated classroom for the technology classes as well as a computer lab. Prior to that time, students had access to a small number of computers in the school's library. All the classrooms currently have at least one computer, which is for teacher use. A few classroom have one to three or so extra computers for student use; these are used primarily for Accelerated Reader or Math programs. These AR/AM computers were purchased approximately six years ago with funds from a grant the school had received. Unfortunately, the funds no longer exist, and many of these computers are becoming more and more obsolete. The computers all have Internet access. In addition to computers, many of the classrooms now have projectors connected to the teacher's computer and are used to project such programs like Brain Pop or web streaming from EdStop1. The computer lab can seat up to 35 students. It is underutilized at this point. Some teachers use at the beginning and end of the year for AR testing; other teachers use it a few times each quarter throughout the year. Many of the teachers on site have either never used it or have only used it very sporadically since its inception. Still, should a teacher wish to create a hybridized classroom, there would be enough access to computers for students.
Objectives
The project will be divided into two main steps. First, the researcher will gather information about the various uses of technology, so that she may begin improving what technology she has already implemented and also begin the creation and/or transfer of standard based lessons based on the Explicit Direct Instruction model from DataWORKS to be presented via PowerPoint, podcasts, and other sorts of more modern means of presentation. She will also begin using the district's current grading/communication program, School Loop. Secondly, the researcher will create her own Moodle in order to provide eventually information regarding assignments, be it downloading work, providing lessons for those students who were absent, creating student/teacher forms, etc. The final outcome should be a hybridized classroom, one that combines the best of the traditional, or face-to-face, classroom with the best of e learning.
Definition of Terms
These terms come from a variety of sources. These are listed at the end of each definition.
1. DataWORKS: The main focus of DataWORKS Educational Research is to work with schools in order to be more successful at teaching the different content areas in the hopes that test scores will improve. (From DataWORKS website)
2. digital media: These are the new advancements in media like podcasts, the Web, interactive games, etc. (From PBS report: Digitally Inclined.)
3. Explicit Direct Instruction: A method for teachers to develop more efficient and effective
lesson plans. It has eight components: Checking for Understanding; Learning Objective;
Activate Prior Knowledge; Concept Development; Skill Development; Importance; Explaining, Modeling & Demonstrating; and Guided Practice. (From DataWORKS website)
4. hybrid (hybridized) classroom: A cross between traditional, or face-to-face, classroom instruction and online learning.
5. social networks: Internet communities that were created by people who have similar interests. (From PBS report: Digitally Inclined).
6. traditional media: Media like television, video and tape recorders, radio, etc. (From PBS report: Digitally Inclined.)
Summary
Chapter one contains the rationale for the researcher's desire to create a Moodle for her classroom. By doing so, she hopes to improve student learning by motivating them through the use of technology. Given the pressure on teachers to improve test scores and the reality that our students are part of the digital nation, it is necessary for teachers to adapt their methods of instruction to retain student interest, promote student motivation, and increase student learning in all content areas.
Prior to creating a Moodle, the researcher will also investigate and then implement those practices (PowerPoint, for example) that best engage students. Much of the teaching style will evolve over time... moving more and more away from a purely traditional classroom to a hybrid.
References
Aldington, R. (1946) The Portable Oscar Wilde. New York, NY: Viking Press.
Cuban, L. (1986) Teachers and Machines: the Classroom Use of Technology since 1920. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Delialioglu, O. (2004) Investigation of Source of Motivation in a Hybrid Course. Middle East Technical University. Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 27th, Chicago, IL, October 19-23, 2004.
Lenhart, A., K. Purcell, A. Smith, and K. Zichuhr (2010). Social Media & Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Washington, D.C.: Pew Research Center.
McFarlin, B. (2008) Hybrid lecture-online format increases student grades in an undergraduate exercise physiology course at a large urban university. American Physiological Review 32: 86 - 91.
Mertler, C. (2009) Action Research: Teachers as Researchers in the Classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
PBS. (2009) Digitally Inclined. (Grunwald Associates, LLC). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/teachers/_files/pdf/annual-pbs-survey-report.pdf
School Accountability Report Card. (2009) School Accountability Report Card -- Willis Jepson Middle School (2002 - 2009).
