Technology Implications for District Leaders

Current technology can be used to assist in the design and delivery of learning experiences that are intended to help learners progress through balancing the level of challenge based on their unique background and skill set. Consider, for example how a group of learners can have a common goal or expectation but progress through a series of increasingly difficult exercises based on their performance. This has long been the design of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) packages that have been used with varying degrees of success in a number or settings. In each of these programs, ongoing and diagnostic assessment information is used to provide the learner with immediate feedback that guides the next series of exercises. However, conventional CAI programs resembled computer-based worksheets that merely took advantage of the technical ability to quickly score and sequence the questions. In other words, these were “drill and practice” programs that continued to rely on a separate instructional component.

There are now examples of programs that begin with a diagnostic inventory and then schedule students individually into asynchronous, online learning experiences that actually teach the student through web-conferences, online videos, animated tutorials, peer demonstrations, and independent reviews of resources (Houghton Mifflin, 2010). Following completion of the learning experiences, interim assessment modules are deployed to determine if additional instruction is required before students move to an application phase.

Student progress can be instantaneously monitored through interactive, visually-rich data systems. Student rating systems can help to determine the effectiveness or the various learning experiences and the best lessons can then be highlighted for subsequent learners. An abundance of research confirms the value of specific and immediate feedback that accelerate student learning.

Another engaging approach is to move from the use of Web 1.0 to Web 2.0. Web 1.0 is the use of the Internet for information retrieval. Web 2.0 takes learning a step further into highly interactive, participatory environments with the creation and sharing of intellectual and social resources by the end users – you and me. In other words, Web 1.0 is the “read only” web while Web 2.0 is the “read/write” version. Examples of Web 2.0 include Google Docs, blogs, wikis, and social groups like Facebook and Ning where users can create personalized pages of information to share with others.

Regardless of the particular tool, these experiences will increasingly be delivered through mobile devices in asynchronous, anytime-anywhere platforms. The combined impact of challenge-based learning—with a focus on application and projects—and customized skill-based learning are different models than the traditional stand-and-deliver, one-size-fits-all instruction that most adults experienced when they were in school.

Recommendations for District Leaders:
• Revisit the concept of age-based grouping and deploy several alternatives to this approach to guide schools in optimal grouping arrangements.
• Permit and promote new tools for communication and service such as blogs, wikis, webinars, SMS and RSS feeds, etc.
• Provide resources and support to ensure that all students have access to online digital tools at school and in their homes.
• Include meaningful feedback on challenge-based learning experiences as part of the assessment and accountability system.
• Promote a full range of online learning experiences for students and teachers, including teacher-supported, hybrid, and independent activities to meet the varied needs of learners and to provide a platform for technology integration.