Introduction to Education Technology and Education Reform

The impact of educational technology on education reform is still in play as the system clings to a paradigm ill-suited to the 21st century. Over 20 years ago, Trilling and Hood (1999) advised educators to “remember education in the U.S. is firmly lodged in a political process where it is far easier to secure support for quick fixes that attack symptoms than it is to find the political will to confront the root ailment of an elaborate education structure designed for an age that just passed.” This slow movement from the Information Age to the Digital Age might have continued if not for the pandemic. COVID-19 radically disturbed our educational paradigm as most elementary school, middle school, and high school students were sent home to learn remotely. Administrators, teachers, parents, and students have been thrust into an inescapable paradigm shift and forced to examine the role of technology in education reform.

One of the first organizations to recognize the potential of technology to change the educational paradigm was the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).  Formed in 1979 under the name the International Council for Computers in Education, its initial focus was on teaching students how to use computers to enter “an onramp to the ‘information superhighway'” (Sykora, 2015). In 2007, the next iteration of the standards tipped the focus from learning technology skills to using computers to learn. In 2018, the most recent standards were released with a focus on equity, digital citizenship, team and systems building, continuous improvement, and professional growth.

In an announcement of the standards, Curt Mould, Director of Digital Media, Innovation and Strategy for Sun Prairie Area School District in Wisconsin, stated: “The world our students are walking into is increasingly global and diverse — and technology is often the leverage point needed to bring global and diverse ideas together. In this regard, technology can be a game-changer in our schools. We need a new plan to help operationalize our work for the long-term benefit of our students” (as cited in Passat, 2018). Most educators looking forward could see the profound impact of technology on student learning and the advancement of learning outcomes.

In the 1980s, the most popular computers in schools were made by Apple Computer, IBM Corp., Tandy/Radio Shack, and Commodore. Then, in the 1990s, technical innovation completed the shift from print to digital with the introduction of a wide range of digital tools, including:

• Multimedia computers (1990s)
• CD-ROMs and DVDs (1990s)
• Interactive whiteboards (1990s)
• World Wide Web (1995)
• Mobile and other digital devices

Many different tools played a role in bringing technology from the world of business to the classroom. However, the effort to integrate technology into schools and harness its power to reform education largely depended on the growth of education software and the extension of the 2D library to the 3D universe of the internet. As ed tech became more popular and online delivery more accessible, online learning opportunities grew.

For example, Let’s Go Learn (LGL) designed and delivered adaptive online diagnostics with realtime reporting to assist teachers in aligning a student’s level of learning in math and language arts with a particular grade level. Teachers could then begin to individualize classroom learning with a focus on learning gaps and ongoing progress. LGL continued to meet the demands of educators for powerful individual learning tools with lessons developed using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for all students, particularly students with disabilities.

Educational games such as Oregon Trail, Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego, and Math Blaster offered teachers and students the opportunity to reinforce objectives and develop critical and creative thinking skills aligned to learning standards and lesson plans. With their innate ability to drive intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and their apparent effectiveness in skill-building, educational games were pulled into classrooms. Gamified learning became a staple of active learning.

Productivity tools also entered the environment. Microsoft delivered products that changed communication along with mathematical processes and calculations: MS Word (1983) and MS Excel (1987). Apple was gifted with a hypermedia application, Hypercard, with the mandate that it be offered to educators for no cost. Tech-savvy teachers used it to create new learning experiences, “ranging from interactive stories and dinosaur databases to hypermedia applications involving audio and video as well as computer text and graphics” (Bull & Harris, 1991).

Email became a popular communication tool as more households and businesses adopted personal computers. Between 1996 and 2004, four services emerged: MS Internet Mail and News (1996), Hotmail (1996), Yahoo Mail (1997), and Gmail (2004). Language arts teachers began to incorporate different formats for written communication as the internet became available to schools and technology integration flourished.

From online books to digital portfolios, from individualized reporting to online courses and game-based learning, educational technology was set to disrupt the paradigm for K-12 education in the U.S.

One of the biggest changes brought about by educational technology relates to the evolving role of the teacher in the classroom. In the paradigm that existed from the 19th century, the teacher provided information to the students and the students received it and parroted it back. As society moved into the Information Age in the 20th century, this model became less useful; the deluge of content and the proliferation of technological tools profoundly altered human and device-to-device interactions.

Telephone, radio, television, computers, mobile technology, smart devices, and artificial intelligence transformed U.S. culture outside of school and eventually entered the classroom. Educators no longer controlled information, and computing devices became teaching assistants. Students’ learning processes changed as their experiences outside of school contrasted profoundly with the sit-and-receive model. The role of the teacher continues as teacher education courses bring innovation and younger teachers bring their own tech-savvy to the classroom.

“The ‘heart of the reforms’ is that ‘in order to learn the sorts of things envisioned by reformers, students must think…students do not get knowledge from teachers, or books, or experience with hands-on materials. They make it by thinking, using information and experience’ (Thompson & Zeuli, 1999, p. 347). And in order to understand how to support students’ thinking, teachers must also think because the reform calls ‘for very deep changes—even a transformation –  teachers’ ideas about and understanding of subject matter, teaching, and learning’ (Thompson & Zeuli, p. 350)” (Finley, 2000).

From the computer lab, computers moved back into the classroom so that teachers and students could readily access educational resources. More districts and schools began to implement 1:1 ratios of computers to students. Classrooms composed of students at all levels of content knowledge and performance could clearly benefit from differentiated instruction and software programs that introduced, informed, and guided them to deep understanding. And students who were at varying stages of learning English, as well as students with disabilities, could make ongoing progress through individualized instruction.

As the educational system continued to integrate technology into the classroom, teachers and students benefited in terms of learning and preparing for college and career in the 21st century.

“Technology ushers in fundamental structural changes that can be integral to achieving significant improvements in productivity. Used to support both teaching and learning, technology infuses classrooms with digital learning tools, such as computers and handheld devices; expands course offerings, experiences, and learning materials; supports learning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; builds 21st century skills; increases student engagement and motivation; and accelerates learning. Technology also has the power to transform teaching by ushering in a new model of connected teaching. This model links teachers to their students and to professional content, resources, and systems to help them improve their own instruction and personalize learning.”

—U.S. Department of Education

The U.S education system has struggled since its beginnings to provide an equitable education to all students regardless of location, ethnicity, learning ability, learning difference, social-economic status, or disability. Today a key issue in providing equity for all is access to technology, electronic devices, and quality instruction and educational activities. The quality of education provided to students of color, students in poverty, students with disabilities, and English learners has continued to lag, as we have seen since mandates tracking performance by disaggregated group were put into place. The everyday lives and futures of these groups depend on this equity. To add to this dilemma, the integration of technology into education has caused a further digital divide.

Jason Trinh, an expert in technology and equity, stresses that having access to  technology allows students to learn in an environment that best suits them. Technology helps educators offer students a broad range of learning styles with the appropriate media and individualized programs with additional direct instruction, practice, and interactivity. For example, Let’s Go Learn’s personalized learning path is composed of lessons that not only offer supplemental direct instruction and practice but also provide gamification, music, song lyrics, animation, and characters.

As the teacher role has evolved from purveyor of information to guide and mentor, students have been able to take an active role in their education, which increases both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Rosalyn Washington, a digital learning specialist in Atlanta Public Schools, offers this reason for using ed-tech and instructional technology: “[T]o excite and empower and engage students with diverse learning experiences and content” (as cited in Zalaznick, 2021).

Technological advances and digital tools have catalyzed new levels of creativity and collaboration. Students have access to content that until recently was available only in academic tomes, library stacks, and labs. Through collaboration, they can work with peers or ask questions of scientists, writers, and philosophers of all countries, backgrounds, and opinions. The full impact of this freedom has probably not been realized, but there are already plenty of examples of young climate advocates, inventors, writers, and influencers taking advantage of this expanded access to information and expertise.

One limitation in technology’s ability to serve educational reform is its unavailability to the students and schools most in need of its benefits. According to Evan Marwell, the founder and CEO of EducationSuperHighway, about 18 million households have access to the internet but can’t afford to pay for it (as cited in Klein, 2021). Keith Krueger, chief executive officer of the Consortium for School Networking, commented on the 2021 Infrastructure Bill: “While there’s been a huge strategy by many school districts to provide hotspots [and get] connectivity to students who don’t have it, there are still large swaths of the country that are too rural or remote” (as cited in Klein, 2021). The problem of equitable access to devices and the necessary connectivity to use them at home and school continues to plague the  U.S. educational system.

Additionally, some educators, parents, and students have stressed that technology is not the perfect solution to equity and individual student needs. “In the current political climate, where high-level policy solutions are either stymied or slow in coming, perhaps teachers, researchers, and those in the broader education community globally ought to look smaller and focus more closely on the site of instruction. I argue that if we focus on the classroom as the location for reform, not only will the changes be more immediate and widespread, but also the students—the true and only constituency in education that matters—would benefit” (Tow, 2019). Meeting the needs of every child takes a community of families, educators, politicians, and social and health workers, and it involves heavy lifting to undo past institutions and processes and focus on the individual.

“In the current political climate, where high-level policy solutions are either stymied or slow in coming, perhaps teachers, researchers, and those in the broader education community globally ought to look smaller and focus more closely on the site of instruction. I argue that if we focus on the classroom as the location for reform, not only will the changes be more immediate and widespread, but also the students—the true and only constituency in education that matters—would benefit.”

—Tow, 2019

As with all connected technology, drawbacks include data privacy and cyberattacks. Because of the spread of connected tools and programs during the pandemic and remote learning, the U.S. Department of Education has increased its oversight and updated its guidance. The department also provides tech assistance to schools and districts (U.S. Department of Education, 2021).

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) General Guidance for Parents or Students (newly updated)
• Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) General Guidance
• Frequently Asked Questions on Photos and Videos
• FERPA Regulations
• PPRA Regulations

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