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Assessment of ICTs
in Classroom
Instruction
Sarah McPherson
New York Institute of Technology
NECC 2009 Washington DC
Purpose
 To examine tools for assessing use of technology
in the classroom
 To determine the validity of the instruments
 To align the assessment with the professional
development
 To identify how the assessment results can be
used to improve the professional development
 To recommend tools and strategies for assessing
effective uses of ICTs in instructional settings.
Background
A STEM MSP grant in the Bronx
 To prepare teachers to use technology in STEM
teaching and learning
 To increase participants’ knowledge in STEM content
 To provide instructional strategies for teaching STEM
in middle school and high school environments
 To assess the extent of use of ICTs in STEM classrooms
Perspective/Theoretical Framework
 Partnership for 21st Skills
 education and society
 education and learning sciences
 education and learning tools
Partnership for 21st C Skills
Classrooms
 What do or could they look like? A Kansas classroom
 No Future Left Behind A New York project
Assessment of 21st Century Skills
Route 21
 Supports a variety of assessments
 Emphasizes useful feedback on student performance
 Requires a balance of technology-enhanced, formative
and summative assessments that measure student
mastery
 Enables development of portfolios of student work to
demonstrate high levels of student competency
Route 21 Assessment Resources
The Reformed Teaching
Observation Protocol (RTOP)
The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP)
was developed as an observation instrument to provide
a standardized means for detecting the degree to which
K-20 classroom instruction in mathematics or science is
reformed.
.
Rather, we left that as an hypothesis to be examined
and tested in and across various reformed settings.
Categories in the Protocol
 Lesson Design and Implementation
 Content: Propositional Pedagogic Knowledge
 Content: Procedural Pedagogic Knowledge
 Classroom Culture: Communicative Interactions
 Classroom Culture: Student/teacher Relationships
ISTE Classroom Observation Tool
(ICOT)
 Characteristics of the learning environment and students
 Teacher’s actions, (i.e. lecturing, discussion, interactive
directions, etc.)
 Student learning activities (i.e. creating presentations,
researching, writing, drill and practice, etc.)
 Technologies used by teacher and by students
 Time interval chart of use
 NETS – T addressed
ICOT
 Classroom Observation
Other Assessment Tools
 Technology Inventories
 checklists of available technologies
 teachers’ comfort level
 E-Portfolios
 Student work samples
 Alignment with standards
 Rubrics
Questions to Consider
 How can classroom observation tools
can be used to evaluate technology
use in the classroom?
 How classroom assessment tools align
with professional development
(graduate and non-credit)?
Grade
Technology Available
Technology and barriers
Computer lab
wiki
SmartBoard, projector
Filter blocked animal sounds
Laptop cart/projector
website with video
Directions in unison
Smartboards, webquests, laptops
Pop-ups , Search skills
5
Inclusion
Smartboard and Video on Internet
Calibration of Smartboard
Computer freezing
6
LCD projector, laptop, PowerPoint
No access to own laptop
7
Smartboard, laptops, overhead projector, Video conferencing
flash video
Hands-on – image as model
Laptops on cart
K
3
Sp Ed
3
7/8
Sp Ed
Google Images
9
Pasco Probes/ Graphing
Laptop, Smart Board, TI 83s, projector
10
Teacher station projector
PowerPoint with Internet
Computers to use with probes and
calculators
Note taking
Technology Inventory Results
 Access to desktop and/or laptop computers
with internet access, SmartBoards,
scanners, televisions, VCRs/DVD players,
overhead and LCD projectors, printers,
cameras, video cameras and math/sciencerelated educational software.
 Access to laboratory equipment, such as
calculators and thermometers, water
supply, scales/balances, graduated
cylinders/flasks/beakers, microscopes.
Administrators’ Responses
Difficulties in technology integration is due to
 teachers' low level of technology skills
 Lack of knowledge and skill for
integrating technology with content
 Lack of time to explore resources and
appropriate uses of technology
Limitations
 Actual classroom environment
 Student population
 Classroom management practice
 Technology available
Recommendations
 Regular access to technology for
preparation
 Access to the Internet
 Reliable equipment
 Professional development
Educational Importance
 Need for appropriate classroom observation
metrics to assess implementation of ICTs
 RTOP lacks specific probes for technology use
 Technology inventory is not real time and is self-
report
 Route 21 requires research, some are commercial
and state-specific
 ISTE ICOT Classroom observation, technology
use in context
 Teacher and student portfolio and reflection on
what worked
References
Arizona Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teacher (2000).
Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP).
Bloom, B. S. (1956). (Ed.) Taxonomy of educational objectives: the
classification of educational goals. Susan Fauer Company, Inc.
Dewey, J. (1980). The school and society.
ISTE Classroom Observation Tool (ICOT), retrieved October 2, 2008 at
http://www.iste.org/icot/
Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2007). 21st century skills assessment.
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/index.php
Piaget, J. (1928). The child’s conception of the world. Routledge and
Kegan Paul, London.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: Development of higher
psychological processes. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, MA.
Contact Information
Sarah McPherson
smcphers@nyit.edu