NWREL's Northwest Educational Technology Consortium

Is Technology Integration Happening? How Can I Tell?

By Don Holznogel

Integrating technology is not about technology-it is primarily about content and effective instructional practices. Technology involves the tools with which we deliver content and implement practices in better ways. Its focus must be on curriculum and learning. Integration is defined not by the amount or type of technology used, but by how and why it is used. -Rodney Earle

During the past 20 years, we at NETC have observed many school systems moving through what seemed like an evolutionary process of technology integration. School systems began the process by first focusing on teaching computer skills directly, then to continuing skill training while introducing the use of productivity software and, most recently, to training skills in a variety of digital technologies within instruction in curricular areas.

We are finally beginning to see a direct link between the acquisition of technical skills and confidence to use technology and the use of technology tools that enable teaching and learning in the general curriculum. We call this development the icurricular integration of technology.i

In the Northwest region, state and local education agencies are mandating, or at least encouraging, a continuing priority on the integration of technology in the curriculum. And, interest is high among the educators at many schools.

Unfortunately, districts are moving into this stage of integration at a time of diminishing resources. School boards are asking school leaders to prove the effectiveness of the districtis investment in technology integration as an instructional strategy. While they do not doubt that technology integration is a good thing, they want to know to what degree it is happening and whether it is effective in teaching both technical skills and subject content.

The Idaho Department of Education recently focused on school principals in a statewide survey to examine the extent of technology integration in the curriculum. It was evident from the results that principals did not share a common meaning of technology integration.

The wide variety of interpretations by school administrators of the meaning of technology integration included:

• Using an integrated learning system in a subject
• Using technology to record student work
• Requiring reports and papers be done on a word processor
• Using presentation software and projection technology for teacher presentations
• Using computers for online testing and analysis of test results

Requiring students to use word processors and presentation software can increase their literacy and technology skills, but this is only a part of technology integration. And, while Internet access to remote information sources can assist students in enriching their projects, it is only one step toward integration. Although each of these applications is useful to instruction in certain ways, each application alone is not the full definition of integration and the use of one does not mean that technology integration has occurred.

Based on the evidence, we realized that before the degree of technology integration could be consistently and validly measured across schools and districts, administrators would have to come to an agreement on what constitutes technology integration. Without a deeper and more consistent understanding of the concept, the interest in achieving quality and effectiveness will not be well served.

Following up on the survey findings, NETC attempted to bring some consistency to the interpretation of the concept and to the assessment of its implementation in schools by developing two resources, a background paper and an assessment tool.

What Is Technology Integration?

The background paper, Overview of Technology Integration in Schools, is a synthesis of information about the nature of technology integration from experience working with schools and from reviewing the writing in the field. The paper organizes into five major component areas our knowledge of the conditions necessary in a school to support the integration of technology. It also provides a list of data requirements for assessment in each area. Under these conditions, the potential of digital technologies to improve teaching and learning is likely to be realized.

The five major component areas that must be in place for effective technology integration are physical facilities, capacity, and conditions; curricular connections; teacher actions and characteristics; student activities; and support.

Listed below is a brief sample of the characteristics contributing to integration in the five component areas developed to assist a school principal in determining the extent to which integration is occurring on a schoolwide basis. Visit the NETC Web site to read the Overview with the complete list of characteristics.

Physical Facilities, Capacity, and Conditions:

• Computers, multimedia equipment, and telecommunications stations are available at the places where teaching and learning activities will occur: classrooms, library/media center, computer labs or other large-group places, and outside the school building.
• The ratio of students to devices is small enough to support simultaneous use by a high percentage of students.

Curricular Connections:

• Analysis of curriculum areas has taken place to align applications of technology with the curricular goals and objectives.
• A general philosophy or framework is in place among faculty that promotes technology use supporting student engagement and independence.
• Teacher Actions and Characteristics:
• Teachers use technology in several ways, and such use is observable daily.
• Teachers expect and encourage independence of students in choosing and using technologies appropriate to their tasks.

Student Activities:

• Students are involved in planning for their uses of technology in the curriculum.
• Students routinely and independently choose the technologies appropriate to their activity and need.

Support:

• Staff development opportunities to improve skills in technology integration are available for all teachers relevant to targeted subject areas.
• A mentoring plan is in place in which teachers expert in the use of technology are available and encouraged to provide assistance to other teachers.

How Can I Tell If It Is Happening?

The introduction of digital technologies to teaching and learning represents major change for many teachers, learners, and principals. As research over many years has shown, the school is a primary unit of change in the educational system and the school principal is the key change agent. It is the school administratoris conceptualization of technology integration that is crucial and so we have directed part of our effort to the support of that key agent of change.

The use of observation in classrooms or technology laboratories is a key and growing method used by principals and other school leaders to gather the data necessary to assessing the degree to which curricular integration is occurring.

NETC has designed an assessment tool to support the observation activity and to provide a basis for consistent interpretation of the term technology integration.

The assessment tool, Guide to Using the NETC Classroom Observation Rubric for Assessing Technology Integration, includes the following:

• A two-page form consisting of a set of questions to structure an observation of a classroom or lab.
• A rubric to be used by the observer to record observations during a 20-25 minute interval, the typical time allotted by most principals per classroom observation.

The rubric focuses on only one of the five data sources defined in the background paperostudent activity. This is based on the fact that observation of students is the primary mechanism identified by school principals for judging the degree of integration in their school.

Several principals have reported that their primary tool for assessing technology integration is observation because "I know it when I see it." However, if what they are looking for is based on a narrow view of integration, their observation will also be narrow. The observation guide should serve both to structure the observation and to bring the observer to a broader understanding of the concept.

While initially focusing on the principal as observer, we have come to see that the tools are just as well suited for use by a teacher mentor in working with a colleague. The background paper and assessment tool can also be used by the teacher and principal or mentor in advance of observations to guide discussion of technology integration and establish common understandings.

Both the Overview document and the Classroom Observation Rubric assessment tool have been reviewed by experienced evaluators, principals, and teachers, and the assessment tool has undergone field testing during the 2004-2005 school year. School principals and others who are interested in participating in field testing may contact Don Holznagel at holznagd@nwrel.org. All feedback about the online versions of the two resources is welcome. Updated resources that incorporate field test results and other feedback will be made available on the Web site in spring 2005.

For services such as consultation and training in support of the planning, review, or evaluation of technology programs or the assessment of technology integration in schools and districts, please contact Gary Graves at gravesg@nwrel.org.

Don Holznagel has been working in educational technology and distance education for more than 20 years. In the course of his work, he developed the NWREL Distance Education Resource Guide, and has provided technical assistance and conducted research in school districts throughout the Northwest region. Don was director of the technology program at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory in Portland, Oregon, (1983-1996) and director of technology at Southeast Educational Development Laboratory (1996-1998). Currently he is conducting research and developing resources for NETC.

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