Saturday, December 15, 2018
Unsurprising
Via ZH:
Four years ago Baltimore County began a $147 million program to put laptops in the hands of students from first through 12th grade in the hopes that access to technology would transform the way kids learn and boost the lowest standardized test scores in the state. Alas, the ambitious plan has failed to translate to an increase in achievement - as test scores are generally flat for students in grades three through eight. A 2016 analysis of 10 studies concluded that giving all students a laptop does not boost math, english, science or writing scores, however the authors from Michigan State and UC Irvine stress that computers alone don't increase academic performance and must be accompanied by lesson plans conducive to the technology.Nothing new about this at all. Edufads always fail. Teaching machines and hi-tech have NEVER made a measurable difference, with one important exception. Calculators in math and physics classes save time. If you're spending most of your time adding and multiplying by hand, or looking up logs and sins in a book of tables, you have less time for real problem-solving. Beyond that, fancier calculators get in the way. A programmable calculator, or a computer programmed to solve integrals, tends to hide the problem from your mind. "Lesson plans conducive to the technology" misses the point. If the "technology" is just a computer, you're still not gaining anything. This is why I focus my contributions at DonorsChoose on PHYSICAL JOB-RELATED projects. A teacher who proposes cooking or soldering or growing plants will get my money. A teacher who proposes "more iPads" doesn't get my money. EXPERIENCE WINS, THEORY KILLS. Vested interest disclaimer: My small income is from "teaching machines". I have no illusions about the value of software per se. I know that Audin, my first project, was far more useful than later courseware. Audin was full of REAL experiments. Later work is just a "teaching machine". The value, if any, may arise from the art and animations. Many of my 3d pix and animations are superior to anything you can find online, and you obviously can't see an animation in a paper book.
Labels: Experiential education
¶ 1:24 AM
