Initial & Final
Technology Skill Surveys
The initial Technology Skills
Survey (Appendix A) was administered to students
during the beginning of the class (n=23). This survey focused on the
students' attitudes towards using the tools throughout the nine-week
period of the class. The initial and final Technology Skills Survey
results are listed in Tables 1 and 2. According to the survey results,
78.2 % of the students responded positively towards enjoying the activities
to learn science and mathematics. Less than 5% of the students responded
negatively towards enjoying the activities. For question 8, comfort
with using tools to determine voltage, over 90% of the students responded
positively to the question. The final Technology Skills Survey asked
students if they believed the activities using probes and motions detectors
motivated their learning: 36.8% strongly agreed while 63% agreed. For
question 8 on the survey, comfort using tools to solve problems, over
90% responded positively, while almost 5% of the students answered not
sure.
The final Technology Skills
Survey (Appendix B) was given to students’
who were present (n=19). The results of the students' perception of
technologies did not change from the initial Technology Skills Survey.
Overall, students answered the questions on the final survey positively.
There
were two short answer questions listed on the initial and final Technology
Skills Surveys. The researcher used the students’ responses to
determine what the students’ thought about the activities presented
during the nine-week elective course. All of the students were able
to describe at least one activity that they enjoyed during the course,
such as the ball bouncing activity. During this activity, students were
able to calculate the rebound ratio of different balls: basketball,
volleyball, and kickball. Another activity commonly selected was the
Carnival Game Activity (Appendix C). This probability
activity allowed students to design a game that had an estimated odd
of 1:4. The students were responsible for establishing the rules and
making sure they kept a tally of the number of wins and losses for their
games.
For both the initial and
final Technology Skills Surveys, students described activities they
learned the most from, while using the technological tools. Many commented
that the activities were “fun” and they “learned to
use tools.”
Adam: The carnival
game. It made learning very fun. We created our own game, and then
found our profit with a spreadsheet.
Pierce: Carnival and
Mr. Circuit because they were hands-on activities.
James: I learned the
most during the drawing pictures activity, as I had not previously
been familiar with a Casio graphing calculator, and it helped me to
acquaint with its features.
Lana: The police report
project, when I learned how to set up different experiment using EA100,
calculators, and probes.
Conclusions
The Exploring Technologies
elective class provided evidence that the three-tiered structure of
scaffolding could be used in teaching students to use new technologies
as well as allow them to construct understandings of scientific ideas.
In this research study, a class of 23 middle school students participated
in a carefully planned set of activities, which resulted in their eventual
use of technology as a tool to explore scientific ideas. The time spent
introducing the middle school students to new technologies was well
spent based on the students attitudes and conceptual understanding.
The construction of understandings the students obtained from this course
would not have been possible without these technological tools.
Findings of this study indicate
that the middle school students were able to use the technologies provided
to improve the quality of their scientific investigations. The technologies
enhanced students' learning of science concepts by providing them opportunities
to collect high quality data efficiently and easily. As the students
themselves pointed out, if they had tried to collect data using a thermometer
rather than a temperature probe there would have been a greater likelihood
of human error.
The findings may be perceived
as evidence that technology can effectively be infused in the context
of a middle school science classroom. However, the author acknowledges
the limitations of this study and that the findings are based on the
context of this study. These findings should be viewed as a basis for
seeking additional research on how to implement an instructional approach
for teaching students to use technology as a tool for learning science.
If an instructional approach
is used in presenting technologies in the context of a general science
classroom, perhaps technology as a tool will no longer be considered
an end unto itself, rather as a means to improving science teaching
and learning (Bush, 2001; Mergendoller, 1996; U.S. Department of Education,
1995). Further research is needed to define the proper role of technology
and in determining how this instructional model can affect middle students'
use of technology as a tool to process, manipulate, and analyze data.
About
the Author:
Angelia
Reid-Griffin is
a post-doctorate research associate in the Science Education department
at NC State University. She has taught various science courses at the
high school and middle school level. Her research interests include
improving the use of technology as a tool in science classrooms at all
educational levels, increasing its influence on the success of minorities,
and examining the role of science education in community colleges.
Email: areid18@hotmail.com
