Classroom Technology Increasing Student Success 1

Literature Review
Glen Allen High School
DePaul Straub

Classroom Technology Increasing Student Success 2

Introduction:
The push for technology in 21st century classrooms can be observed all across the country
in almost every school. As we have progressed further and further into the 21st century,
technology has become more wide spread and has increased significantly in terms of usage over
a relatively short period of time. The realm of education has embraced this change head on,
pushing for more and more technology usage in American classrooms. Devices like promethean
boards, iPads, Laptops, and various other technologies are being placed in our schools at
tremendous rates, pushing the almost stereotypical thoughts of what our education system is.
This new era of education leads us to one very important question: Is this push for technology
increasing student performance? Numerous sources have done research on the topic and almost
all have found that technology has indeed increased student performance in the classroom as it
opens up new opportunity and lends itself to other important life skills.
Technology has greatly influenced the amount of information available to students at any
given moment and have even been linked to show increased levels of multitasking ability in
students. However, it has been shown that increased technology in our schools have changed the
way we learn whatsoever. Willingham, while considering the fact that no linkage has been shown
between the two, reminds his reader that it doesnt mean technology cant be useful in
classrooms (Willingham 4). The advantages of increasing technology in the classroom are
clearly obvious, as the new devices open up even more opportunities for students to explore the
world in which they live. They also assist teachers across the country by making lessons more
engaging to the audience and allow them to reach further into their own subject.

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The Report by The Variable Annuity Life Insurance clearly identifies some of the benefits
of increased technology in High School and Colleges. One of the biggest reported observations
from the report was the increased independence of the students. It was incredibly rewarding to
see kids, especially shy students, open up and share what they have learned with others (VALIC
2). The company also discusses how the equal opportunity for technology use across the board
has increased the performance of their students. Students, with the increased availability of
technology, soared in their levels of independence and the quality of their work. The company
also notes that it allows for spontaneous teaching moments in which teachers and students
truly gain a new look into their material. Without these newly available devices, many of the
students would have continued with their lackluster projects and work. The company finally adds
a note about how the financial investment is worth the risk, as they have seen a payoff way
greater than they could have ever imagined.
Another study, collected by PBS Learning Media in January of 2013, showed many of the
benefits that come from increased technology in classrooms. The survey consisted of 503 webbased interviews with United States Pre-K- 12 Teachers. The survey immediately establishes
how technology has truly changed the way we think about teaching. The survey reported that
90% of the teachers had Personal computers available, 59% had access to interactive
whiteboards, 36% have available handheld devices (including smartphones), and 35% of
teachers had tablets/ E-Readers readily available for classroom use. These statistics speak
volumes as to how the entire educational system has moved from the early days of pencil and
paper to a now, more diverse, and more efficient use of available technologies. Another helpful
statistic from the infographic is one about the most commonly used technology resources. Online
lesson plans take the most often used at 48%, web- based games and activities place second at

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45%, class websites at 44%, and finally, Online videos, images, and articles at 43%. Not only
does the report give a good outlook as to how teachers and students access to technology, but it
also comments on what benefits seem to be most common. 74% of those interviewed believed
that educational technology reinforces and expands content and that it motivates students to
learn. 67% of those surveyed also said that work turned in has increased and that the technology
has allowed them to explain a topic in a way they never could have before. These statistics serve
as a true testament to the positive influence of classroom technology as well as their benefits to
the students performance.
One of the newest additions to education technology is the idea of adding tablets to the
everyday classroom. One of the biggest arguments for increased student performance is that it
allows for the student to draw charts, diagrams, scroll over pictures, and research information
(Commerce Notes 1). The source goes further into explaining the main benefits of having tablets
available; mainly being that they are lightweight, small, contain a variety of resources, and have
a large battery life. The article serves as an example of a specific technology, providing a
gateway to further exploration into other various technologies. This article, and many more like
it, build the common argument that technologies and tablets have greatly influenced the
classroom, providing a new positive spin on what we know as education.
Open Colleges produced another study of teachers and students in the year of 2014. The
survey yielded findings such as a 91% of teachers now have access to computers in their
classrooms. The source felt that Integrating life skills into education can improve student
engagement and prepare them for 21st century careers (OpenColleges 1). The goal of education
is to prepare students for the real world, and we now have statistics to back up how technology is
successfully preparing students for life in the 21st century. Of the teachers, 76% of them through

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that technology allowed students to adapt to various learning styles. 77% believed that
technology has greatly increased student motivation as another 76% believed that the technology
enriched the content they were teaching. For students, 86% of those surveyed found that they
study more efficiently when working on a tablet and 1/6 have used a digital textbook compared
to just 4/10 in 2011. These statistics show the tremendous growth of the technology aspect of
education and their overwhelming benefits to both student performance and teaching
effectiveness.
Conclusion:
As my research shows, the results of increasing the amount of technology in American
schools have been overwhelmingly positive. Students are becoming engaged with the contact
more than ever before and teachers are able to use new methods never before seen. So far, the
work put into the increase has paid off as we see a sharp increase in student performance and
teacher effectiveness across the board. These positive results will continue the desire for
technology in schools and will create and even longer lasting push for developing students for
the 21st century world.

References:
Commerce Notes. (2014). Use of Tablet PC Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from
http://commercenotes.com/use-of-tablet-pc-technology-in-classroom/

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Open Colleges (Author). (2012). Components of a 21st Century Classroom. Retrieved 2015, from
https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/oca3-prod/media/21st_century_classroom.jpg

PBS Learning Media. (2013). Teachers Embrace Digital Resources To Propel Learning.
Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/about/news/archive/2013/teacher-tech-survey/

VALIC. (2012). Classroom Technology Rollouts. Retrieved from

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1zrn3/NovemberDecember2012/resources/index.htm?
referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acsa.org%2FFunctionalMenuCategories%2FMedia
%2FLeadershipMagazine%2F2012-Archives%2FNovemberDecember-2012.aspx
Willingham, Daniel T. (2010). Have Technology and Multitasking Rewired How Students Learn.
Retrieved from http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/willingham-summer
10.pdf