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Lorie Ann Inslee

EDU-225
April 12, 2015
Professor Cecilia Szymanski
The Importance of Student Centered Technology in the Classroom
Twenty first century students are digital natives. Nothing thrills them more than being
connected with the swipe of a fingertip. Hence, they carry their enthusiasm for all things digital
into the classroom and according to some; it is proving to be quite beneficial to their learning.
Teachers have found that using technologies can capture and hold students' attention (Shelly,
Cashman, Gunter & Gunter, 2014, p.218, para.1). While students are equipping their learning
with technology, educators are able to apply various technologies to assess their students'
progress. It is noteworthy that in education there are several types of assessments and
applications. Therefore, a discussion of formative and summative assessment will be showcased,
as well as the pros and cons of using technology for assessing students, its impact on their
achievement, and the importance of assessment technology in connection to the ISTE standards.
Formative and summative assessments are nothing new. It is the way assessments are applied
that has progressed. Just as technology opens doors many new doors for teaching and learning,
technology also opens new doors for evaluating student performance (Shelley, et al. 2011, p.
364, para.5). According to Black, Harrison & Lee (2003), formative assessment is assessment
for learning. Assessment for learning serves the purpose of promoting student learning. It can
be applied many times during a lesson. It can involve several different methods for encouraging
students to express what they are thinking and several different ways on acting on such
evidence (Black et al., 2003, p.2, para 3.). Formative assessment drives differentiation.

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Furthermore, it allows students to practice without worrying about grades. Some examples of
formative assessment are quizzes, discussion, observation, questions, self and peer review,
graphic organizers, and exit tickets. Today's technology provides slick web tools, handheld
devices, audience response systems, and software that can facilitate most of the above
examples. Over all, formative assessment is akin to checkpoints along the way to the final
destination. The final destination can be considered as summative assessment.
Summative assessment is done after practicing skills and understanding has been done, such
as after a longer series of lessons, the end of a unit, or the end of a semester as the final
destination. It is usually a graded assessment and takes the form of a test, a project, or a
standardized test. Many schools have their standardized tests online. One technology for
summative assessment is Flubaroo. It allows teachers to create a test and it grades the test
automatically. This tool is able to assess a student's comprehension from question to question
and on the test as a whole. The resulting data provides valuable feedback to both teacher and
student. Certainly, technology is changing the face of assessment. To its credit, there are
particular positives, yet there are some negatives to consider.
Using technology for formative and summative assessment has made their niche in
education. However some tools such as virtual worlds emulate some of life's real world troubles.
The University of Bristol's department of education put it this way; Whilst not dismissing the
huge potential benefits of technology-enhanced assessments there should be recognition that
some practices may make assessment more accessible and comfortable; others may be divisive
or exclusionary and there are possibilities of new divides emerging with new practices of
technology-enhanced assessment (Bradfoot, Timmis, Payton, Oldefield & Sutherland, 2013
discussion paper 5, p. 2, para. 2). This certainly has a negative impact on the student in question

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if not on his achievement.
Not all technologies negatively impact student achievement. Conversely, students are excited
to learn through electronic technology. According to Shelly, et al. (2011), Interactive
technologies such as software applications, digital media tools, reference guides, tutorials,
animations, simulations, and the Web are especially engaging as they allow students to
determine the flow of information, review concepts, practice skills, do in-depth research and
more (Shelly, et al., 2011 p. 219 line 1). Students are activated as owners of their own learning.
Step by step, they learn to use technology in accordance with ISTE standards which aids in their
self-assessment and continued assessment. According to ISTE Standards for Students (2007);
students learn to use electronic technologies to be creative and innovative, and to communicate
and collaborate. They use digital tools for research and information fluency. It is necessary to
use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, process data and report results. Students
learn digital citizenship and leadership, hopefully reducing the negatives for using technologybased assessment They demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems and
operations(ISTE Standards for Students, 2007).
In considering all the facts, it seems likely that assessment should be combined to promote a
balance in student centered learning. Extensive technology-based systems that link curriculum,
instruction, and assessment at the classroom level enable balanced design that would ensure the
three critical features of comprehensiveness, coherence, and continuity (Pellegrino and
Quellmaiz, 2010). Perhaps embedded assessment is the best possible tool. Regardless, students
seem to love using technology to learn and they seem to be learning. Research is revealing that
students retain knowledge longer when they are actively involved in using digital media to meet
learning objectives and benchmarks (Shelly, et al., 2011, p.213, 214, para 5). However,

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teachers are still needed to remain at the helm. Technology alone cannot transform assessment
practices and the role of the teacher remains of central importance in all educational innovations.
This is particularly important in harnessing technology to make assessment more relevant and
related to learners achievements and progress. Digital tools should be designed to support
integrated assessment practices that are relevant and appropriate to the context, to the learners
and the changing world in which we live (Bradfoot, Timmis, Payton, Oldefield & Sutherland,
2013 discussion paper 2, p.3, para. 5). Assessment is the way to gauge learning be it in
education, business or elsewhere. It helps people to see what needs changing or improving.
Technology has stepped up the way students are learning and given them a chance to objectively
assess themselves. Nevertheless,[t]eachers must remember that technology is only a tool to
enhance or support instructional strategies and technology should not be used to drive
curriculum (Shelly, et al, 2011, p. 212, para. 3, 4).
Class room web address: http://mrshssuperscienceclass.weebly.com

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References
Black, P. J., Harrison, C., & Lee, C. (2003). Assessment for Learning : Putting It into Practice.
Berkshire, GBR: McGraw-Hill Education. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com
http://site.ebrary.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/lib/grandcanyon/reader.action
?ppg=4&docID=10161348&tm=1428585155171
Broadfoot, P., Timmis, S., Payton, S., Oldfield, A., Sutherland, R. (2013). Ethical issues in
technology enhanced assessment. Retrieved from http://www.bris.ac.uk/medialibrary/sites/education/migrated/documents/ethicalissues.pdf
ISTE Standards Students. (2007). Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/2014_ISTE_Standards-S_PDF.pdf
Pellegrino, J. W., & Quellmalz, E. S. (2010). Perspectives on the Integration of Technology and
Assessment. Journal Of Research On Technology In Education (International Society
For Technology In Education), 43(2), 119-134. Retrieved from
http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?
url=http://search.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=ehh&AN=55545999&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Shelly, G. B., Cashman, T. J., Gunter G., & Gunter, R. (2011). Teachers discovering computers:
Integrating technology in a connected world (8th ed. ). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
ISBN-13: 9781285845432. Retrieved from http://gcumedia.com/digitalresources/cengage/2014/teachers-discovering-technology-in-a-changingworld_ebook_8e.php