Journal Article Summary
Jae Gaswirth
EDTEC 541

Summary: Information Technology in Curriculum in Elementary Schools
Title: “Implications of an Experimental Information Technology Curriculum for Elementary Schools”

Reference:  Ching, G.S. (2009). Implications of an experimental information technology curriculum for elementary school students. Computers and Edcuation 53, 2.

Problem:
Due to the constantly growing, changing, and infiltrating field of technology, the author set out to unearth the role of an information technology curriculum in elementary schools. The author tested the fields of English, math, science, social studies, and art as bases to test the effectiveness of integrating information technology as a solid form of education in an elementary school classroom. Under the idea of curriculum integration, defined as “a philosophy of teaching and learning in which content is drawn from several subject areas to focus on an identified theme”, the study sought to incorporate technology as a tool to “enhance learning in a multidisciplinary setting” (Ching, 2009, 3).  The study was conducted in the Phillipines in 2009.

Context:
A total of 1273 elementary school students and 12 information technology teachers were randomly assigned to either a control group or experimental group. The study ran for one full academic year.

Both the experimental group and control group utilized information technology in the classroom, however, those in the experimental group reinforced lessons as a treatment each week as opposed to the control group which did not partake in any reinforcement behavior.  

Teachers were trained in how to use the information technology in the classroom and as a supplement to the currently scheduled curriculum.

Findings:
The findings suggest that the experimental group yielded higher levels of understanding of curriculum across all subjects when reinforced with information technology tools. It is suggested that while the information technology greatly assisted in the understanding of complex topics, the training of teachers to adequately use the technology paired with the increase use of the technology in the experimental group encouraged a higher level of understanding and comprehension among students.

Recommendations:
It is obvious today that there is an inevitable shift to learning through technology. Traditional teaching methods must adapt to the new wave of technology and find unique ways to take advantage of the incredible resources become available to them and their students. While the study provided necessary insight into the development of information technology curriculums within elementary schools, the study had some inherent problems.

1. The methodology of the study was “quasi-experimental” because it is impossible to randomly select schools. In the future, the study could be conducted in a highly populated area such as Los Angeles that has many schools willing to participate, and from the willing schools a small randomly selected sample can be chosen. This insures a true experimental design while also allowing cross analysis from multiple different schools.
2. Similar to issue one, introducing multiple schools introduces a wide variety of children representing a more stratified and representative sample. A sample containing children from all demographics including income level, place of residence, race, gender, etc could greatly influence the outcome of the study and subsequently provide valuable insight into how certain demographics comprehend and respond to the use of technology in the classroom. In order to utilize technology to its maximum capacity, it is important to understand how the majority of students respond to it, suggesting that primarily it is necessary to understand the break-down of comprehension between different demographics of children.

In conclusion, the intial findings that information technology enhances understanding in the elementary school classroom is promising in that it tells us that curriculums are always malleable as are children. Integrating the newest forms of technology wherever possible allows children to further their learning and knowledge of foundation subjects such as math and English while simultaneously allowing students to broaden their horizons to learn about the technology of tomorrow. While there is still much research to be done and there are obvious downfalls of the presented study, its findings suggest that the introduction of technology into the classroom at a young age can create a new and improved learning experience for children around the world.