Summary: Instructional strategies using Project Based Learning

Title: “Project-Based Technology: Instructional Strategy for Developing Technological Literacy”

Name: Michael Salamanca

Date: 12/11/09

Reference: Frank, M. and Barzilai, A. (2006). Project-Based Technology: Instructional Strategy for Developing Technological Literacy. Journal of Technology Education Volume 18, No. 1. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v18n1/pdf/frank.pdf

Problem: Classrooms today are not utilizing the available technology that could dramatically improve a students’ comprehension of new topics and improve on their critical thinking skills. The author hypothesized that by teaching teachers how to use Problem Based Learning (PBL), that it would increase the students learning and critical thinking abilities. The author believed that by teachers having a sense of using PBL, that their students’ would not only be more engaged, but that their understanding of the concept would also be improved.

Context: 92 students, including 51 females and 41 males were used in this study. The average age of each participant was 24 years and nine months. These studies were done on a weekly basis and consisted of a one hour lecture, two hours of microteaching, and three hours dedicated to the team project.

Findings: The study worked on five out of the seven ITEA’s professional development standards. These standards include the following: PD-1, professional development to provide teachers with knowledge, abilities and understanding consistent with standards for Technological Literacy. PD-2, professional development will provide teachers with educational perspectives on students as learners of technology. PD-3, professional development will prepare teachers to design and evaluate technology curricula and programs. PD-4, professional development will prepare teachers to use instructional strategies that enhance technology teaching, student learning and student assessment. PD-5, professional development will prepare teachers to design and manage learning environments that promote technological literacy.

Given the five standards that the investigators were hoping to accomplish, their findings would concur with their initial hypothesis which was that student learning would increase by having teachers use PBL through technology and science. Students had mentioned that they had to make trade-offs in order to find the best result. They had to were all engaged and working together as one cohesive unit. When they were tested, all of the scores improved and their critical thinking abilities improved as well.

Recommendations: I wholeheartedly agree with the findings and would only recommend that they post the specific types of PBL activities that they executed. I would also recommend that they share more data on what their increases are in their testing.