Testing with Tech: The Role of Technology in Supporting and Enhancing Assessment

Technology can enhance the learning process for students and teachers. But, if we rely too much on technology, especially as an assessment tool we can create problems with student learning. Bruce Alberts stated this when he spoke about his biochemistry students who were more concerned about what was going to be on the scantron/multiple choice tests and memorizing those topics rather than really learning and comprehending the information being presented. I think we can use technology as an extra tool to aid with student assessment, but it should not tbe the only way we assess student learning and comprehension.

I’m all for trying to incorporate technology in the classroom if it is available, but there are many districts around the country where access to computers and the internet is limited or still not available. I’m not saying we should dismiss technology as an assessment tool, but that we should use technology to aid and enhance our assessment activities. I thing technology in the classroom is a great thing. However, “technology” doesn’t necessarily mean computers, but video cameras, overhead projectors and such as stated by Grant Wiggins, and I think we get caught up with computers being the only acceptable form of technology we can use in our classrooms.

Everyone knows that technology, in many forms, must be integral within our educational system. Students, teachers, and parents benefit and learn from the use of technology and these benefits are great. Having technology available to assess student understanding is important and time saving. I agree with the comments by Barbara Means about using technology in an unobtrusive manner to “capture student performance”. As a future educator, I am concerned about providing my students with as much learning time as possible. If we can use technology to help save time with assessing students, analyzing, and collecting data, and storing information, then we will have more time for preparing and working with students. We also must face the fact that, although our parents and grandparents may not, our students respond to technology better than other methods of communication. Watching videos, TV, DVD’s, working and playing on the computer, using email, texting, tweeting, surfing the internet are all learning tools that can be utilized to get students to focus on concepts. Using technology to support and enhance assessment and learning is essential for both student and teacher success at all levels.

In the classroom students need to learn how to use their resources such as technology, but we as teachers need to make sure that we do not let it take over the academic process. Technology can be a very useful tool in many different classrooms however it can be overused just as Wiggins states. Sometimes students may use technology to do the thinking for them instead of acquiring the knowledge on their own. This is why it is the teacher’s responsibility to educate the students on skills they will need in order to pass later assessments.

Technology can play an important role in the classroom, therefore assessment. I agree with Barbara Means, that during lectures students may listen, but that does not mean that they understand. In some cases, technology can help track/show what concepts the student(s) understands. I have a Smart Board in my classroom. It is an awesome teaching instrument and it plays an important role in my classroom. Not only does the Smart Board project things like lectures, but it provides my students with the opportunity to interact with the lessons in many ways. This innovative software helps me teach, lecture, and assess my students in an appropriate amount of time. It is one way I can determine what my students know and do not know. Wiggins states above that assessment is more than quizzes and tests. This is true. Assessment is determining what the students have learned and not learned throughout the entire year. Technology, if used appropriately, can enhance learning and show student progression. However, we can not rely on technology completely. It is still and will be the teacher’s job to provide students with the necessary elements for receiving an education. So, when technology is being used, it all comes down to how teachers implement that technology in the classroom.

Technology could greatly improve our testing methods. I constantly hear that I need to make sure I reach my visual, auditory and textural learners, but the fill in the bubble tests we currently administer do not even begin to reach these students. I have read from several people in this discussion that students prefer the guidance of a live teacher over that of a computer, but why can't we produce an interactive test on the computer where students think it is a fun exercise in which their teacher interacts? I am a little discouraged because we have begun using MAPS testing in our school. We took computer technology and created faster fill in the bubble tests. We are not using technology properly for these students. There is so much available, and we still can't break out of our rut. We need to create visual stimuli that students can react to and make predictions on or show video of situations where concepts apply. Why are we using this wonderful technology to produce the same old thing?

I work with students who cannot or will not read, but they can remember everything they see or hear. They may have difficulty reading but that does not mean they do not understand many of the concepts we are testing them on. Why can't technology overcome these limitations? We have wonderful software that could help students with word pronunciation, but we rarely use it. I think we are living in an age where computer assessment could really meet the needs of students, but no one has applied that technology yet.

I believe that technology allows the classroom so many opportunities. They can range from typing an essay to searching the internet for sujects that interest our students. The biggest concern would be the monies to help classrooms access these opportunities.

My students come from a poor community and we are lucky if we have a student computer in our classroom. Some of the students have no access to the internet, so these programs we implement that are web-based cannot be accessed from home. This is one of our biggest hurdle right now.

I know that if I could use the internet to help teach my lessons it would create many teaching opportunities, that would enhance the lessons.

Technology offers a great potential in the classrooms, especially for assessment. Some of the advantages I see are that students can take tests and be given immediate feedback. Then, the teacher saves times checking these tests, and a record is kept of the students’ performance. Teachers and students themselves can keep track of the progress students have made. As Wiggins mentions, it is a good database system that takes no space, but it’s available as long as there is a computer present. We are saving tons of paper by using computer assessment instead of paper tests and works. Another advantage is that students can look up samples, new ideas, and information to carry out research projects. For instance, when studying volcanoes, instead of looking at a picture in a book, they can see videos or tridimensional representations of a volcanic eruption. One of the drawbacks that I have experienced is when technology fails and the teacher is not ready with plan B. But overall, technology is becoming an essential tool in education.

Technology is a great asset to the classroom and can create an awesome learning experience for students. There are places and times where technology should integrated to a greater extent because it would be useful for both teacher and student. However, I think there are times when technology is taking over the importance of a general education. When students can use spell check and all internet resources, it cheats them out of learning the significance of books, including dictionaries, and writing on paper with a pencil.
Life is changing and learning to operate a computer and other technological gadgets is essential for students outside of the classroom and as they enter the real world. It is the job of the school to create students who are prepared for this life and therefore, we have to teach them to use technology and use it well, but the requirements for a general education can not be overlooked or disregarded as unimportant. I get frustrated with the cell phone fad and the text messaging that is so popular. Typing half words and choppy sentences to spelling correctly and complete sentences has to be a hard transition for students to overcome. Technology is such an advanced helpful tool that not implementing it into classroom curriculum is not an option, but it does not mean other academic skills should be ignored.

First of all I am going into the field of physical education and to be quite honest technology in schools that I have seen is non existent. Well only in the physical education department. What types of technology can be implemented in this field and how could it be of great use to students that need to learn. In reading the discussions I came across the one by Grant Wiggins and he said “I think sometimes technology is overused and we don't think carefully enough about the evidence we need to give the grade.’ I believe that sometimes it might be this way and how can it all balance to be better for everyone.
What I’m trying to get across is in the field of PE there are scarce technology resources and what could I use when I become a teacher in terms of technology?

Are they suggesting that all material be submitted through technology? As much as the students like technology they love the one on one of a caring adult more. I use technology every day. I use love and understanding even more often. That does not mean that I am a pushover. My students are happy to tell me that my classes are the most difficult they have ever taken, but they always end with the statement, "I learned a lot." What still surprises me is that they come in with D's and F's and leave with A's. To be honest technology has a great deal to do with their success, but I like to think that the human factor matters just as much.