Commentary

The Best Technology Won't Replace Good Teaching

According to a new study of 470,000 students, by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED), Students, Computers and Learning: Making The Connection, even countries that have invested heavily in computer technology for education have seen no noticeable improvement in their performances for reading, mathematics or science. The study found that 15-year-old students across 34 countries, including the U.S. who use computers “very frequently” at school do much worse, even after accounting for social background and student demographics.

That’s not to say that computer science itself is not important in schools. In the U.S., many students, parents, K-12 teachers and administrators say they highly value computer science education, according to a nationwide survey by Gallup and commissioned by Google. Most, however, do not perceive a high level of demand for computer science from students and parents. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs in computer and math areas will increase by 18% from 2012 to 2022, creating over 1.3 million jobs.

The report suggests that a combination of both face-to-face teaching and computer use have a positive impact, but the former should not be usurped by the latter. The research found that students who use computers moderately at school tend to be somewhat more skilled in online reading than students who rarely use computers.

Danielle Allen, professor of government at Harvard University, says “… a computer is no substitute for a teacher, but a good teacher can use digital resources effectively to enhance learning… “

Technology is one of the only ways to dramatically expand access to knowledge, especially in disadvantaged countries with schools that have limited access to books, says the report. Andreas Schleicher, OECD director for education and skills, says “… school systems need to find more effective ways to integrate technology into teaching and learning… ensure that teachers are at the forefront of designing and implementing this change.”

96% of 15-year-old students, in the 34 countries that are a member of the OECD, reported having a computer at home, but only 72% reported using one at school, the OECD report said.

Overall, students who use computers moderately at school tend to have somewhat better results than students who use computers rarely. Students who never, or only rarely, engage in recreational activities on computers, such as gaming and social media, have the highest performance, says the report.

Despite the mixed results, schools around the world continue to invest in computers. The global expenditure on education technology within K-12 classrooms hit $14.9 billion in 2014, up 16% on the previous year, and is expected to reach $16.3 billion by 2019, according to consulting firm Futuresource Consulting; this includes desktops, tablets and other equipment. The education sector has a vast potential for growth, the study found, with 26.6 million mobile computers, including 11 million tablets, purchased in 2014. And a 2014 study found that more than half of global educational spending on mobile devices was in the U.S.

Students' exposure to computers at school varies widely between countries. However, the use of computers does not seem to be a prominent factor in explaining the variation in student performance in math, reading or science. Most countries that invested heavily in education related IT equipment did not witness an appreciable improvement in student achievement over the past 10 years.

Students Relative Math Performance vs. Computer Use in Selected Countries

Country

Students per school computers

Students using computers at school, %

Performance in mathematics, PISA* points

Indonesia

16.4

n.a.

375

Colombia

3.7

n.a.

376

Qatar

4.2

n.a.

376

Jordan

5

79.7

386

Argentina

14.1

n.a.

388

Brazil

22.1

n.a.

391

Costa Rica

17.7

57.4

407

Uruguay

8.7

49.9

409

Mexico

15.5

60.6

413

Chile

4.7

61.7

423

Kazakhstan

2.5

n.a.

432

United Arab Emirates

4.2

n.a.

434

Turkey

44.9

48.7

448

Greece

8.2

65.9

453

Israel

4.7

55.2

466

Hungary

2.2

74.7

477

Sweden

3.7

87

478

United States

1.8

n.a.

481

Russian Federation

3

80.2

482

Spain

2.2

73.2

484

Italy

4.1

66.8

485

Portugal

3.7

69

487

Norway

1.7

91.9

489

United Kingdom

1.4

n.a.

494

France

2.9

n.a.

495

Denmark

2.4

86.7

500

New Zealand

1.2

86.4

500

Ireland

2.6

63.5

501

Australia

0.9

93.7

504

Austria

2.9

81.4

506

Viet Nam

8.6

n.a.

511

Germany

4.2

68.7

514

Belgium

2.8

65.3

515

Canada

2.8

n.a.

518

Poland

4

60.3

518

Finland

3.1

89

519

Netherlands

2.6

94

523

Switzerland

2.7

78.3

531

Japan

3.6

59.2

536

Macao-China

1.3

87.6

538

Korea

5.3

41.9

554

Chinese Taipei

5.8

78.8

560

Hong Kong-China

2.2

83.8

561

Singapore

2

69.9

573

Source: OCED: *Every three years, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) conducts worldwide evaluations of 15-year-old students, known as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), mean number of students per school computers (modal grade for 15-year-olds).

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1 comment about "The Best Technology Won't Replace Good Teaching".
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  1. Douglas Ferguson from College of Charleston, October 9, 2015 at 7:30 a.m.

    The study likely ignores that low-performing students, regardless of the root cause, may actually spend more time in remedial classes where computer-drill curricula abound. Correlation is not causation. The most troubling subtext in this research suggests that the worst face-to-face teacher is assumed better than the best (most interactive) computer-delivered course.

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