LESSON 9
John Trott

1. Undertake an internet search of web sites addressing issues of cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis of educational technology and share your findings with the class.

A couple of the sites more interesting sites I found were:

The Costs and Effectiveness of Educational Technology-November 1995
http://www.ed.gov/Technology/Plan/RAND/Costs/costs4.html

This site provides the differing viewpoints of James Kulik, Bill Hadley, Dexter Fletcher, and Luis Osin regarding what is known from,"experimental and empirical data about the effectiveness of student learning using computer technology for the case of limited and well defined curriculum objectives."

Cost Benefit and Effectiveness Issues in the Introduction of Educational Technology
http://www.jma.com.au/openlearncost.htm

"The aim of this paper is to raise a number of issues regarding cost benefits and cost effectiveness in relation to the introduction of educational technology, in order to stimulate discussion, not to offer simple answers. Costs, benefits and measures of effectiveness are often not identified when innovative uses of educational technology are planned. The paper provides a summary of instances where cost benefit and cost effectiveness analyses are useful in the planning of innovations."

2. Develop your own particular position on technology as an effective instructional tool, and share your perspectives.

I believe that technology does have a very important place in education. The problem I'm seeing in the classrooms is that the computers are often being used just as tutorials. The students are mainly using the computers to complete lessons in preparation for the TAAS. What is lacking is the use of the computer as a tool. Students are not being taught how to effectively use the technology to research and learn independently.