THE EFFECTS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY

ON STUDENT’ S ACADEMIC

ACHIEVEMENT

Prepared for:

Mr. Danilo Delos Santos

Instructor

Prepared by:

Kletherene D. Cabiles

BS Crim-1B

October 16, 2018

Technology is the technical means people use to improve their surroundings and their

ability to do work. As time passes by, technology continues to improve. According to Rodriguez

(2011), technology has been a good impact in our lives. It has quickly develop and continues to

expand. As new generations develop, new technological devices develop as well. Forms of

technology that are common to students are computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

"Technology is a major catalyst for increasing learning" (Isernhagen, 1999, 30). A number of

new technologies are emerging to support and enhance learning in schools. Many of these

technologies are not used to replace traditional teaching methods, but instead, used as simple

methodologies to enhance student's learning (Riley, Beard and Strain, 47).

Research may show both positive and negative effects on student's achievement through

the implementation of technology. This area of research is very significant due to the changing

world of technology. Teachers and administrators are constantly searching for new ideas to make

class more technology-friendly. Mastering technology can transform a classroom (Davis, 1997,

49). Can we make better students through the use of technology? "Skills cannot be acquired

through simply teaching facts, but instead, can be acquired by providing the learner with an

opportunity to interact with the content, define learning goals, and explore new understandings

through authentic tasks." (Isernhagen, 1999, 30).

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects that technology has on student's

achievement. More specifically, the areas of inquiry include positive and negative effects on
student's achievement and the various types of technology that can increase or decrease a

student's ability to do works in school.

Significance of the Study

This study intends to benefit the following:

Students. This study may help students know the benefits and circumstances that can be brought

by technologies. Being aware of the different effects and proper use of technology may limit

negative results and could help them by making their school-works efficient.

Teachers. This study will benefit teachers by knowing the significance of technology that they

can use or apply on their works to make it easier and faster. Examples are solving or computing

grades of the student, making their lesson plans (by using computers, laptops, or tablets), and

teaching the class through a power point presentation. Those are the examples of the benefits of

technologies that teachers could learn from this study.

School Administrators. This study may encourage school administrators to implement different

forms of technology on school for academic purposes, most especially for the benefits of

students and teachers. Implementing technologies on school could improve student's academic

performance and productivity of the teachers for their better way of teaching and will also

contribute for the improvement of the school.

By sharing this study, students, teachers, and school administrators will have knowledge

on the effects of technologies and could help them become an effective user.
 Scope of the Study

This study was only limited to students, teachers, and school administrators, that are

engaged in using technology as to the effects of modern technologies to student's achievement.

This study was restricted to the educational community, which encompasses all schools,

educational institutions, and universities for the purpose of this study to prove that modern

technology is determined as a big help on student's achievement for making their works easier

and faster in school and at home that would lessen their time and efforts as well as hardships in

complying school-works and is also capable on improving student's interests and ability to do

such works.

Review of Related Literature

Various studies have sought to determine the effects of the use of technology on student's

achievement. Studies have found both positive and negative effects of technology on student's

achievement. The ideal goal for educators is to implement technology in the classroom and see

definite positive effects on student's achievement.

Malamud and Pop-Eleches (2011) examine a Romanian voucher program where 35,000

vouchers worth 200 euros were distributed to subsidize the purchase of home computers for low-

income students enrolled in Romania’s public schools. The study uses a regression discontinuity

design to estimate the causal result on academic achievement, cognitive skills, computer skills,

and various non-cognitive outcomes. They find that the treated group achieve significantly lower

grades in Math, English, and Romanian, but significantly higher score in a test of computer skills

and in self-reported measures of computer fluency.

constructing curriculum and delivering instruction. More than 17,000 seventh grade students and

their teachers in 243 middle schools received laptops. The researchers had sought to examine the

effects of using laptops in the classroom. The study also looked into examining the facilitators

and barriers for teachers using laptops in the classroom (Garthwait and Weller, 2005, 362). The

study found that students were more willing to think through conceptual mistakes and make the

requisite changes on their laptops. Teachers found themselves conducting brief and clear

introductions so that students could quickly begin using their laptops to complete the active

learning assignments (Gathwait and Weller, 2005, 362). This study provides evidence that

students are more eager to learn due to the presence of the laptop.

Wenglinsky (1998), motivation is the key to students increased ability to learn and

promote academic achievement. Wenglinsky found that students who used higher order thinking

software showed gains in math scores of up to fifteen weeks above grade level. Another finding

was that higher order use of computers and professional development were positively related to

students' academic achievement in mathematics for both fourth and eighth grade students. Use of

computers mainly for simulations and applications resulted in higher math achievement.

Computers seem to be the big craze of the century. Computers are in almost every

classroom around the world, whether at each students desk or at least at every teachers desk. In

the James Kulik Study (1994), the researcher used a technique called meta-analysis to aggregate

the findings from more than 500 individual studies of computer-based instruction. Computer

based instruction individualizes the educational process to accommodate the needs, interests, and

learning styles of each student (Kulik, 1994, 4). The study found that students who used

computer-based instruction scored at the 64th percentile on test of achievement compared to

helps to show that student achievement can be affected positively especially through assessment

scores. Students also tend to like their classes more and develop more positive attitudes towards

learning which results in positive academic achievement.

Technology is not just a device to make a classroom come more alive, but can also come

in the form of "Assistive Technology." An Assistive Technology Device is any item, piece of

equipment, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional

capabilities of students with disabilities (Riley, Beard and Strain, 2001, 47). Assistive

Technology is available for students with disabilities as well as students who don't have

identifiable disabilities. This type of technology can promote positive student achievement for

those students that lack of basic skills. The article states that there are many forms of technology

that can promote academic achievement. These students are unable to take advantage of

important learning tools such as: colored tiles, cubes, pattern blocks, and geoboards. The article

explains that virtual manipulatives are offered to classroom teachers as a technology alternative.

This provides students with the opportunity to work with on screen manipulatives similar to

those found in most classrooms. That way all students can be accommodated with the proper

technological tools to enhance student achievement. This article relates to the current study

because it provides the necessary technology devices and services for students with learning

disabilities. These devices can obviously help to improve a student's academic achievement and

can be further researched specifically to determine the actual outcomes on student achievement.

Researchers have also sought to find the negative impacts on student's achievement

through the use of technology. Technology has not always been promising within the classroom.

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is a widely studied and supported method of teaching. A

challenge. The study involved 44 children ages 7 to 12 from a public elementary school in

Florida. The control group was taught with the CAI Program and the experimental group was

given the opportunity to experience virtual reality. Teachers had received no instruction on the

computers; however, students were given basic directions. Students were given pre and post-tests

that were fifteen questions in length. Researchers were comparing the effects of computer

programs with gaming attributes or virtual reality. The study found that the control group

performed better on the math post-test compared to the pre-test. Using a 2-tailed test, there was a

significant difference in changed scores. This suggests that the children using the traditional CAI

Program learned more than the experimental group with the gaming attributes (Vogel,

Greenwood-Ericksen, Cannon-Bowers, and Bowers, 2006, 110). Therefore, the study showed

that the learning-game format not only failed to improve math skills but actually negated the

improvement resulting from the use of the CAI system altogether. Technology overall in this

study did not seem to result in positive student achievement. Previous studies had shown positive

results in student achievement due to the presence of the CAI Program. Further studies could

compare the use of technology compared to the use of traditional teaching and there might be

more promising outcomes and results.

Methods of the Study

The researcher used technology as a mean to drive this study due to the frustration

students would possess with the lack of technology in making their school-works. With this in

mind, a group of students were surveyed at the start of the study to actually see what they know
about technology and what type of technology they would like to use in order to make their tasks

more efficient. These students had only been exposed to basic technologies such as phones and

scientific calculators. Respondents were asked to evaluate whether modern technology could

either increase, decrease, or had not changed their academic performance and achievement. They

were also asked to indicate the positive and negative effects of technology that could affect their

achievement in school. To complete the study, a group of several teachers were also surveyed if

they prefer to use modern technologies such as laptops and projectors during class discussion and

they were also asked how modern technologies affect their works.

Surveys were given during the research to actually see what students knew about

technology inside and outside the classroom. The focus was to get the opinions of students and

teachers about different forms of technology and what they think would enhance and increase

student's achievement in school. These surveys also had provided valuable feedback on how to

make learning more interesting.

Summary and Conclusion

Technology is all over and it's going to be replacing a lot of traditional methods in the

classroom. Technology affects student's achievement in positive and negative ways. There are

many tools that can increase or decrease a students' ability to do works in school. Various forms

of technology can be an enhancement to student's learning but can also be a crutch that may

hinder a student's knowledge of basic skills. A major goal of the education system is to make

mastery learners out of all students and to increase their motivation to learn. Technology can be a

means to accomplish this goal.

understanding and knowledge of the various forms of technology in the world (not just in the

classroom). The results from the surveys also indicated some suggestions to the educator on how

to make class more fun and interesting. Study showed that students had improved academically

after the implementation of modern technology. The overall results from this research have

shown that technology is an effective way to increase student's achievement and is also a way to

intrigue and increase student's interest in the classroom.

Recommendations

Future research should look at the effect of technology on students' improvement at all

levels of education. I believe that students should be exposed to technology at an early age since

technology is changing everyday around us. Technology should be necessary in all schools to be

able to improve students' interest and achievement in the class. The time period should be

increased to an entire school year to really observe the true effectiveness of technology in school.

Also, technology should be implemented in all subject areas. There are many forms of

technology that could be used across curriculum. Teachers could be able to differentiate more

within the classroom and across all subject areas if more technology is tangible in the classroom.

Researchers could compare grades on assessments and also interview students if interest in the

class had increased and if they felt more at ease and could perform tasks quicker through the use

of technology.

Many schools only think about implementing technology in the regular education

classrooms. Many self-contained classrooms are "looked over'' when technology is brought into
schools. Special education students are in need of much assistance that could be eliminated due

to the presence of technology in schools. Technology in these forms could be highly expensive

for schools, but researchers could look at the positive and negative effects on student’s

achievement at the self-contained level.

Beard, L.A., Riley, G. & Strain, J. (2001). “Assistive Technology at Use in the Teacher

Education Programs at Jacksonville State University”. TechTrends, 48, 47-49.

Bowers, C. A., Cannon-Bowers, J., Greenwood-Ericksen, A., & Vogel, J.J. (2006). “Using

Virtual Reality With and Without Gaming Attributes for Academic Achievement”.

Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 39, 105-118.

Garthwait, A. & Weller, H.G. (2005). “A Year in the Life: Two Seventh Grade Teachers

Implement One-to One Computing”. Journal of Research on Technology in Education,

37, 361-377.

Hollister-Davis, SJ. (1997). “How Mastering Technology Can Transform Math Class”.

Educational Leadership, 55, 49-51.

Iserhagen, J.C. (1999). “Technology: A Major Catalyst for Increasing Learning”. THE Journal,

27, 30-34.

Malamud, O. and Pop-Eleches, C. (2011). “Home Computer Use and the Development of

Human Capital”. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 126(2): 987–1027.