Technology in Assessment and the Classroom 1

Technology in Assessment and the Classroom

Joshua Mitchell, Andrew Thaung, Allissa Valenzuela

Arizona State University

Technology in Assessment and the Classroom 2

Introduction

The implementation of technological devices in education is not a fad that is soon to pass.

Full integration of technology within classrooms is the future of education in a society engulfed

by exponential technological proliferation. Educators must embrace the influx of devices and

learn to control their usage among students if they are to become effective in twenty-first century

education. When incorporated correctly into curricula, technology does not only provide the

digital tools necessary for the success of the students within the classroom, but also the skills for

them to succeed in life once they graduate high school. Students can develop professional

portfolios online as a resource that can later be accessed once they apply for either college or

employment in the professional workforce. Skills such as word processing, digital research, and

online navigation are all essential for success once they enter their careers or higher education.

Implementing technology in education streamlines both instruction and communication

within the classroom. In schools where technology is provided, students have their own personal

laptops in replacement to that of the traditional textbooks. Students can access their assignments,

class announcements, and email through classroom applications such as Canvas or Google

Classroom. This opens opportunities for peer-collaboration as students have access to file

sharing applications such as Google Drive. Technology within the classroom is also beneficial

for teachers because they can implement more project-based learning assignments where

students can utilize different websites and software available to them. The implementation of

technology ultimately opens the door to a modern style of both learning and application of

understanding within the classroom.

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Incorporating technology in today’s classes comes in many forms and requires different

degrees of curricular and procedural alteration. There are those that try to keep technology out of

their classrooms entirely, and those that encourage its use too freely (which can result in

over-dependence or misuse). Finding a comfortable middle-ground between use and non-use is

an essential part of teaching modern youth. Most kids have mobile devices or laptops that are

provided by their school or parents (this includes any computer with internet access, from

smartphones to iPads), so teachers can create ways to teach their students using the creative

potential of said technology without worrying about whether or not there is enough circuitry to

go around. However, one problem still stands: how can teachers be certain that their students are

using the technology for the intended purposes of the class? One consequence of technology is

that it enables students to do whatever they like at any given time, often right under the nose of

the teacher. Sure, a teacher could patrol the classroom and make sure students are using the

devices for class-related purposes, but kids are well-versed in the art of minimizing an off-task

tab just before it’s within the teacher’s sight.

How can teachers ensure that their students are using technology strictly for classroom

activities? One way is to make the technology-centered activities of the classroom engaging and

rewarding through a process known as “gamification.” Gamification involves modifying aspects

of the class into video-game like “missions” that satiate students’ need for instant gratification by

rewarding points or other simple rewards (real or virtual) for class progress. It appeals to the

nearly “211.2 million people ages 2 and older [that] play video games on at least one type of

device,” (NPD Group, 2018). Teachers won’t have to worry about their students using their

devices for off-task activities if the class content is delivered in a way that doesn’t feel like
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boring old school. Even if teachers are able to “trick” students into learning, then the goal of

education has still been achieved. By delivering content in an entertaining technology-centered

manner, gamification ultimately provides an easy and effective means of teaching that also

provides a wide array of data that can be used for assessment purposes.

As education has changed and developed in many ways, often related to technology some

notable elements of assessment have remained stable. While the frequency has increased, and

many creative methods developed for formative assessment, standardized multiple choice tests

are still often the tool of choice for summative assessment for many teachers, policymakers, and

test producing companies. This tool can make it easy to compare scores across students, but it is

often not the best measure of what students actually know and can do. Many schools have

adopted new technologies but are not using them to the fullest extent possible when it comes to

assessment, both in summative and formative forms.

New forms of assessments given through technology, especially those that are video

game based, have the potential to collect more complete and detailed data in a way that is less

time consuming for the teacher. They also have the potential to be more flexible than traditional

assessment to fit the needs of various students and parallelly be experiences that students are

excited about instead of dread and anxiety producing experiences that many traditional

assessments often are for students. While these new assessments have upsides, many teachers

may feel uncomfortable giving an assessment in this form because it does not measure

knowledge and skills in a familiar way. In addition, developing and buying new game based

assessments would be expensive.

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Discussion

Technology is brought into the classroom because it is believed to have an outstanding

positive effect on student learning, but a great deal of modification to the curriculum must be

applied in order to achieve its intended effects. Often times, teachers will attempt to integrate

technology into their curriculum, permitting its usage indefinitely, only to find that it has failed

miserably because their students aren’t engaged in the classroom tasks and turn to their devices

as a mental escape. This negative response causes a teacher to blame the technology as the

source for their students’ lack of engagement when really it was the teacher’s failure to make the

tasks applicable and engaging. A large contributor to this issue is the fact that teachers lack the

training and time necessary to design a curriculum centered around technology use (i.e. they

aren’t aware of the tools out there, or how to use the tools that will help them). This refers to an

obstacle known as “double innovation,” in which teachers must first learn to use a technology

before they can properly implement it into daily lesson plans (Johnson et al., 2016). Many

teachers don’t have enough time as it is and couldn’t possibly justify bringing something so

complex into their classes. This contributes to teachers becoming sedentary or “stuck in their

ways.” Some will refuse to bring something new into the classroom despite the fact that it could

greatly benefit their students. Although there isn’t much administration can do to teach an old

dog new tricks, the teachers that are on the fence about technology incorporation have a wide

variety of professional development opportunities which can train them in the ways of

technology incorporation.

However, the answer isn’t to not move forward with the rapid technologization of

schools. On the contrary, without furthering technology-integration within the classroom,

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activities and lessons can become mundane and students start to lose interest within the content.

The issue that surrounds technology implementation can be broken down to that of both

classroom management and structure. There needs to be a routine created within the classroom

when it comes to technology integration and how students use technology. This boils down

mostly to proper use of technology. Teachers can implement and enforce classroom activities

such as working on daily assignments using technology and implementing rules of when to and

not to use technology such as designated time for computers, restricting websites when taking

notes, and creating a submission schedule for assignments. The important making technology

integration within the classroom is enforcing these routines and policies.

Successful integration of technology within the classroom, when done properly, has

shown to improve student engagement as well as positive improvement of student learning

outcome. Students at both the primary and secondary level have been found to be engaged more

when they are able to tangibly create a product that is a direct outcome of their learning. Students

were found to be more receptive towards an activity such as creating blog posts, videos, or doc

sharing projects rather than having to write a traditional essay. Students are intellectually

attracted to the creative and collaborative aspects that technology has to offer. Moreover,

students have shown positive learning outcomes when they receive information in different

mediums. One example shows students being engaged in a lesson where the teacher shows them

a video of a biography or provides them research tools on a biography, as opposed to having

them read the original text. (Yemothy, 2015, pp. 70 - 71)

Technology has also been shown to be an assistive tool within the classroom as well.

Students have been able to utilize digital tools to improve critical thinking skills and self-growth.
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Students who struggled with recalling information or critical thinking had digital tools such as

annotated notes, study guides, or flash cards they could access. Students were also able to use

these same tools during class lectures or when they had difficulties doing homework outside of

the classroom. (Aronson, 2014, p. 11)

It is undeniable that the mission of education is supported heavily by technology

integration. Although there are obstacles to overcome when merging technology and education,

the research shows that this endeavor is a necessary one to maximize the learning. With a heavy

focus on assessment, many teachers feel like they need to focus on preparing students for a test

because policymakers have made tests so high stakes. Students feel like what they are learning in

school is not preparing them well for life. Many students are also struggling on tests for reasons

other than not knowing the content, such as different levels of prior knowledge. Using

technology for assessment collects better data which is better for teachers, students,

administrators, and policymakers. Companies who produce tests already have a formula that is

making them money and is cheaper than developing more complex technology and video game

based assessments.

Research

A significant problem with the appropriate incorporation of technology in education

pertains to how often it has unintended negative effects on learning. It seems teachers and

administrators are constantly battling students on the appropriate usage of technology in school.

Schools often employ the use of website blockers or firewalls to limit student browsing freedom,

but students have plenty of ways around these blockades (VPNs, proxy sites, browser extensions,

just to name a few). Perhaps administrators shouldn’t be asking the question, “how do we stop
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students from using their computers inappropriately,” and instead ask “what can we do to enable

them to use their computers appropriately for schools.” There is no shortage of anecdotal

evidence which reveals that students misuse technology in a wide variety of ways (Fox, 2018,

pp.12-14). From copyright infringement to online gaming, students have been found to misuse

technology in a manner that makes it challenging to justify allowing technology use in school if

not for all the aforementioned benefits. A significant contributor to this issue is that kids lack

“tech literacy.” In short, they haven’t properly been trained in the ways of using technology for

mature and academically relevant purposes, so of course they use technology carelessly.

Administration cracking down on students for misusing technology is like a dog trainer yelling at

their puppy for peeing in the house. Maybe the yelling will get the message across that they’re

doing something wrong, but in truth they’re not going to know the right way to do something

unless they are shown the right way to do it. Like many of the flaws in education, the problem is

perpetuated by an inability to address the underlying cause. Administrators and policy-makers

tell the students what not to do, and teachers are supposed to demonstrate what to do, only

teachers haven’t been delivering on this because they themselves don’t know how to properly

use the technology. Making policy to restrict inappropriate usage of technology lays a necessary

framework, but it does not remove the weed at its root.

One of the key struggles of teaching within the 21st century classroom is engaging

students with content and getting them motivated. Students are not as receptive towards the

scripted routine of classroom activities of lecture, notes, and homework. Implementation of

technology within the classroom adds variety to both the methods of teaching as well as the

diversity of tools that students are allowed to use when it comes to their work. Students feel
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creatively stifled as well, which can contribute to the disinterest of learning within the classroom.

The way classroom structure is set does not allow room for individualism or freedom of

expression for the students. It also does not provide any supplemental support for students who

may be struggling with academic work and may need scaffolding. This has shown to pose a

problem for teachers as well because not only would they battle with teaching the content, but

struggle with teaching it in a way where it is meaningful for their students.

One of the benefits shown for integration of technology within the classroom is how it

can be utilized as a differentiation tool. When teachers base their instruction solely on the

traditional method of lecturing and notetaking, this can alienate students who aren’t as receptive

to this style. Software tools such as excel sheets, PowerPoint, or using various educational

websites have shown to be used as digital tools to help student learning of content area

knowledge. Excel sheets can teach students basic graphing and statistics skills, and PowerPoint

can provide students a visual way of learning and presenting their ideas. (Stanford et al, 2010,

pp. 5 - 6) Websites such as Quizlet also provides a tool for students to work and master new

vocabulary, along with podcast websites which enables students to work on presentation and

speaking skills without the anxiety of having to present in front of people.

Technology has also proven to result in increased literacy skills. Simple word processing

documents allow students to practice typing, as the word processing software does grammar and

spell check. Teachers would use copy typing as a means to complete a project, not as the project

itself. This method both challenges students and enhances their literacy skills without being

“educationally dehydrating.” (Young, 2008, p. 17) The process of copy typing in a project-based

assignment allows students to think critically within the scope of the project they are working on
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because they apply literacy skill through either the project writing process or the presentation of

the project. Other literacy supports include the use of electronic texts with one resource called

“talking books.” This allows students to view text through either sound or animation. Talking

books also provides notes within the text as an explanation to provide further context. When

using talking books, students are more in control of how they consume the text they are reading.

Another aspect that was discovered through integration of technology was the increase in

student collaboration and the effectiveness of project-based learning. Technology has been used

as brainstorming, collaboration, and content knowledge tools. The software that students use for

brainstorming has replaced the traditional pencil and paper. Students can use note taking sites

such as Evernote or Microsoft OneNote to brainstorm ideas or to write down notes. The

difference with these notetaking sites and software is that students can easily organize and carry

with them without the risk of losing or misplacing them. Collaboration has been made easier

both in and out of the classroom with websites such as Edmodo, Slack, or Google Docs. Students

can create, edit, and communicate on projects in real-time while their progress is saved

automatically (granted they have an internet connection). The biggest benefit to these websites

aside from the convenience factor is that they are free-to-use. Lastly, students can demonstrate an

understanding of content by creating presentations through websites such as Prezi or by

documenting their progress through portfolios such as Weebly. Furthermore, students can keep

their projects as part of their professional portfolio to show both colleges or future employers

(Taylor, 2017, p. 2).

For the role of the educator, technology integration has shown that both teaching and

learning can be more authentic. Educators benefit from learning with technology as well because
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they are learning side-by-side with students and examine what fosters positive learning

outcomes. Through the lense of technology, teachers are able to make appropriate adaptations to

their curriculum through interactions with students. Technology can be used as a collaboration

tool for teachers as well because they are able to share data and student learning growth with

their department as well as administration. Technology has played an integral part in teaching

because teachers are able to connect with other educators, experts, and community members to

expand their perspective and create opportunities for student learning. They are able to learn

from one another to design curriculum as a team and provide feedback as opposed to each

individual educator working by themselves and only have their students as a feedback pool.

(U.S. Department of Education, 2017, pp. 27 - 30)

There are several problems with assessment as it currently stands in classrooms. These

problems include the fact that assessments are detached events, assessments rarely influence

learning, and several different validity issues. As it currently stands, there is a step by step

process of instruction, stop, assessment instead of instruction and assessment happening

simultaneously​. ​Shute and Ventura use the metaphor of a small grocery store to a large

supermarket. Current assessment is like a small grocery store that needs to shut down a couple

times a year to take a full inventory, where inventory is compared to student learning. In a large

supermarket, inventory systems are automated by technology and provide rich data continuously,

which allows the managers of the store to monitor trends and better manage inventory.

Assessment that is continuous and supports learning real time would be more useful to both

teachers and students. Traditional assessments judge a student at a point in time instead of
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continuously throughout the learning process to provide data on how goals are being met and to

inform how the learning process should go.

There are also problems of validity with many traditional assessments. There is face

validity which states that an assessment should measure what it is intending to measure. Many

traditional assessments are not assessing what students know or can do well because the test

environment and task is not meaningful. The example that Shute and Ventura provide is of a

typical reading comprehension test where students answer multiple choice questions about a

passage on a usually uninteresting topic. This kind of test is not a great measure of reading

comprehension because a student’s prior knowledge impacts how well they will understand the

passage and there is nothing inherent about the test that motivates the student to care about the

task they are supposed to do. A meaningful environment gives context to the tasks the students

are performing and motivation for the students to complete the task which traditional

assessments often lack. There is also the issue of consequential validity which is the effects of

current assessments and assessment policy. One example is the focus on “teaching to the test”

following NCLB and the target of accountability. This encourages instruction that is relevant to

doing well on a particular test, but not necessarily to the knowledge and skills that will be most

useful outside of school, which can bring higher dropout rates. (Shute & Ventura, 2013, p.

10-16).

With these problems, comes the need for better assessments that are built for twenty-first

century schools, classrooms, and most importantly students. Current assessments are designed

well as part of the learning process and have validity issues, but are also not built to assess

twenty-first century thinking. These assessments are built around facts, not problem solving or
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skills that students will need to succeed in a workplace. Shaffer and Gee introduced the concept

of Good Assessment for Twentyfirstcentury Education or GATE. Shaffer and Gee argue that in

order to be a GATE, assessment needs to change in three ways: what is assessed, how it is

assessed, and the purpose of assessment. A GATE should require students to use twenty-first

century skills such as communication, collaboration, innovation, and creativity to solve complex

disciplinary problems. A GATE should be part of the learning process and provide information

about how the student is developing. This information provided would be the main purpose of a

GATE and would be “useful and actionable” to improve learning. (Shaffer & Gee, 2012, p. 3-8).

Recommendations

Meaningful implementation of technology can require both minor or major changes to

curriculum or classroom environment. Regardless, the changes are those that promote the most

growth out of the students within each classroom. Technology implementation can enhance the

learning environment of the classroom as a whole, or can be specialized to meet individual

student needs. Digital tools can be utilized especially towards students who may learn at a

different pace and to provide extra support through technology. Even for teachers who prefer to

teach in more traditional lecture-and-note taking styles, some basic strategies can be

implemented to enhance learning and content retention. These include providing simple

resources such as study guides or digital notes for students to follow along during lectures.

Integrating technology does not have to mean a complete reimagining of classroom structure, for

it can be something as simple as additional digitized resources aimed at accommodating students.

Similar to every other activity within the classroom, the usage of technology should be

treated as a privilege to deter any off task activities. One recommendation for teachers is to have
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a dedicated station and time of use for laptops within the classroom. In order to minimize

distractions, students should be limited and allotted time for appropriate laptop use. This can

include not having laptops open during set times or restricting certain sites so students cannot

access them during instruction or work time. Routines can include students accessing their digital

notebooks daily or having a daily digital journal that they can work on as bell-work every day

once they walk into class. Having defined routines sets both student and teacher expectations on

what is and is not appropriate use for technology within the classroom.

In addition to routines, students must be taught the principles of digital citizenship and

digital literacy in order to become more responsible users of technology. In order for this to be

possible, teachers must become equally if not better-versed in the technologies that are

incorporated in learning. Without this mastery, students can find ways to “outsmart,” the teacher

when it comes to completing tasks or using technology suitably. How can a teacher gauge

whether or not their students are using technology properly if the teacher themself doesn’t know

how to use technology properly? Although students are considered to be “digital natives,” and

are typically highly experienced in technology usage, they can still lack an understanding of

what it means to be digitally literate and to use technology for academically appropriate and

professional purposes. Because students have already familiarized themselves with technology,

they may not feel there is much to learn from teachers, which is exactly why teachers must show

their students something that’s worth learning by demonstrating mastery of technology usage.

Once teachers have an adequate understanding of how to use devices, they can demonstrate to

students what it looks like to use technology in a manner that is suitable for school rather than

giving them a list of dos and don’ts.

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Technology can enhance many aspects of a class including and especially assessment.

Shute and Ventura and Shaffer and Gee both recommend the use of video games for assessment.

Shute and Ventura argue that many current problems with assessment stem from the fact that

these assessments are too simple, abstract, and decontextualized that assessment through video

games can help these problems. Video game assessments, when designed well, provide

meaningful environments and tasks and require students to demonstrate multiple competencies.

(Shute & Ventura, 2013, p. 78). Shaffer and Gee argue that video games fit the qualifications to

be a GATE for several reasons. Video games are built around problem solving and require

students to use knowledge and skills together in a complex way in order to solve problems.

Video games also inherently assess twenty-first century skills because they are technology based.

Games also collect multi-dimensional data about players over time that can better inform future

instruction. Lastly, games can easily be both part of the learning and the assessment process.

Games introduce players to new experiences throughout play but there are also consequences to

choices players make throughout the game. (Shaffer & Gee, 2012, p. 10-13).
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NPD Group. (2018). ​Over Half of the 211.2 Million Video Gamers in the U.S. Play Games

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