Auditing the ICT experiences of teacher education undergraduates

The importance of teacher education graduates having appropriate information and communication technology OCT) for learning competencies and experiences is well documented. However, without well developed processes for auditing the ICT experiences of undergraduates it should not be assumed that teachers enter their profession with the required ICT competencies to support their students' learning. This paper reports on the first phase of a project to audit the ICT experiences of teacher education undergraduates. It finds that the individual experiences of undergraduates can vary considerably depending on their choice of majors, electives or specialist teaching areas. It further finds that high percentages of students perceive themselves to have no competency with a range of ICT applications that would support the more motivational and interesting aspects of ICT integration for student learning

Measuring the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the classroom

In 2003, the ICT Curriculum Integration Performance Measurement Instrument was developed from an extensive review of the contemporary international and Australian research pertaining to the definition and measurement of ICT curriculum integration in classrooms (Proctor, Watson, & Finger, 2003). The 45-item instrument that resulted was based on theories and methodologies identified by the literature review. This paper describes psychometric results from a large-scale evaluation of the instrument subsequently conducted, as recommended by Proctor, Watson and Finger (2003). The resultant 20-item, two-factor instrument, now called Learning With ICTs: Measuring ICT Use in the Curriculum is both statistically and theoretically robust. This paper should be read in association with the original paper published in Computers in the Schools (Proctor, Watson & Finger, 2003) that described in detail the theoretical framework underpinning the development of the instrument

Teachers talk about measuring ICT curriculum integration

Concomitant with the many initiatives concerned with ICT curriculum integration are requirements for measurement of the student outcomes of that integration, in keeping with recent education priorities that emphasise outcomes and accountability. However researching and measuring the impact of ICT initiatives has been found to be a significant challenge. In Queensland (Australia) an instrument to measure ICT curriculum integration quantitatively has been developed, trialled and evaluated. This paper provides an overview of the issues identified by teachers with respect to the affordances and constraints related to the use of the instrument as they experienced it during the trial. The talk is analysed quantitatively and qualitatively by thematic analysis. This analysis identifies a number of ramifications for the particular instrument being evaluated, as well as for all instruments with the general intention of measuring ICT curriculum integration

Measuring learning with ICTs: an external evaluation of Education Queensland's ICT curriculum integration performance measurement instrument

From a review of national and international methodologies for describing and measuring ICT integration, there was found to be a lack of substantial history and development with most studies undertaken since 1998. Moreover, most studies have focussed on input indicators such as student to computer ratios, expenditure on ICTs, and the training and professional development of teachers. Within a context of emerging large scale investigations (e.g. SITES, EnGauge and Becta) there have been accompanying pressures for the development of methodologies for measuring ICT use and student outcomes at classroom, school and system levels. This paper provides a summary of the methodology used to evaluate Education Queensland's ICT Curriculum Integration Performance Measurement Instrument. The evaluation involved three major data sources - statistical analysis of the data collected from 929 Education Queensland teachers in 38 schools who used the Instrument in 2003; a peer review process; and school-based teacher interviews involving 42 teachers from 6 selected Queensland schools. The resulting recommendations derived from the evaluation informed the refinement of the Instrument which is now called Learning with ICTs: Measuring ICT Use in the Curriculum. This paper also summarises the recommendations and significant features of the Instrument

ICT integration and teachers' confidence in using ICT for teaching and learning in Queensland state schools

Information and communication technology (ICT) curriculum integration is the apparent goal of an extensive array of educational initiatives in all Australian states and territories. However, ICT curriculum integration is neither value neutral nor universally understood. The literature indicates the complexity of rationales and terminology that underwrite various initiatives; various dimensions and stages of integration; inherent methodological difficulties; obstacles to integration; and significant issues relating to teacher professional development and ICT competencies (Jamieson-Proctor, Watson, & Finger, 2003). This paper investigates the overarching question: Are ICT integration initiatives making a significant impact on teaching and learning in Queensland state schools? It reports the results from a teacher survey that measures the quantity and quality of student use of ICT. Results from 929 teachers across all year levels and from 38 Queensland state schools indicate that female teachers (73% of the full time teachers in Queensland state schools in 2005) are significantly less confident than their male counterparts in using ICT with students for teaching and learning, and there is evidence of significant resistance to using ICT to align curriculum with new times and new technologies. This result supports the hypothesis that current initiatives with ICT are having uneven and less than the desired results system wide. These results require further urgent investigation in order to address the factors that currently constrain the use of ICT for teaching and learning

Education students' views on the integration of ICT into their undergraduate learning experiences

It is well understood that university graduates, regardless of discipline, must have appropriate information and communication technology (ICT) competencies to function and be employable in the modern world. Universities have been encouraged to develop action plans for ICT literacy and to introduce means of auditing ICT literacy levels of students. In addition, education graduates have had additional responsibility to develop ICT competencies to support student learning. The extent to which this is actually being achieved is less well understood. This paper reports on the second phase of a research project to audit the ICT experiences of teacher education undergraduates. The first phase collected survey data that explored the students' competence with ICT applications and their confidence with ICT integration in their teaching pedagogy, and is reported elsewhere. This paper reports on interviews with students to provide in-depth understanding of their ICT experiences as undergraduates. It supports survey findings that considerable difference exists between individual experiences within and between programs depending on course selection, study plans and personal inclination. It also raises serious questions about the capacity of many graduates to undertake ICT aspects of their profession without extensive and immediate further professional development. The paper concludes by exploring how some of this variance can be addressed to ensure that graduates are more ICT capable

Measuring ICT Use

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of Education Queensland in funding this evaluation, providing the data from 929 teachers who completed the instrument and making personnel available for discussions. Address for Correspondence: Romina Jamieson-Proctor (PhD

Measuring the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the classroom

In 2003, the “ICT Curriculum Integration Performance Measurement Instrument” was developed froman extensive review ofthe contemporary international and Australian research pertaining to the definition and measurement of ICT curriculum integration in classrooms (Proctor, Watson, & Finger, 2003). The 45-item instrument that resulted was based on theories and methodologies identified by the literature review. This paper describes psychometric results from a large-scale evaluation of the instrument subsequently conducted, as recommended by Proctor, Watson, and Finger (2003). The resultant 20-item, two-factor instrument, now called “Learning with ICTs: Measuring ICT Use in the Curriculum,” is both statistically and theoretically robust. This paper should be read in association with the original paper published in Computers in the Schools(Proctor, Watson, & Finger, 2003) that described in detail the theoretical framework underpinning the development of the instrument