EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS’ CREATION OF SPECIFIC DIGITAL PRODUCTS AND THEIR TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT SCORES

Mingyuan Zhang,Tiffany Sutter

doi:10.29121/granthaalayah.v8.i9.2020.1342

Abstract

This study presented a secondary analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) dataset. The paper examined the impact of eighth grade students’ specific digital product creation on their Technology & Engineering Literacy ICT scores. In order to gain a better understanding of the impact of computer use technology achievement of eighth-grade students, this study used a quantitative descriptive research design to analyze secondary data extracted from the 2018 NAEP data set. The findings include (1) using computers to create, edit, or organize digital media both for school work and activities beyond school increased overall ICT scores. (2) The average score of students who used computers to create presentations in school increased while those who did this activity after school time saw a decrease in scores. (3) Students who reported that they create spreadsheets mostly saw a decrease in their average ICT score no matter the frequency or purpose for the activity. These findings may indicate that there is an ideal frequency for digital product creation in school, but that these types of activities may not be indicative of real-world use which is how students are assessed.

Highlights

With the advent of the term digital native by Prensky (2001), many are led to believe that students today are actively using technology in a meaningful way because of the era into which they were born
These findings may indicate that there is an ideal frequency for digital product creation in school, but that these types of activities may not be indicative of real-world use which is how students are assessed
In order to explore this relationship, this study focused on these research questions: Does using computers to create media, presentations, and spreadsheets for school work have an impact on eighth-grade Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) scores?

Summary

Introduction

With the advent of the term digital native by Prensky (2001), many are led to believe that students today are actively using technology in a meaningful way because of the era into which they were born. According to Kirschner and De Bruyckere (2017), understanding that digital natives are not necessarily sitting in our classrooms will help teachers “avoid the pitfall of assuming that their students possess talents and abilities that they do not have. The skills and competences attributed to this generation of students...need to be properly taught and acquired before they can be applied” It is through purposeful instruction and inclusion of technology in curricula that students can increase their abilities.

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Conclusion