Assessing the Impact of ICT in Education at an International Comparative Level

ICT are considered to play a key role on improving effectiveness in education. The need for political measures had been recognised quite early and during recent years investments were being made in many countries in order to ensure access to computer and internet technologies in the classroom. However, despite infrastructures made available and training provided, results so far do not provide yet a clear picture on actual improvements achieved as far as educational processes or outcomes are concerned. Most international comparative surveys observe the use of ICT at a general and more peripherical level. There is a slight shift to be noted with more emphasis given to the actual educational use of ICT in education but traditional instruments become increasingly inappropriate for the measurements of effects. They provide a snapshot of a given situation in a very specific educational context with an emphasis to cognitive skills as basis for assessment whereas (educational) processes as well as various types of other skills (such as affective skills) can hardly be assessed. Other, smaller scaled research studies on ICT effects are typically focused on selected components of education but for drawing broader socio-economic conclusions such analysis cannot be done in isolation and different levels of effect measurement have to be taken into account. The article is framed within a research project launched by CRELL on developing further the measurement of ICT impact in a comparative perspective. It explores what data is available in terms of ICT use and what can be said on the impact of ICT on the learner and learning. A conceptual model for observing the impact of ICT in education from a multi-dimensional perspective is proposed.

SCHEUERMANN Friedrich;  VILLALBA GARCIA Ernesto; 

2008-08-21

Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

JRC46530

http://www.editlib.org/p/29050,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC46530,