Chapter 9: Framing Technology Program Evaluations

The power and utility of computer-related technologies has increased rapidly over the past twenty years. While this incredible growth has resulted in a wide variety of benefits for teaching and learning, these varied uses complicate attempts to examine the impact technology programs have on teaching and learning across K-12 schools. This paper discusses several factors related to technology programs that complicate formal evaluations, and presents a framework for evaluating district level technology programs. This framework captures three ways in which technology is typically employed in district level programs: as a part of the curriculum; as tools that assist with teaching and learning in other areas of the curriculum; and as tools that assist teachers with productivity and communication. Within the second area—instructional tools—the framework reflects two ways in which technology is often used: to help students acquire information, practice skills, or develop deeper understanding of concepts; and to help students produce products through which they may acquire or demonstrate knowledge and skill. The framework presented here provides researchers and evaluators with a starting point for investigating issues related to access, use, and impact in each of these areas.