Chapter 1: Introduction

For the past few decades policymakers, educators, and the public have been hearing promises that technology would change education and improve academic achievement. Those promises have led to significant expenditures on hardware, software, Internet access, and peripherals. As a result, virtually all public schools in the United States, and 94% of instructional rooms have access to the Internet. Additionally, 97% of schools have broadband access, reflecting the growth of improving speed and access over the past 10 years (Wells, Lewis, & Greene, 2006).

These dramatic changes have caused communities to ask about the return on their investment. “Does technology improve learning?” is their legitimate question. Although some successful instances of technology implementation have been reported, overall the potential and promise for educational technology appears to have gone unfulfilled (Conlon & Simpson, 2003; Cuban, 2001; Sandholtz, 2001). “The need for an answer has become more urgent in recent years due to two key factors—an emphasis on standards-based accountability and the substantial financial, instructional, and organizational costs-involved in purchasing and implementing technology” (Proteroe, 2005, p. 46).