Comparison of Two Research Articles

Compare and contrast the articles by Ed Smeets (2005) and John Robertson (2002). Make suggestions which would help us provide a more meaningful learning environment, based on your own experience of the use of ICT in the schools you have taught in.

Smeets (2005) stated that education must be provided in an optimal environment in which learning is promoted. In order to promote a classroom in which learning and problem solving can take place, there must be co-operation and interaction between the staff and pupils. He stated that ICT has a number of functions which can be beneficial to the classroom environment. Firstly, it can provide an abundance of information for both planning and research. Teachers can make use of ICT to share lesson ideas or to plan lessons with the assistance of others, or others ideas. Smeets also stated that ICT has allows for complex processes to be understood more easily and has allows for active learning and higher order thinking. Within the classroom situation, ICT allows for tasks to be adapted to the needs and capabilities of the pupils which in turn helps the teacher plan for curriculum differentiation.

There are however a number of factors that affect the level of ICT use within schools. One of the main factors it that of accessibility, both regarding the number of computers within a school, but also the location of the technology. Smeets stated that it is essential that they are placed within the classroom to be of benefit to the children. Another major factor is the skill level of the teacher, as well as their confidence to use it in front of children. Children today, are often have more advanced computing skills than the adults who are trying to teach them. The role of the teachers’ use of technology can have a huge impact on the learning impact that they are trying to create within a classroom setting.

For the optimum powerful learning environment, Smeets identifies that :
· Tasks need to be rich in context and as authentic as possible
· Active and independent learning must both be stimulated, as well as co-operative learning.
· The curriculum must be adapted to the individual needs of the pupils (differentiated)
Smeets divides ICT software into two main types. The first type is skill-based transmission software which is designed to enhance skills by administering drill and practice exercises (to assist teachers who support constructivist views). In comparison, open-ended software is a tool used for helping learners to build on previous knowledge and encourages active learning, whilst creating a powerful learning environment. The type of software chosen can have an instrumental effect on the pupils attainment within ICT.

Smeets carried out research within Dutch primary schools and used a sample of 331 grade 8 teachers, to investigate their thoughts on the topic of ICT. He found that 3 out of 4 teachers felt their skills were good or quite good, and many used ICT to stimulate their pupils to work autonomously. 1 in 3 teachers use ICT to stimulate pupils to explore information for themselves, with 93% of teachers used ICT in their lessons – on average at least 55 minutes a week. He also stated that skill-based software is used more often than open-ended software with 59% of pupils are regularly working on computers alone. If they work with others, it is normally as a pair. Smeets claimed that male teachers are more likely to favour open-ended ICT applications compared with females, and that while most teachers are aware of the benefits of ICT within the classroom, few use it to its full potential. As yet, few are prepared to change their pedagogical practices. He also felt that the larger the class size, the more likely the teacher is to use skill based ICT, and that the presence of an ICT suite within a school building, leds to a decrease in the amount of skill-based ICT use.

Robertson examined the state of ICT in primary schools at the end of the twentieth century and the route taken to reach the current levels. Many government initiatives, trainings and research have been carried out in the past few years which examined the use of ICT within primary education, many of which state the benefits available to both teacher and pupil. In agreement with Smeets, Robertson states how ICT can be instrumental in allowing for interactive and personalised learning to take place within the classroom, as well as giving an opportunity for creating simulations, problem solving as well as allowing the children the opportunity to investigate and handle data and information. In reality though, Robertson found that ICT was not being used to its maximum benefit, and instead of providing an interactive, personalised lesson, children were instead taught drills via drills and practice in which passive learning took place.
When comparing the two articles it would appear at first hand that Robertson has a more negative view on ICT in education than Smeets, yet they both state how important ICT could be to the classroom if used to its full potential. Smeets examines current research based in the Netherlands whereas Robertson has focused on the progress throughout the end of the twentieth century in the UK. Holland have very different teaching methods to the UK therefore it is important to bear in mind the cultural differences that are involved, and that Smeets research cannot be directly applied to the UK educational system. Both authors examine that the use of ICT has increased dramatically within recent years, yet realise that with better understanding and with the adaption of teachers pedadogy, ICT can be used to a more full potential.

Suggestions for the future.
ICT has the opportunity to make or break a lesson. It’s unpredictable nature, especially when requiring wireless networks, often put a huge risk on a teacher to rely solely on ICT to carry out a lesson. With improvements in technology, and reduction of cost, then ICT can go from strength to strength, and with young adults from the ‘computer generation’ qualifying as teachers, then hopefully their skills and knowledge can be implemented successfully into the school classroom, however I am still a little dubious about how long this will take to be fully implemented, and with the ever advancing ICT available, I feel children will always be one step ahead of the staff who are trying to teach them.

References:
Robertson, J. (2002) The ambiguous embrace; Twenty years of IT (ICT) in UK primary schools. BJET, 33(4) 403-409.

Smeets, E. (2005) Does ICT contribute to powerful learning environments in primary education? Computers and Education, 44 (2005) 343-355.