An Ecological Analysis of Technology Diffusion in Schools

1. An Ecological Analysis of Technology Diffusion in Schools Jing Lei, Ph.D. Syracuse University jlei@syr.edu

2. 技术进入美国学校的历史回顾

3. 最近几年美国学校生机比变化情况 Source: NCES (2005), Education Week (2005)

4. 过去10年间美国学校联网率变化情况 Source: NCES (2005), Education Week (2005)

5. Source: Education Week (2004)

6. The Real Issue The persistent “Cuban’s puzzle” Oversold and Underused

7. Explaining the puzzle: previous research • Technology • Unstable, unreliable • Changes too fast • Ineffective • Users • Technology proficiency • Attitudes/beliefs • Computer anxiety • Organization • Insufficient investment • Institutional resistance • Traditional practices incompatible with technology

8. Problems: • These factors are often examined in isolation of each other or the system in which they interact with each other (Zhao, Pugh, Sheldon, Byers, 2002). • Treats technology as independent artifacts or single events. Fails to capture the dynamic nature of the technology adoption process; • Asking simple questions: long list of “what”, short on “how” (Zhao & Frank, 2003) • “makes it difficult to see how changes to a social system occur through other than simple, one-directional causation. This impedes both the development of successful innovations and the understanding of social change.” (Bruce, 1993)

9. To study this ”technology puzzle”, we propose an Ecological Perspective

10. Theoretical FrameworkThe Ecological Perspective • Ecosystems • Abiotic components • Biotic components • Species, dominants, key-stone species • Habitat and Niche • Mechanism: progress toward equilibrium • Species-Species interaction: competition, symbiosis • Species-environment interaction • Co-evolution

11. Previous research using the ecological perspective • Human development (Bronfenbrenner,1979; 1995; Bronfenbrenner & Ceci, 1994; Brofenbrenner & Morris, 1998); • Effective curricular software (Ehrmann,1995) • Technology and literacy (Bruce & Hogan, 1998); • Information ecologies (Nardi & O’Day, 1999). • Educational change (Keiny,2002) • Factors affecting teacher technology use (Zhao & Frank, 2003)

12. Building the connection • Classrooms as ecosystems • Computer uses as living species • Teachers as members of a keystone species • External educational innovations as invading exotic species.

13. Classrooms as ecosystems • Human institutions as ecosystems • human development(Bronfenbrenner,1979; 1995; 1994; Brofenbrenner & Morris, 1998); • culture change and ecosocial system (Lemke,1994); • technology and literacy (Bruce and Hogan,1998); • information ecologies(Nardi and O’Day, 1999). • The classroom ecosystem components and levels of analysis • Subsystem of a larger system • Biotic components • Abiotic components • Practices and values

14. Computer uses as living species • Man-made objects as living species: • Ideas, memes, and genes (Dawkins, 1989): “cultural transmission is analogous to genetic transmission in that, although basically conservative, it can give rise to a form of evolution.” (p. 189) • Scientific progress as evolution (Popper, 1972) • Language, science, technology, human behavior (Cziko, 1995) • Technology development (Bassalla, 1988; Levinson, 1997): Each technology, enters a specific cultural environment and either survives or perishes depending on how well adapted it is to that environment in similar ways as a biological organism enters a natural environment and its fate is subject to its “fitness.” • Computer uses as living species • Differences between computer technology and other technologies • Constantly evolving • Consumes resources • Self-reproduction

15. Teachers as keystone species • Selfishness and reciprocal altruism • Social capital: help from others (Frank, Zhao, Borman, 2004) • Teachers and machines • Teachers and other members of the ecosystem: the two cultures • Images of teachers

16. Innovation as invasion • Disrupts the equilibrium • Possible consequences of invasion • the invader wins and wipes out the existing species • the invader loses and perishes; • both go through a process of variation and selection and acquire new properties.

17. to summarize, according to the ecological perspective: • Technology is an active agent • Individuals are selfish actors • Technology uses evolve • Human actors change • Relationships are important • Opportunities for interaction are essential

18. An example • The Dynamics of Technology Uses in Schools(Lei, 2005)

19. Finding: Co-evolution—Dynamics of Technology Use in Schools Teacher Tech uses Environment characteristics Time 2 Environment characteristics Time 1 R2 = .754 Pedagogy Pearson r Student background, attitude, and performance at Time 1 Student Tech uses Student attitude, development and performance at Time 2

20. ResultsHow do different technology uses evolve • Always flourishing in the whole ecosystem • Always flourishing in a few habitats • Growing • Were flourishing but now dying • Were flourishing, now dead in most places but still thriving in a few habitats • Introduced in but never survived • Marginal existence Internet, Email, Word TI calculator, Excel Aspire, Aleks, PPT Telephone, Grade machine Overhead projector, TV/VCR Smart board Imovie, digital camera, Iphoto

21. An example: The thriving of PowerPoint • Technology use: • A great niche • Good adaptability • No serious competition • Symbiotic partner: Internet (r = .43, p < .001) • Environment change: • Resource • Expectation: symbolic value • User Change • Changed cost-benefit analysis • Improved technology proficiency • Increased social capitol • Peer pressure

22. Factors and Interactions Influencing Technology Use Invading species Function Adaptability Complexity Competition Symbiosis Other Existing Species Cost-Benefit Analysis Resource Consumption Niche Key-Stone Species Grade, Subject Technology proficiency Attitude and belief Social Connectedness Pedagogical belief and practice Ecosystem Technology infrastructure Human infrastructure Social Network

23. Summary • Technology use evolves. It’s a complex ongoing process influenced by its continuous interactions with other species, the users, and the environment. • The interactions and mutual influences between technology use, the users and the environment are not simple and linear, but are built upon circular causality and reflexivity. It is a cycle of changes, co-adaptation, and co-evolution • Different technology uses have different impact on student outcomes. –The quality of technology use is a critical issue. • Social capital affect teacher perception of time constraint

24. What does all this mean? Implications • For Policy Making • Provide holistic support for technology use in schools to facilitate a virtue cycle and grow a healthy ecosystem • Provide ongoing technology planning • Be realistic about the impact of technology • For tech integration: • What technology to introduce into schools? • What we can do to help a technology use to survive • Create conditions in schools for teachers and students to adopt new technologies

25. Suggestions for future research • Study technology in the context • Identify educationally meaningful technology uses • Discover effective ways to promote meaningful technology use • Develop instruments to evaluate student learning with technology

26. References • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Harvard University Press. • Cuban, L. (1999). The Technology Puzzle: Why is greater access not translating into better classroom use? Education Week, pp. 68, 47. • Cuban, L. (2001). Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom. Harvard University Press. • Lei, J. (2005) Co-evolution: The Dynamics of Technology Use in Schools. Michigan State University • Lewontin, R. (2000). The Triple Helix: Gene, Organism, and Environment. Harvard University Press. • Nardi, B. A., & O’Day, V. L. (1999). Information Ecologies. The MIT Press. • Zhao, Y., Frank, K. (2003). Factors affecting Technology Uses in Schools: an ecological perspective. American Educational Research Journal. winter, vol. 40. no.4, pp.807-840 • Zhao, Y., Pugh, K., Sheldon, S. & Byers, J. L., (2002). Conditions for Classroom Technology Innovations. Teachers College Record. 104(3), 482-515. • ……

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