Black youth are less likely to enroll in college than youth of other races. The disparity in college access, and subsequently, in degree attainment, is due to many systemic and structural factors. Information gaps about how to research, prepare for, and finance a college degree also lead to racial disparities in college access. Technology,…

This qualitative study seeks to understand and resolve the difficulties that teachers encounter when integrating mobile devices in classrooms. To address the issue of teacher receptiveness, three undergraduate researchers collaborated with an education professor in spring 2012 to complete a qualitative study with a two-fold purpose: 1) to…

Can novel 3D models help students develop a deeper understanding of core concepts in molecular biology? We adapted 3D molecular models, developed by scientists, for use in high school science classrooms. The models accurately represent the structural and functional properties of complex DNA and Virus molecules, and provide visual and haptic…

The accelerated growth of 1:1 educational computing initiatives has challenged digital equity with a three-tiered, socioeconomic digital divide: (a) access, (b) higher order uses, and (c) user empowerment and personalization. As the access gap has been closing, the exponential increase of 1:1 devices threatens to widen the second and third digital…

This report offers a framework for districts to use in their preparation to provide quality instruction through distance and blended models. In the wake of COVID-19, "teaching as usual" will be neither possible nor sufficient to meet students' needs because California's schools have experienced disruptions to each aspect of the…

At Cambrian School District, educators are trying a new approach as they investigate new technologies. Rather than roll out a one-size-fits-all mandate that one will use this new "box," which may also sit gathering dust, they have implemented a new model. Early in the last school year they announced the Digital Media Academy, and in…

Higher education is ripe for innovation. While emerging technological developments such as digital courseware and mobiles apps have made it easier than ever for people to engage with learning resources, significant issues of access and equity persist among students from low-income, minority, single-parent families, and other disadvantaged groups.…

This article describes an Oakland Unified schools program of "blended learning" that is designed to reach students who are academically all over the map. Blended learning combines brick-and-mortar schooling with online education "with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace" of learning. The program…

Social media has permeated almost every aspect of the lives of anyone who utilizes the internet. Teachers and students are no exception. Students are most likely to use social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. This research focuses on best practices related to augmenting school curriculum to utilize these tools to increase student…

As digital tools proliferate and improve, solid instruction in the basics will eventually become "flat"--available anywhere globally--and the elements of excellent teaching that are most difficult for technology to replace will increasingly differentiate student outcomes. As a result, teacher effectiveness may matter even more than it…

Will the digital-learning movement repeat the mistakes of the charter-school movement? How much more successful might today's charter universe look if yesterday's proponents had focused on the policies and practices needed to ensure its quality, freedom, and resources over the long term? What mistakes might have been avoided? Damaging scandals…

Open online courses (OOC) with a massive number of students have represented an important development for online education in the past years. A course on artificial intelligence, CS221, at the University of Stanford was offered in the fall of 2011 free and online which attracted 160,000 registered students. It was one of three offered as an…

A TEACHER SHORTAGE, LARGE CLASSES, AND NEED FOR QUALITY INSTRUCTION FORCED EDUCATION INTO MASS INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY. INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY IS GOVERNED BY SUCH SYSTEMS AS TELEVISION AND FILMS WHICH CAN REACH MORE STUDENTS WITH FEWER TEACHERS. THERE IS A TREND TOWARD INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION UTILIZING TEACHING MACHINES. IF A COMBINATION OF…

One of the more promising approaches to instructional improvement in the face of increasing enrollments is the Coordinated Instruction System (CIS), which includes the use of television, slide-tape combinations, and programed instruction materials. This position paper sees the CIS technology as a way to extend and reinforce basic teacher-student…

Describes the adoption of non-textbook-based materials for elementary science instruction in California. The necessary collaboration between educational technology, curriculum, and instructional professionals is discussed; integrated multimedia materials are described that include software, video, kits, and booklets; and the role of teachers and…