The Role of Technology

Working for two years as a computer teacher in an urban high school, I becaome interested in using the computer both as an instructional tool and a measurement device. I developed an appreciation of technology as one means of facilitating rich interactions that are both engaging and complex, potentially assisting students in learning the "whats" in a manner that provides insights into the "whys".

My dissertation built on current literature regarding situated cognition and focused on the use of multimedia as one practical means of connecting classroom knowledge to its functional and social context. Specifically, it focused on anchored instruction, and the use of anchors for establishing goals that enable problem solvers to detect the raison d'�tre of the information being learned- that is its reasons for being. In related research, I have explored various means of assessing thinking and problem solving within these open-ended contexts. Computerized log files (time-stamped records of students' navigational choices on the computer) offer one means of capturing the dynamic processes inherent to learning and problem solving without intruding on the processes themselves. Drawing on this research, I have presented at conferences, as well as written several manuscripts accepted for publication.

When working with students of all ages, as well as university faculty, I am continually impressed with the power of technology. Technology has the immediate benefit of making the dissemination of large amounts of information (e.g., World Wide Web) more efficient. Computerized learning has an even greater potential to afford the learner an opportunity to direct his or her own learning process, thereby transforming learning from what is all too frequently rote memorization to a process of exploration and delight. This is not to imply that "good" teachers and designers require technology in order to stimulate enthusiasm, rather that technology is a unique tool with the added potential to promote conceptual change. More importantly, I am not committed to technology for the sake of technology. For me, it is simply one of many tools whose importance can only be appreciated within the context of the educational and research opporunities it affords.