Classroom Technology In Education

Computer technology in education has a history that spans some 50 years, and other kinds of technology have been in use for much longer. Classroom technology resources have changed dramatically over time, but a broad perspective of the field helps illuminate many of today 's concepts, terms, and activities (Robyler, & Doering, 2010, p. 2). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, “educators saw value in providing instructional computer experiences for reasons other than improving student performance. Benefits such as ensuring computer literacy, providing variety in instructional delivery, or releasing teacher time from record-keeping tasks were considered important enough to continue investing in technology” (Picciano, 2006, p. 88). Gordon (1971),

Also innovation could be seen as involving an introduction of a method, custom, device etc; change in the way of doing things (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 2001). (Ajibola 2008), further maintain that (Rogers, 1995) outlines that an innovation is an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption. Whereas (Dunkin, 2000), links innovation as doing different things or doing things differently.

A Brief History of Curriculum Development

As cited by (Salim, 2006), since the 1950s, there has been the emergence of a planned change in curriculums. Such changes involve several factors which affect curriculum innovation and development. The factors could be said to be diverse, yet interrelated, complicated and constantly moving. Also since knowledge is not static but keeps being revised, replaced, built upon and then explained in different forms, there is no doubt that technology has played major roles in all such changes in any curriculum designed and / or developed.

Curriculum

Data collected through case studies of four schools and / or counties which have introduced integration of technology education programmes have been utilised. This was to address the major weakness of case studies. Thus; (Leedy, & Ormrod ,2010), the major weakness of a case study is that, especially when a single case is involved, one cannot be certain whether the findings are generalisable to other situations ((Leedy, & Ormrod ,2010, p. 137). It is to overcome such a weakness, that this researcher considered more case studies (in this work case study of four schools and/ or counties) on the influence of technology on curriculum in order that generalization to other situations could be made. Data from three previous documented research studies on impact of technology on curriculum innovation were reviewed. Also historical researches on the influence of technology on curriculum innovation were utilised to address the research question of this study. This was due to the fact that historical research looks at present and countercurrents of present and past events by discerning patterns that tie them together (Leedy, & Ormrod, 2010, p.164). This was in line with "the heart of the historical method-