Examining the Effect of New Technology Initiatives on the Role of the Teacher

• In Event: Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Emerging Themes in Educational Change: Shifting Roles, New Technologies, and Complexity

Abstract

Technologies are ubiquitous in the lives of many teachers and students. Computers and online applications are being adopted into schools with promises of revolutionizing education, individualizing the learning process, and improving assessment accuracy and efficiency. While these systems may have a lot of promise, there can also be significant, sometimes unforeseen, shifts in the role of the teacher and other stakeholders that have implications for student learning. These role shift, however are seldom carefully examined. The implementation of these systems could impact the teacher’s role, the relationship between teacher and student and, ultimately the overall classroom effectiveness. In this presentation, we will examine the results of an ongoing study of the impact of different technology initiatives on the classroom experience.

Authors

• Jason Scott Daniels, University of Alberta

• Stanley J. Varnhagen, University of Alberta

• Jean-Claude Couture, Alberta Teachers' Association

• Philip Andrew McRae, University of Alberta