Teaching the "Whole Student" in the Age of Digital Devices: Measuring Educator Attitudes and Beliefs

• In Event: 33.075 - Examining the Potential of Mobile Technology

Abstract

Schools are increasingly under pressure to teach students non-cognitive skills such as empathy, self-control, problem-solving, and teamwork. At the same time, many schools are introducing digital devices into the classroom. Although there is hope that these devices may benefit students academically, there is also concern that these devices may negatively affect students’ attention spans and social interactions. However, most existing measures of teacher attitudes toward technology focus on academic outcomes. As a result, little is known about how teachers view the effect of the increased presence of technology in the classroom on students’ non-cognitive skills. This paper describes the development of an instrument to measure teachers’ attitudes toward the impact of educational technology on both cognitive and non-cognitive student outcomes

Authors

• Joshua Littenberg-Tobias, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Vincent Cho, Boston College