A presentation by Dr Sarah Howard from University of Wollongong to the DERNSW Consultancy team.

1. DER-NSW 2010 reporting:
Implications from the 2010 data collection
Dr Sarah K. Howard
sahoward@uow.edu.au
Thursday, May 5th 2011

2. Evaluation RQs
• How does the DER-NSW program influence
teacher pedagogy?
• What is the influence of the DER-NSW
program on students’ understanding, skills,
and attitudes?
• What are the consequences of the DER-NSW
program on students’ educational outcomes?

3. Response rate
• Student survey A:
Total started survey, 17,079
Total completed survey: 13,760 (80.6%)
• Student survey B:
Total started survey, 18,659
Total completed survey: 14,692 (78.7%)
• Teacher survey:
Total started survey, 4,627
Total completed survey: 3,637 (78.6%)

4. Distribution across subject areas
Languages
TAS 2%
17% Other
16%
Creative Arts English
7% 13%
PDHPE
6%
Mathematics
11%
HSIE
13% Science
15%

5. Student gender distribution
Male
Female 47%
53%

6. Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander origin
30000
25183
25000
20000
15000
10000
.8%
5000
1698
400 382
0
No Yes, Aboriginal Yes, Torres Strait Yes, both Aboriginal
Islander and Torres Strait
Islander

7. Years in an Australian school
18000
16000 15436
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
3.3%
2000 1373
371 689
0
less than 1 year 1 to less than 3 3 to 7 years more than 7 years
years

8. Student access to computers at home
Is this home computer connected to
the internet?
Do you have access to 3% 5%
a computer at home?
No
5% Not connected
Yes connected
I don't know if it
is connected
92%
Yes
95%

9. RQ #1, Pedagogy
• Teachers who felt using ICT was ‘fun’ rather than ‘important’
showed:
– Positive conceptions of students’ creativity & organization
– Beliefs that students showed more understanding when using ICT in the
classroom
– They were more likely to use email
• We do see a significant relationship between teachers’ primary
subject area and their use of ICT in the classroom
– Mathematics is consistently lower on shifts towards student-centred
practices and ICT use
– Other subject areas were less consistent

10. RQ #1, Pedagogy
Frequency of ICT used in teaching, by subject area
8.00
6.95
7.00 6.53 6.67 6.83
6.02 6.15 6.36 Mathematics
6.00 5.68
Languages
5.00 PDHPE
4.00 English
Creative Arts
3.00
Science
2.00
HSIE
1.00 TAS
0.00
How often do you use a computer when teaching?
Note. ‘0’ = Never, ‘4’ = 1-3 times a week, ‘8’ = Many times a day

11. RQ #1, Pedagogy
Belief that working with ICT is fun and confidence using laptops
3.5 3.13 3.06 3.23 3.14 3.14 3.17 3.21 3.07
2.94 2.77 2.79 2.83 2.87 2.87 2.89
3 2.67
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
I think working and teaching with computers is fun
I feel confident that I can effectively use the laptop in my classes.
Note. ‘1’ = Strongly disagree, ‘4’ = Strongly agree

12. RQ #1, Pedagogy
Teachers' beliefs of the importance of working with ICT
3.43
HSIE 3.65
3.49
Creative Arts 3.63
3.43
Science 3.62
3.49
TAS 3.6
3.35
Languages 3.6
3.37
PDHPE 3.59
3.38
English 3.56
3.22
Mathematics 3.47
3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7
It is important for students to work with computers
It is important to me to work with a computer
Note. ‘1’ = Strongly disagree, ‘4’ = Strongly agree

13. RQ #1, Pedagogy
Teaching is becoming more student-centred with use of the laptops
4.00
3.50
Mathematics
3.00
2.53 2.61 2.64 2.71 Creative Arts
2.50 2.26 2.36 2.41 2.45 Science
English
2.00
PDHPE
1.50
HSIE
1.00 Languages
TAS
0.50
0.00
Note. ‘1’ = Strongly disagree, ‘4’ = Strongly agree

14. RQ #1, Pedagogy
• “I’m a bit of a believer of you still need to write your maths
solutions in your book because you can’t solve an equation,
you can’t write your solution to an equation on the laptop unless
you’re really familiar with the equation editor in the program, in
the software, but that takes time…I see other subjects using
that as a great tool for their learning for English or history and
so on. So I think for Maths, yeah, we’re a little bit lower on the
scale of usefulness.” (School 1, Teacher 1)
• “I think what I like about the laptops is that gives you a different
medium for production in that you do your writing exercises but
I know a lot of teachers up in the faculty have been doing things
like creating your own posters and TV type advertisements,
book trailers, things like that and so it’s getting them to
demonstrate their knowledge in different ways and I think that
that’s a good thing.” (School 3, Teacher 1)

15. RQ #1 & 2, Engagement
Teacher and students' beliefs about ICT and learning outcomes
The more we use computers in
3.29
class, the more it seems students
2.62
enjoy school
I feel students understand what they
3.00
are doing in class better when they
2.37
use computers
Students' writing seems to improve 2.94
when they use computers 2.31 Student
Teacher
Using a computer helps students to 3.23
be more organised 2.65
Students'work is more creative when 3.05
they use computers 2.58
0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00
Note. ‘1’ = Strongly disagree, ‘4’ = Strongly agree

16. RQ #2, Engagement
• Students’ perceptions of the importance of ICT in
certain subject areas reflected teachers’ perceptions –
e.g. importance in Mathematics
• Students reported more positive perceptions of ICT in
learning than teachers:
– They reported more use of ICTs in school (could be personal
or in combined classes)
– They showed a more positive conception of engagement in
learning when using ICT
• Students without or with limited access to computers
at home showed consistently less confidence
performing ICT tasks and lower engagement with ICT

17. RQ #2, Engagement
Students' perceptions of the importance of ICT in the subject areas
3.50
3.03 3.04 3.07 3.12
3.00 2.88
2.76
2.50 2.54
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00
Note. ‘1’ = Strongly disagree, ‘4’ = Strongly agree

18. RQ #1 & 2, Pedagogy
• “It really depends what I get but I’d say I’d use it at
least maybe three times, four times a week…Yeah but
it really depends what lessons I have because you
know in maths I can’t use it at all because she won’t
let us…she says it won’t help us at all…write it down
like usual…[So what might be a typical assignment
you’d have that you might do at home on your, on your
laptops?] Research assignments…I’ve normally got
them for history…We’re, we’re doing one on Romans
so basically things on Romans, things on like fantasy
or myths as well.” (School 4, Student 2)

19. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Download images 100%
Create PowerPoint
Research information
Email
Edit written work
Write first draft
Organize work
Take notes
RQ #2, Engagement
Download pictures
Create multimedia
Social network
Post comments to
could perform this task by themselves or with help
Enter data to
*The figure is calculated on how many students felt they Plot a graph
Create spreadsheet
Blog
Students' confidence performing ICT practices*
Create movie
Create webpage
Podcast
Create computer

20. RQ #2, Engagement
Students' confidence performing ICT practices & home access
Download pictures 3.87
3.54
Email 3.86
3.49
Research information 3.79
3.45
Enter data to spreadsheet 3.85
3.43
Edit written work 3.80
3.41
Download images 3.83
3.40
Create PowerPoint 3.79
3.40
Write first draft 3.68
3.22
Create webpage 3.44
3.01
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50
Access to a computer at home No computer access at home

21. RQ #2, Engagement
Students' engagement with technology & home access
Time goes by quickly when I am working 3.23
with a computer 3.11
I use a computer because I am very 3.13
interested 3.03
3.37
I think working with a computer is fun
3.23
It is very important to me to work with a 3.14
computer 3.00
2.80 2.90 3.00 3.10 3.20 3.30 3.40 3.50
Access to a computer at home No computer access at home
Note. ‘1’ = Strongly disagree, ‘4’ = Strongly agree

22. RQ #2, Engagement
• “But I think it comes from the fact that they may have
been exposed to computers but they just use them for
games and things… they have no access or they don’t
access the other programs…Because they’re not
familiar with some of the programs and they’re asking
you how to – something basic that most kids would
know how to do ... And half of them say at the start,
‘Well how do I do that’…Or even they just sort of go,
‘I’d rather not, can I just write it’… And even adding
attachments to an email, like a lot of kids will say,
‘How do I attach the file ...’ and I’m always surprised
by that.” (School 3, Teacher Focus Group)

23. RQ #2, Engagement
• “I do believe they’re good because like their – instead
of going to computer labs we can stay in class and
they’re, they’re just – they’re good to have for
research and so anything that you need for like,
preparation for school… or something like that and
that’s why they’re good but, and it’s just that we were
flattered to have them because they’re our own
laptops and I guess they’re rather expensive so
they’re fun to have…Well they can help with like our
assignments because I’ve got like three assignments
on here that I would have to do at school and send
home for my computer which doesn’t work so it helps
me.” (School 4, Student Focus Group)

24. RQ #3, Assessment
• Case study teachers felt it was too soon to
predict if students’ performance on tests
would improve
• Some students felt their grades had improved
with use of the laptop in class
– They felt more engaged in learning
– Enjoyed exploration tasks
• Issues seem to exist around having students
perform tasks on the laptops, when testing
will not be on the laptops

25. For 2011
• RQ#1: Further investigation into differences
between teachers’ personal & pedagogical
conceptions of ICT practices in the subject areas
(impact on learning & students’ perceptions of ICT)
• RQ#2: Deeper examination of the relationship
between students’ home access & engagement
with ICT practices, e.g. updated questionnaire
items on access
• Investigate the interaction between leadership and
ICT up-take, e.g. email communication at the
school level