Education Week reports: “Students who took the 2014-15 PARCC exams via computer tended to score lower than those who took the exams with paper and pencil — a revelation that prompts questions about the validity of the test results and poses potentially big problems for state and district leaders.” The story also says that the findings held true in Baltimore County, too. Read it here.
There is a new blog about the use of computers in school and the STAT initiative in BCPS. https://statusbcps.wordpress.com
Truth is: Paper and pencils are technology. too. And for some things–like learning and retention–studies and experience show they often work way better; See this excerpt from the savvy business-oriented site, Inc.
“The brain reacts differently–research says better–when you use paper and not a computer. Studies show that students’ performance on tests improves when they take notes on paper instead of laptops, and kids who learn to write by hand are better at recognizing letters than those who learn to write by typing.
Other research shows that working on a computer, as opposed to paper, saps concentration and willpower. Cal Newport, an author and professor at Georgetown University, argues in his new book, Deep Work, that achieving ultra-focus on a single task is a key to boosting productivity, and he’s convinced that working on paper is a great way to do that. (To arrive at the mathematical theorems that make up the bulk of his research, he writes by hand in a notebook.)”
http://www.inc.com/magazine/201602/saki-knafo/the-benefits-of-pen-and-paper-vs-computers.html
Here’s a blog that talks about computer use/ the STAT initiative in BCPS Schools: https://statusbcps.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/mid-atlantic-conference-to-visit-bcps-schools/
Lloyd Brown, the accountability chief for the Baltimore County district was quote in the article saying:
“This really underscores the need to move forward” with the district’s plan to move to an all-digital testing environment, he said”
How do these results possibly support a plan to give kid their own device? So that everyone’s scores are worse?
Good question.