Publication Date

12-2011

Document Type

Project

Degree

Master of Education (MEd)

MA Concentration

Educational Technology

Advisors

Dan Beltramo, Pamela A. Redmond, Jim O'Connor

Abstract

It is said of Oscar Wilde that he wished for "...schools beautiful, so beautiful that the punishment for undutiful children should be that they should be debarred from going to school the next day." (Aldington, 1946, p 655) Although Wilde was speaking of the aesthetic of the school's grounds and buildings, it is an interesting idea that a school be such a desirable place to be that the ultimate punishment would be to suspend a student. What appears to be so prevalent in many schools, especially at the secondary level, is a lack of motivation to perform up to ability, to attend on a regular basis, or to be even a part of the learning experience. The traditional classroom is becoming obsolete, and if we as educators are going to improve student participation and learning, we are going to have to examine the best ways in which to do so. The purpose of this project is to investigate the various means of improving student learning via technology and to develop practices that better incorporate technology in the classroom.

There are two questions here: I) Can the better implementation of technology increase student motivation and learning? and 2) in the classroom, what should stay traditional and what should be digitized? In this thesis, the researcher will examine the history and implementation of digital media. Student motivation and improved learning due to digital media will also be examined. This will be done in tandem with streamlining those lessons already using digital media and converting more lessons to digital delivery.

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