Abstract :
The author argues that to examine the relationship between technology use
and student outcomes, the quality of technology use—how, and what, technology
is used—is a more significant factor than the quantity of technology
use—how much technology is used. This argument was exemplified by an
empirical study that used both angles to examine the association between
technology use and student outcomes.When only the quantity of technology
use was examined, no significant association was observed. However, when
the quality of technology was examined by investigating the specific types of
technology uses, a significant association was identified between technology
use and all student outcomes. Furthermore, different types of technology use
showed different influences on specific student outcomes. General technology
uses were positively associated with student technology proficiency, while
subject-specific technology uses were negatively associated with student technology
proficiency. Social-communication technology uses were significantly
positively associated with developmental outcomes such as self-esteem and
positive attitude towards school. Entertainment/exploration technology use
showed significant positive association with student learning habits. None of
these technology uses had significant influence on student academic outcome.
Specific suggestions for integrating technology into schools and future
research were provided.
