Are Learning Technologies making a Difference? A Longitudinal Perspective of Attitudes

The call for quality research into the effectiveness of learning technologies is a common feature in much of the related literature and the broad question of how schools use technology to transform and improve the quality of student learning is one main area of concern. Projects like DECStech have flagged the need for research into student learning outcomes and the changes “attributable to the use of learning technologies across the full spectrum of learning areas” (DETE, 1999, p.22). This three-year study involves nine schools that received support to embed ICTs throughout mainstream curricula and affords a unique opportunity to measure change. The resulting study designed and used an online survey to measure change in student attitudinal outcomes. This paper summarises the longitudinal study and presents some preliminary findings.