Using TPACK to Evaluate Teachers

Harris, Judi; Grandgenett, Neal; and Hofer, Mark J. (2010). Testing a TPACK-Based Technology Integration Assessment Rubric. College of William and Mary W&M Publish. Book Chapters. 6

With technology becoming an increasing tool used in schools, teachers must be able to accurately apply knowledge of pedagogy, content, and technology together in the classroom. A good way to evaluate teachers and their knowledge of applying technology, content, and pedagogy in the classroom, teachers can be evaluated through Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, or TPACK. Not only should teachers be able to teach through proper pedagogy, know the content, and use proper technology to relay information, but they should be able to apply all three things together.

I recently read an article titled “Testing a TPACK-Based Technology Integration Assessment Rubric,” by Judi Harris, Neal Grandgenett, and Mark J. Hofer. The purpose of this article was to articulate the effectiveness of assessing teachers by using the TPACK evaluation. The article discusses how there are many ways to measure and evaluate teaching approaches, however these evaluations focus more on approaches to teaching and not assessing the quality of integrating technology into teaching.

The article states that the TPACK model gears towards a “learning-by-design” method through collaboration of curricula and technology. TPACK focuses on developing strategies for teachers and their planning and practices. However, the first-step recommended usage for TPACK is for teachers to use this evaluation as a self-assessment tool before applying TPACK to their practices.

TPACK can be broken down into categories that teachers can focus on and build from. TPACK can be visually viewed as a three-part Venn Diagram, with the main sections of the Venn Diagram reading Technology (T), pedagogical (P), content (C). Where those circles intersect, teachers can begin to focus on technological pedagogical (TP) practices, technological content (TC) practices, and pedagogical content (PC) practices. Once teachers have become comfortable with these practices, they can build towards the overall approach of successfully applying the central section of the Venn Diagram (TPACK) to their planning and teaching.

The article continues by discussing three types of data that can assess teachers, which include self-report, observed behavior, and teaching artifacts (Harris, Grandgenett, Hofer). From this, teachers can use the Technology Integration Assessment Instrument (TIAI) rubric which will further assess the integration of technology in a lesson plan. Through multiple revisions, this rubric now includes the following data: years taught, content specialty, grade levels taught, years teaching with digital technology, Ed Tech PD hours (previous 5 years), and Ed Tech expertise self-assessments. Validity of the rubric is then determined through score analyzation and feedback.

Towards the end of the article, Harris, Grandgenett, and Hofer portray the success gained from evaluating experienced teachers using this model and rubric. Now they are confident that the rubric can be used to successfully assess new and preservice teachers. Using TPACK as an evaluation tool in the classroom is not only useful for research and professional development, but it will also help teachers to grow in their content and apply their knowledge to their classroom.

I recommend that schools look into using TPACK as an evaluation tool, especially if technology is heavily used throughout the building. I believe that as teachers become more well-rounded in their knowledge of technology, pedagogy, and content, then their teaching will become more successful, and they can share what they have learned with other teachers and administration within their school.

The Relationships Between Student Engagement and Multimedia Use

Parsons, J., & Taylor, L. (2011). Improving Student Engagement. Current Issues In Education, 14(1),

Student engagement is a critical aspect to successful learning in the classroom. With the increased use of technology and multimedia tools, teachers have the ability to increase the amount of student engagement and participation by using these tools. I read an article titled “Improving Student Engagement,” by Leah Taylor and Jim Parsons. The basis of the article is why student engagement is important in education, and how technology and multimedia tools can help to improve student engagement.

In the article, Parsons and Taylor describe those who are not actively learning as “students,” and those who are actively learning as “engaged learners.” When a teacher is achieving an engaging learning style in the classroom, this increases a student’s ability to learn the material. The article states that overtime, teachers have needed to change their teaching styles in the classroom to actively engage students, not only to develop a deeper understanding, but also to manage behaviors in the classroom. Parsons and Taylor explained that measuring student engagement is an important tool in the classroom. Teachers used to measure achievement only based on grades and class attendance records. Nowadays, student engagement can be measured by how interested and focused students are in a lesson.

This brings us to technology and multimedia use in the classroom. Parsons and Taylor quickly brought to the reader’s attention the different engagement techniques that students learn these days. The article states that students are continually engaged with technology throughout the day, whether it is in the classroom or on their own. If teachers do not change their teaching style to meet the learner’s needs, then we as teachers are not helping our students to grow and develop their own learning style. Students have different needs and goals within their learning preferences than students had only twenty years ago. The article explains that teachers have the opportunity to mold how students learn. Many teachers believe that having the ability to use multimedia and technology in the classroom will relate to students and create lifelong learners.

I would encourage teachers to continue developing lessons that will engage students. If that means creating lessons that use multimedia in the classroom, then teachers should apply this to their lesson plans. Students will enjoy learning through multimedia tools because they are comfortable using these tools. I will continue to reflect upon my teaching style and develop more lessons that will engage students more with the use of multimedia in the classroom.

The Use of Multimedia in the Classroom

Martin, F., & Carr, M. L. (2015). An Exploratory Study on K-12 Teachers' Use of Technology and Multimedia in the Classroom. Journal Of Educational Technology, 12(1), 7-14.

We have spent time discussing the use of technology in the classroom, but once the use of technology is implemented into a lesson, teachers should start focusing more on the use of multimedia in the classroom. The study I read is titled, “An Exploratory Study on K-12 Teachers’ Use of Technology and Multimedia in the Classroom,” by Florence Martin and Marsha L. Carr, and it begins by explaining the difference between technology and multimedia. The term “technology” specifically refers to the hardware that a teacher is using. Technology tools include computers, laptops, smartboards, tablets, and more. The term “multimedia” refers to applications that utilize text, images, audio, and video that can be incorporated into a lesson. Multimedia tools include PowerPoint, Vimeo, YouTube, Prezi, and more.

The purpose of the study conducted for this paper was to provide a survey asking questions regarding technology and multimedia use in the classroom today. The overall intent of the study was to view a representation of 21^st century schools in urban and rural settings with different enrolment numbers. The survey was given to school districts in two counties in the southeastern United States. Overall, 701 K-12 teachers participated in the survey. Through demographic, inquiry-based, open-ended, and close-ended questions, the following five questions were answered;

1.     What technology do teachers use in the classroom?

2.     How often do teachers use technology/multimedia in the classroom?

3.     How do teachers integrate technology/multimedia in their lessons?

4.     What are some of the tools teachers use to create multimedia?

5.     Where do teachers learn to use and to create multimedia?

After all the surveys were completed, the following data was collected. The answer to question one, technology tools in the classroom, 97.6% of teachers reported using desktop computers and 45.5% use laptops regularly. For question two, 57.5% of teachers reported to using technology and multimedia on a daily basis. In the study, Martin and Carr suggested that this number is low in their opinion, which might be the case because writing lesson plans that include technology and multimedia will take more time. Martin and Carr believe that over time more teachers will use technology and multimedia on a daily basis.

For question three, 94.9% of teachers integrate technology and multimedia into their lessons in order to enhance the lesson. 81.3% of teachers use it to introduce a topic, and 77.4% of teachers use these tools to demonstrate a concept. For question four, the number one multimedia tool used in the classroom is PowerPoint, used by 93.3% of teachers who took the survey. The second most used multimedia tool is YouTube, at 48.8%. For question five, 84.0% of teachers reported that they learned how to use and create multimedia from their colleagues, and 74.8% of teachers learned from classes or workshops.

Overall the study was very promising in terms of using technology and multimedia in the classroom. Martin and Carr described a few benefits to using technology and multimedia in the classroom, which include the ease of use, the ability for a ‘wide audience,’ keeping up-to-date with content, and being able to teach and learn at your own pace. The study explained that 75% of learners do not just see or hear to learn, but they need to see and hear simultaneously.

I believe that the usage of multimedia in the classroom is very beneficial to help advance student learning. With the accessibility of technology and multimedia tools nowadays, teachers have an easier time implementing these tools into the classroom. Students will be able to understand concepts more clearly and can therefore have an easier time relating to concepts learned.