PhD. 2001. Major professor: Diane McGrath.‎
Cindi McQueen Dunn is a program evaluator for the Office of ‎Educational Innovation and Evaluation at Kansas State University. She ‎works from her home in Liberal, KS, as well as by traveling to sites she ‎is evaluating. Email: ckdunn@ksu.edu

Abstract:
As communities, boards of education and patrons ask schools to provide evidence that technology is enhancing student learning school administrators are looking for valid and efficient ways to measure and report results. This project created a Technology Evaluation Framework to provide a missing part of district 999's evaluation efforts: student performance data. The Framework model allows teachers to gather information about their students' performance and use the information to make instructional modifications. The information is also used by the district to develop a profile of how technology is used in the classroom and the types of learning outcomes produced. Data from individual teacher-designed research projects, cases, are recorded into the Framework's typological categories. These categories allow for comparison over time across the cases on similar classroom settings, dynamics, activities, roles and structures.

This study investigated six cases which studied the impact graphing calculators had on student learning of a particular mathematical concept. None of the six cases found significant differences in student performance; however, there were multiple implications at the classroom, building and district level. The teachers involved in the study made modifications to their instruction based on the data obtained. This also prompted them to discuss changes in curriculum with their peers. The teachers supported and encouraged the use of classroom-based research for other data collection processes in their building and district such as accreditation, teacher appraisal, curriculum mapping and staff development. The framework provided the district with a model and process to use in its efforts to evaluate the impact technology integration has on student learning.