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A new report focussed on students' research skills identifies some major teaching and learning gaps in the use of digital technologies. Teachers are strongly of the view that the use of digital technologies is positive although research skills need to be expanded beyond just the use of search engines. Teachers also indicated that there are some disadvantages to using online technologies and some barriers that impede their use. However, today's students have fundamentally different cognitive skills, state teachers, and so inclusion of digital technologies with learning activities and programs is essential to develop sound research skills.

How can you get the best out of your teachers and improve student learning? Edutopia's research analyst explains some of the best practices found by researchers to help ensure educator growth and success.

A recent research report of the take-up of laptops in a Sydney region of 14 secondary schools is very informative. The research examined the take up and use of laptops by 47 science teachers and 1245 students. The DER provided the laptops for the students whereas the schools provided the laptops for the teachers. The research developed a misalignment index that indicated differences between the use of laptops by teachers and by students that had implications for learning.

In a systemic and rigorous analysis of forty years of research into the use of technology and its impact on student achievement, researchers have reported that technology used to support instruction, on average, improves learning performance by 12%.

Results from a research project in Singapore show that the inclusion of mobile devices in the classroom supports 21st-century instruction by teaching students soft skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, self-directed learning and teamwork, according to professors and researchers Elliot Soloway and Cathie Norris, co-founders of the education software provider GoKnow. The pair, who have studied trends in education technology, suggest giving students more control and using mobile devices as essential tools, rather than supplemental ones

Great teachers, stable families and a school's location have long been said to be key to student success. But a new study out of the United Kingdom suggests that a school's physical design can improve or worsen children's academic performance by as much as 25 percent in early years. The year-long study by the University of Salford's School of the Built Environment and British architecture firm Nightingale Associates examined 751 students in 34 classrooms across seven primary schools for the 2011-2012 academic year. Students were assessed at the beginning and end of the year for academic performance in math, reading and writing, and classrooms were rated on environmental qualities like classroom orientation, natural light, acoustics, temperature, air quality and color. The researchers found that classroom architecture and design significantly affected academic performance: Environmental factors studied affected 73 percent of the changes in student scores. "It has long been known that various aspects of the built environment impact on people in buildings, but this is the first time a holistic assessment has been made that successfully links the overall impact directly to learning rates in schools," Peter Barrett, a professor at the University of Salford, said in a statement. "The impact identified is in fact greater than we imagined and the Salford team is looking forward to building on these clear results." The study will continue for another 18 months across an additional 20 schools in the U.K. Researchers seek to apply their findings to help schools "maximize their investment in the learning environment."

"So the truth of the matter is that research studies that show positive effects of technology hardly matter. Occasional studies that do show promising results for new technologies are dragged in to cover the near nakedness of research, much like a fig leaf, to justify the high costs of these new devices in the face of little evidence. The fact remains that no one knows for sure whether the new hardware and software appearing in schools works. They are all beta versions with glitches that teachers and students end up discovering."

important perspective looking backwards and at the bureaucracy

Research into Gaming

There are many ways of providing useful feedback to students in association with their assessments and assignments. However, new ways of providing feedback that can be more relevant and timely have emerged using technology. The research article reviewed this week explores a range of possibilities for providing student feedback on assignments and assessments in ways, such as audio and adaptive feedback, that can be more efficient for course leaders and also improve student learning.

A new and comprehensive research report reviews the literature about young people in the digital environment in order to provide a framework for interacting with quality information. Information quality is important today because the traditional gatekeepers and intermediaries that provided mechanisms for quality content standards have been replaced by the internet and media convergence. The need to understand how young people interact with information and use it has never been more important because information access and online social communities affect their social and cognitive development.

research on information evaluation values and approaches by today's youth

Dr Willis talked about her research as a neurologist and a teacher and explained what she believes transforms inputs into learning.

Have you asked your students about their perceptions of the learning environment in your class? It may be time, suggests ASCD author Muriel Rand in a recent ASCD EDge blog post. Reflecting on a recent conference on assessment, Rand shares ideas from keynote speaker Ronald Ferguson's research on the seven Cs that make a difference in the learning environment -- "caring" and "challenging" among them. Rand also points to findings about the reliability of surveying students on teacher effectiveness

What the research shows

In a world of information overload, it is vital for students to not only find information but also determine its validity and appropriateness. Our information literacy material demystifies the process of finding and validating online information. These vital skills are needed as students prepare for our global economy.

Although student frustrations have a minimal impact on course satisfaction, the major frustration for students is the imbalance in the level of commitment, responsibility and effort between fellow students. However, instructor involvement in online collaboration through the provision of feedback and appropriate interventions can make a major difference.

"The following are excerpts from from "Kids Closer Up: Playing, Learning, and Growing with Digital Media" by Lori Takeuchi, International Journal of Learning and Media, Spring 2011, Vol. 3, No. 2, Pages 37-59. To protect the children's identities, all names are pseudonyms, and location details have been altered."

"In order for teachers to better guide themselves in their learning, they need to know what it is that they need to know. They need relevant questions about relevant changes. Being connected to other educators, who are practicing these changes already, is a great first step. Using technology to do that is the best way to develop these Professional Learning Networks. Connected educators are relevant educators. That is how we can begin to change the culture and move forward to real education reform."

why ed research need new perspectives

"This address briefly traverses the successes and failures of the past before examining the evidence that may give some clues to the future challenges of using digital technologies and digital media in education. However, is Australian education and training in a position to address these challenges? The capacity of education to meet the future challenges of using technology for teaching and learning is the focus of this presentation."