Page 1 of 10

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 01 Issue 10

November 2015

Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 194

“Using the Multiage Classroom Environment to Improve

Student’s Social Behavior”.

1Ehsan Qadir Malik;

2Muhammad Irfan Qadir ;

3

Jam Sajjad Hussain ; 4Yasir Javed Cheema

1Senior Subject Specialist Govt College for Elementary Teacher Shahpur Sardar (Sargodha)

2-3- 4PhD Research scholar, School of Media & Communication Studies, University of Central

Punjab Lecturer,Department of Social Work, University of Sargodha

Abstract

The trend toward technology enhanced

classrooms has escalated quickly during the

past five years as students have become

increasingly tech-savvy. Classrooms across

the nation have become “wired” and

textbook publishers now offer a wide variety

of computerized teaching supplements.

Introduction:

The trend toward technology enhanced

classrooms has escalated quickly during the

past five years as students have become

increasingly tech-savvy. Classrooms across

the nation have become “wired” and

textbook publishers now offer a wide variety

of computerized teaching supplements. In

fact, some may argue that technology is now

expected in the college classroom. The

objective of this research is to examine

whether the use of technology in university

or college classes impacts student behavior

and student perceptions of instructional

quality. This report is summarizes the results

of a survey administered to students. The

results suggest that adding technology in

courses where it is not currently used is

likely to have a positive impact on student

perceptions of the instructor and on student

behavior. However, removing technology

from courses that already use it would not

appear to have a negative impact on all

aspects of student behavior. Overall there

are certain aspects of student behavior (the

amount of time that students study, the

quantity of notes they take, their attendance,

and their interaction with the instructor)

which appear to be technology neutral. In

contrast, technology tends to have a

meaningful impact on student preparation

for class, attentiveness, quality of notes

taken, student participation in class, student

learning, desire to take additional classes

from the instructor or in the subject matter,

and the overall evaluation of the course and

the instructor. Technology, it seems, is

everywhere these days. Technology

Page 2 of 10

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 01 Issue 10

November 2015

Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 195

supported collaborative learning settings

facilitate long lasting learning of students in

computer and internet supported situations

with collaborative workings among them.

The aim of this study is to find out whether

technology supported collaborative learning

settings affect the behavior of students

towards the discipline of Mathematics or

not.

Review of Related literature

As computers have become more

commonplace, the use of information

technology has become pervasive in most

everyone’s lives. For most of us, it is hard

to image daily life without the influence of

technological devices, be it handheld video

games, personal digital assistants, cell

phones or any number of computers. This is

especially true for younger generations. In

academia, we have likely reached the point

where the use of technology is expected, by

both students and their parents (Christensen,

1999). The trend toward technology

enhanced classes has escalated quickly

during the past five years as students have

become increasingly tech-savvy, classrooms

across the nation have become “wired” and

textbook publishers now offer a wide variety

of computerized teaching supplements.

According to Roblyer (2003),

technology may enable the learner to be

more actively involved in his or her own

learning. While technology may enhance the

classroom and engage today’s student more

effectively, most do not believe it replaces

the need for a structured, content-driving

learning process that is grounded in theory.

To be effective, technology-based tools must

accompany appropriate pedagogy

(Laurillard, 2002). That said, a 2001

national study showed that 87% of faculty

believe computer technology enhances

student learning (Epper and Bates, 2001).

Despite this widespread belief that the use of

technology in the classroom is generally

good, such may not always be the case.

Burbules and Callister (2000) suggest

technology can be used well or poorly, and

thus its effectiveness is dependent on how it

used, by whom and for what purpose.

Instructors use varying amounts of

technology in their classes. For example,

some professors utilize PowerPoint slides or

similar technology extensively or

moderately throughout a course, while

others seldom or never use technology.

There may be several reasons why

instructors ultimately adopt technology for

classroom use. For some, it may help them

Page 3 of 10

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 01 Issue 10

November 2015

Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 196

to create better organized, more focused

lectures. For others, they believe that the use

of technology benefits students by engaging

them more in the classroom and allowing

them to listen more closely without

transcribing every word that is spoken.

Some professors may choose technology

because writing on whiteboards or

blackboards hinders their ability to interact

with students. Still other instructors may

adopt technology as a time saving device

because it is readily available today,

provided by the publishers who are eager to

convince faculty to adopt their textbooks.

Although the motivation may differ,

theoretically the overall expectation is that

technology will improve the course, engage

the students and enable them to learn more.

There may also be at least the implicit hope

by the faculty member that teaching

evaluations will improve. The study of what

makes a college teacher effective is ongoing.

Sayre (1998) concluded that the use

of technology adds to the instructor’s

credibility. Lecturers can manage class time

more efficiently as less time is spent writing

on whiteboards or changing transparencies

(Daniels, 1999, Mantei, 2000), and thus

lectures may flow better. Overall, Apperson

et al (2006) believe that the use of

technology in classrooms causes students to

have a more favorable attitude toward their

education, and benefits accrue to instructors

who utilize it in their classes. However,

technology usage does not necessarily result

in better teaching evaluations for faculty.

Lowerison et al found no significant

relationship between actual computer use

and perceived effective computer usage on

course evaluations (2006). Several

explanations were offered for this

unexpected outcome, including the fact that

students may now expect technology to be

used in the classroom and no longer see it as

a unique class feature that enhances their

learning. These findings are consistent with

the Christensen (1999) study mentioned

earlier. It may also be the case that

technology is not being used in an

appropriate manner, that is, as a

transformative, student-centered tool for

learning, a concern expressed by Burbules

and Callister (2000). Computer technology

may also better support diverse needs and

capacities of students, providing the

potential for deeper processing and

understanding of information (McCombs,

2000). While the technology may enhance

the classroom and engage today’s student

more effectively, most do not believe it