Research Windows Research and evaluation shows that technology tools for constructing ar tifacts and electronic information and communication resources support the development of higher-order thinking skills. tors have also found valuable thinking note however that students may ma and the Internet.The control group of toosamong the technology applications nipulate simulation and presentation 38 students did use the computer but available for educational purposes.Re- software to create a visual artifact with- did not use the online resources with search and evaluation shows that tech- out really understanding or applying the curriculum.Center for Applied nology tools for constructing artifacts sound conceptual thinking.The role of Special Technology(CAST)researchers and electronic information and com- teachers is paramount in guiding the assessed the effect of Internet use on munication resources support the de- development of studentshigher-order student performance by looking at the velopment of higher-order thinking thinking skills during learning activities benefits it had on student projects.Ac skills.The findings hold true when stu- involving technology tools cording to the CAST(1996)research lents are taught to apply the processes n a landmark study analyzing a na of problems a Da 98)d ent test Intemet ents withou t ec a posit al. ect o able to skil His s hth-grad signif ntly highe omineusasrey on NAEP riehts (who.what stratedto atics inst where.why.how) h adjusting for cass size,teacher togethe different pointsof 53 niece for mathematics instructio eepo hree to four weeks were with students who did not The c om Research and evaluation shows that ar ative research demonstrated that the technoloay can enable the develonment tudents in classrooms who used the where computers were used for simula of critical thinking skills when students Jasper video programs were better able tions and applications to enhance use technology presentation and com to complete complex problem-solving higher-order thinking skills.the stu munication tools to present.publish tasks(Cognition and Technology dents performed better on the NAEP and share results of projects.The Group,1992) than did students whose teachers used CAST study also found that when n Pittsburgh.Pennsylvania.an the technology for drill and practice. students used the Internet to research intelligent-tutor software program "He found that fourth-grade stuc dents topics,share information.and complet as part of the regular curriculum fo who used computers primarily for a final project within the context of a nth-grade algebra,supports a curcu math/learning games scored highe semi-structured lesson,they became .fourth critical thinkers (Coley Ohee 0 ces in Cradler, ngel,1997) imulations and thinki gy tools to build exper e ing th e zet al 100 ix 1。 the dis e par o right Mark.1999. in a civil with 1)It ic ng c Learning Leading with Technology Volume 29 Number 848 Learning & Leading with Technology Volume 29 Number 8 tors have also found valuable thinking tools among the technology applications available for educational purposes. Re￾search and evaluation shows that tech￾nology tools for constructing artifacts and electronic information and com￾munication resources support the de￾velopment of higher-order thinking skills. The findings hold true when stu￾dents are taught to apply the processes of problem solving and then are al￾lowed opportunities to apply technol￾ogy tools to develop solutions. Powerful technologies are now avail￾able to significantly augment the skills necessary to convert data into informa￾tion and transform information into knowledge. For example, interactive video programs have been demon￾strated to increase problem-solving skills. Students across nine states who used Jasper video software as a center￾piece for mathematics instruction for three to four weeks were compared with students who did not. The com￾parative research demonstrated that the students in classrooms who used the Jasper video programs were better able to complete complex problem-solving tasks (Cognition and Technology Group, 1992). In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, an intelligent-tutor software program, as part of the regular curriculum for ninth-grade algebra, supports a curricu￾lum focusing on mathematical analysis of real-world situations and the use of computational tools. “On average, the 470 students in the experimental classes using the software outperformed stu￾dents in comparison classes by 15% on standardized tests and 100% on tests targeting the curriculum-focused objec￾tives” (Koedinger, Anderson, Hadley, & Mark, 1999, p. 1). It is important to note, however, that students may ma￾nipulate simulation and presentation software to create a visual artifact with￾out really understanding or applying sound conceptual thinking. The role of teachers is paramount in guiding the development of students’ higher-order thinking skills during learning activities involving technology tools. In a landmark study analyzing a na￾tional database of student test scores, Wenglinsky (1998) determined that technology can have a positive effect on students’ mathematics scores. His study used data of fourth- and eighth-grade students who took the math section of the 1996 National Assessment of Edu￾cational Progress (NAEP). That NAEP included questions about how comput￾ers are used in mathematics instruction. After adjusting for class size, teacher qualifications, and socioeconomics, Wenglinsky found that technology had more of an impact in middle schools than it did in elementary schools (Valdez et al., 1999). In eighth grade, where computers were used for simula￾tions and applications to enhance higher-order thinking skills, the stu￾dents performed better on the NAEP than did students whose teachers used the technology for drill and practice. “He found that fourth-grade students who used computers primarily for ‘math/learning games’ scored higher than students who did not. … fourth graders did not show differences in test score gains for either simulations and applications or drill and practice” (Valdez et al. 1999, p. 24). Another study of 22 fourth- and sixth-grade classes in seven urban school districts involved 66 of the par￾ticipating students in a civil rights cur￾riculum using online communication and the Internet. The control group of 38 students did use the computer but did not use the online resources with the curriculum. Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) researchers assessed the effect of Internet use on student performance by looking at the benefits it had on student projects. Ac￾cording to the CAST (1996) research￾ers, “students with access to Scholastic Network and the Internet produced better projects than students without online access.” Of the nine measures of performance, the online users received significantly higher scores relative to: • presenting their work, • stating a civil rights issue, • presenting a full picture (who, what, when, where, why, how), • bringing together different points of view, and • producing a complete project (CAST, Table 2). Research and evaluation shows that technology can enable the development of critical thinking skills when students use technology presentation and com￾munication tools to present, publish, and share results of projects. The CAST study also found that when students used the Internet to research topics, share information, and complete a final project within the context of a semi-structured lesson, they became independent, critical thinkers (Coley, Cradler, & Engel, 1997). Using technology tools to build thinking skills is not just for the best and brightest students. The Higher Or￾der Thinking Skills (HOTS) pull-out program, developed in the early 1980s to build the thinking skills of students, combined technology with drama and Socratic dialogue. Through this combi￾Research Windows Research and evaluation shows that technology tools for constructing artifacts and electronic information and communication resources support the development of higher-order thinking skills. Copyright © ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), iste@iste.org. All rights reserved