Norah Alsubaie

Article Review 4
EDT7160
March 28, 2016
In this article Five Things about Efficacy That Should Be Intuitive, But Are Not (2016),
Patrcia Gomes started with questions the question is does it work. The question is short, but it is
very tricky to ask this question to all education technology tools. Most of the companies focus
on efficacy claim behind two terms such as personalized learning and Big Data. However, If
their products help children learn, How do we know? Do companies, educators and researchers
could measure and evaluate the efficacy in the same way? Are we putting students in
experiments that give them more harm impact than good? Accordingly, the education technology
develops those issues become more frequent and force to show proven results increases. Barbara
Means and Jeremy Roschelle, co-directors of the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI
International, become leading studies on the use of technology to promote learning. Means and
Roschelle describe how SRI access efficacy in education technology, starting with the concept.
There is a technical definition we get from the Institute of Education Sciences. They would say
that it [an efficient tool] has a demonstrated impact under well-supported conditions, says
Means. Demonstrating impact continues Roschelle, realize the expected learning result is
requiring a clear sense and if the measures used are showing improvements. When you find that
something is either effective or ineffective, you often have to ask on what measure and if that
measure is the one we really care about, Roschelle says. Recognizing an ed tech tool is or is not
working that should do by state standardized tests are not enough to tell that.
1) Efficacy starts with a clear purpose.
Using this step first to assessing the ed tech tool to see if it is useful or not. Also, It is to have
clarity on the outcomes that it is trying to achieve. And, as Means explains, there are a number
reasons why a teacher may want to use an ed tech tools: to help children practice essential skills
such as arithmetic or reading. Tools give students the chance to use them that real historians and
scientists use, or to display to students the fun behind specific subject areas.
2) And with right "active ingredients".

The second step is to specify if the active ingredient after making sure that the tool and
purposes are followed. The product is based on solid pedagogic principles. The core of why a
tool may have the positive impact on students' learning. For example, For example, giving kids
feedback is well known as a really good technique. Learning from a lecture is not known to have
the strongest effect in the world, Roschelle says.
3) Efficacy depends on what is being measured.
After setting the ground with an apparent purpose and powerful pedagogic active
ingredients, but is no evidence that a tool will effectively improve children learning. Roschelle
notes that every teacher tries to get from researchers a final answer about a tool. They want a
very high promise that if they use a product, they will see this much percentage of improvement
in their students. Instead of determining if a tool works for every student in all circumstances,
Roschelle added, a good way is to understand if there is a unique setting in which the technology
is successful.
4) And depends heavily on time.
The fourth step for efficacy is time. A special tool may have a promising way, but may
give the expected results if not used for enough time. The other struggle is classroom
management, adds Mean. If you are going to move your class to a computer lab for them to use
[a tool], it's going to take out time to move from one place to another, to log on and get on the
system.
5) Efficacy requires systematic measurement.
Finally, without collecting evidencepositive and negative the entire time efficacy is
not possible. When to thinking about the efficacy, the one answer to this question is Is this ed
tech tool efficient? is It depends. It depends on objects, on pedagogic approach, on the chosen
measurements, on time and systematic collection of data. satisfaction or your money back,
come when we want the guarantee. The absence of the answer may be awaked. Most of the
researchers do not stop trying to find more conclusive answers such as Means, Roschelle.
My favorite part of this article was the step one on this article because it gives good
reasons to help teachers when they use ed tech. It will help teachers to set clear purpose when
they use tools. Teachers should pick good tools because in technology, we have a lot of tools,
but not all have the purpose that teachers need to their students. Also, teachers can offer to

students opportunity to use tools that real historians and scientists use and give them some fun
with it.
My least favorite part of this article was the pictures of the article. I think, it does not
have related to the topic. In my opinion, it will be a good idea to use the picture that has any
tools or students to show the concept of the topic.
The Five steps about efficacy will help teachers to focus on how they will choose the
tools. Because technology environment has many tools, teachers should be worried about will
tools that need it. Educators can use the tools that will save class time and give the students
opportunity to achieve objects of use this tools.
P. G. (2016, March 23). Five Things About Efficacy That Should Be Intuitive, But Are Not.
Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-03-23-five-things-about-efficacy-thatshould-be-intuitive-but-are-not.