Software & Industry Information Association



	Home SIIA Vision Achieving the Vision Means for Change Help Schools Support Accountability Deepen Learning Facilitate Communication Manage Education Enable Students Nurture Creativity Measures of Progress 21st Century Tools Full-time Access Differentiated Learning Assessment Tools Enterprise Support Checking Your Progress Evidence Technology Works Get Involved Contact Us	Deepen Learning and Motivate Students The following success stories, case studies, research, and evaluation reports support this vision statement. High School in Indiana successfully incorporates video games into curriculum. K-12 Education - Video Success Story Produced by CBS News At Oak Hill High School in Converse, Indiana, world history teacher David McDivitt has made video games a successful part of his lesson on World War II. Using Making History, an educational game produced by Muzzy Lane, Inc., Mr. McDivitt motivates his students and deepens their understanding of the material. The video game also encourages the students to learn and discuss topics outside of the classroom. While Mr. McDivitt continues to teach using orthodox methods, he plans to continue to incorporate video games into a part of his curriculum. Read more Technology is used in Bibb County's In School Suspension or "ISS" program, to help kids change their behavior, and reduce repeat referrals. K-12 - Case Study Produced by Ripple Effects, Inc. Bibb County Public Schools in Georgia now has fewer behavior problems and repeat offenders in its in school suspension (ISS) program. Bibb County eEducators are using Ripple Effects to engage these students and address the underlying causes of behavior problems, while taking a proactive approach to reduce the number of students in behavior remediation programs. Teachers notice the change in the classroom and see the students as less impulsive and aggressive, and students are more likely to think through their actions. Read more Experimental Study of the Ready to Teach Developmental Electronic Field Trip Reader Project K-12 - Research Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. Conducted by Helene Jennings and Leilani Lucca, ORC Macro. This U.S. Department of Education funded experimental study examined the effect of three Electronic Field Trips (EFTs) on student reading comprehension skills and content knowledge. Reading levels and test scores on a national standardized reading test increased among control group middle-school students participating in the online field trips and multimedia resources from Maryland Public Television (MPT) Thinkport. The online field trips, developed with reading experts, provide students the opportunity to virtually explore, learn, and retain curriculum content through highly interactive experiences and activities. The study examined roughly 400 students in two Maryland public schools during the 2004-2004 school year. Reading enhancements such as professional narration of primary source material, vocabulary lists, and teacher support materials and instructional strategies were developed in conjunction with the field trips. These associated lesson plans and classroom activities can be used to build phonics skills, vocabulary, and comprehension of content knowledge Read more College in the Information Age: Gains Associated with Students' Use of Technology Postsecondary - Research Journal of Interactive Online Learning; Volume 5, Number 2. 2006. Conducted by. T.Strayhorn. Colleges increasingly expect their students to use technology in their studies. This study found a positive relationship between student technology use and self-reported educational gains. Four college activities emerged as strongest predictors of gains from college: searched internet for course material, used computer to analyze data, used index or database to find material, and retrieved off-campus library materials. Read more The Impact of Cognitive Organizers and Technology-Based Practices on Student Success in Secondary Social Studies Classrooms K-12 - Research Journal of Special Education Technology, Volume 21 (1). 2006. Conducted by R.Boon, M.Burke, C.Fore, and V.Spencer. This study examined the effects of Inspiration 6 software in comparison to traditional textbook instruction in social studies classes at the high school level. Twenty-nine tenth-grade students in general education and 20 students with mild disabilities were randomly assigned to receive instruction using a cognitive organizer or traditional textbook instruction format. The study found that those students using the cognitive organizer tool provided by Inspiration 6 performed better than their traditionally-taught counterparts. Read more A Multi-user Virtual Environment for Building Higher Order Inquiry Skills in Science K-12 Research Conducted by D.Ketelhut, C.Dede, J.Clarke and B.Nelson. This study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) analyzed the use of a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) to enhance science content knowledge and inquiry skills. Preliminary findings show that: students learned biology content; students and teachers were highly engaged; student attendance improved; disruptive behavior dropped; students were building 21st century skills in virtual communication and expression; and importantly, using this type of technology in the classroom can facilitate good inquiry learning. In the study, middle school students were asked as teams to solve the problems of a simulated 19th century city through avatar interaction, digital artifacts, and tacit clues in a virtual community. This paper describes the results from three implementations of this program in 2004 with roughly 2,000 students from geographically diverse urban areas. Read more

Deepen Learning and Motivate Students