In 2016 MIT released a report know as CITE (Comprehensive Initiative on Technology Evaluation). The objective of this report was to develop a quality framework typically used by governments, schools, and large non-profit organizations to evaluate the effects of all forms of digital technology used in a classroom. The story of the framework design started in India, but it is just the beginning. Though it was intended for use in developing nations, it has flexibility to be adapted for various school settings. As I write this in 2021, the story of this report has changed once again. Assessment has the vital role of measuring if educational interventions have been successful for learning objectives and outcomes. With the incorporation of mobile devices, it is equally relevant to assess if learning objectives and outcomes are being met. Ideally 5G networks are suppose to be available commercially by the end of 2020, which will bring additional simultaneous usage of mobile devices. Public schools have more time to plan, since they will likely receive their equipment at a later date. In Appendix 1 (page 36), the report provides questions that schools can ask to assess their readiness for new technologies. Many of the educational questions and statements have held beyond the time the report was released. With the Covid-19 pandemic more pressure has been placed on educational institutions to move towards online learning which may require mobile device accessibility. In order for institutions to advance to sustainable and profitable online delivery methods, they need to know internally where their digital technology readiness stands. When in doubt, as every good educational practitioner says, conduct an assessment. The CITE report is one of many assessment tools used to answer these educational questions and viable in answer significant educational questions under turbulent pandemic waters.
Osterweil, S., Shah, P., Allen, S., Groff, J., Kodidala, S. P., & Schoenfeld, I. (2016). Reports from CITE” Educational Technologies Evaluation in India” DSpace@MIT: MIT Libraries. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge: Massachusetts.
Britt, this report is incredible useful for not only the framework for evaluation it provides, but also for describing the scope of variables when considering technology use in educational settings. Many questions posed still haven’t been answered. Some questions that jumped out for me are:
“Does the technology enhance the achievement of already measured outcomes or does it lead to changes in skills that are missed by current assessments?”
and
“Does the technology enhance or take away teacher voice in the content students are exposed to? Who is responsible for the quality of the content?”
This is a document I’ll be referencing again and again, I’m sure.