Technology integration in postsecondary education: A summary of findings from a set of related meta-analyses

Abstract

Although the overall research literature on the application of educational technologies to classroom instruction tends to favor their use over their non-use, these results vary considerably depending on what kind of technology is used, who it is used with and, more importantly, under what circumstances and for what instructional purposes it is used. Relatively recent, but well-developed and powerful methodology of systematic reviews, particularly quantitative syntheses (also known as meta-analyses) is especially suitable for addressing questions of that type by systematically summarizing research evidence in given areas of interest in social sciences.
This meta-analysis summarizes data from 674 independent primary studies that compared higher degrees of technology use in the experimental condition with less technology in the control condition, in terms of their effects on student learning outcomes in postsecondary education. The result was an overall average weighted effect size of = 0.27 (k = 879, p < .01), indicating low but significant positive effect of technology integration on learning. The follow-up analyses revealed the influence of educational technology used for cognitive support and blended learning instructional settings designed interaction treatments, and technology integration in teacher training, especially when student-centered pedagogical frameworks are used. These findings are of potentially high interest and applied value for educational practitioners, including teachers and school administrators, as well as for instructional designers and developers of educational software.