We as instructors will become dinosaurs if we dont begin to look at effective ways

of using technology with teaching (Marzano, 2009). Thus opens Dr. Robert
Marzanos presentation at the 2009 CUE conference regarding what we as
educators and professionals know about the effect of assessment technology on
student achievement. Even to raise the subject of assessment/measurement in
connection with student achievement or the effectiveness of instruction within the
K-12 classroom may raise the ire of contemporary teachers. For me, implementing
the use of real-time and embedded instructional assessment in a potential teaching
environment is imperative, but so will be overcoming objections to these
applications from both instructors and learners. The presenter makes several
observations supported with data that can help overcome objection to educational
technology used as assessment in the classroom. Some examples of these
observations include the results of studies conducted with actual laboratory-like
controls that saw dramatic improvement in learner achievement in classrooms that
used educational technology versus those who do not, as well as simpler concepts
such as clear focus on intent, not bells and whistles or keeping track of which
students are getting it and which are not (Marzano, 2009). The final assessment
by this presenter based on years of detailed, analyzed data is that assessment
(especially frequent and comprehensive assessment) of the positive impact of
educational technology in the classroom is accurate and can be trusted. Knowing
this will help overcome objections to assessment technology as part of instruction
methodology.
As I have in the past, discussions about state-of-the-art, effective, tested
assessment technology used in instruction often bring me back to automated
student response systems such as the clicker. In previous courses within this
degree program and in several papers I have focused on the effectiveness of this
educational tool for real-time classroom assessment. In the brief time since I have
last spoken or written about the clicker much has changed as one example many
business and occasionally higher-education arenas have already made the transition
from the physical clicker device that has to be bought or rented then activated to a
simple application to be downloaded on to your phone, turning it into the
automated response device. Whether through the old-fashioned way of using a
unified hardware device or the latest phone app., automated response systems still
seem to me to be an extremely viable, user-friendly way to, as our presenter put it,
. . . see the blending of two powerful areas technology and accurate
assessment (Marzano, 2009). Automated response systems can be used in
applications as varied as roll-taking, in-class quizzes, measuring, monitoring and
assessing participation, polling the entire class or a select group of students about
knowledge or data, or asking confidential or discreet questions of learners without
them having to divulge their identity in answering. Many studies have indicated, as
has the coursework in my program, that a more engaged class or individual learner
achieves better learning results with this kind of in-class, real-time assessment. It is
for these reasons that I would look toward this type of technology as a primary
means by which I would use real-time embedded assessment as part of my
instruction plan.

Works Cited
Marzano, R. (2009). 2009 CUE Conference Presentation.