• Ideally , tasks or problems for the application of cognitive tools will be situated in realistic contexts with results that are personally meaningful for learners .
• Using multimedia construction programs as cognitive tools engages many skills in learners such as : project management skills , research skills , organization and representation skills , presentation skills , and reflection skills .
• Research concerning the effectiveness of constructivist learning environments such as microworlds , classroom-based learning environments , and virtual , collaborative environments show positive results across a wide range of indicators .
Conclusions and Recommendations
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Overall , fifty years of educational research indicates that media and technology are effective in schools as phenomena to learn both from and with . Historically , the learning from or tutorial approaches have received the most attention and funding , but the with or cognitive tool approaches are the focus of more interest and investment than ever before . Media and technology have many other advantages in terms of repeatability , transportability , and increased equity of access . In addition , although the research evidence is sparse , the costeffectiveness , cost-benefit , and return-on-investment of media and technology may be of great benefit under certain conditions , especially in developing countries .
Longitudinal studies such as the ten year investigation of the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow ( ACOT ) Project show that pedagogical innovations and positive learning results do eventually emerge from the infusion of media and technology into schools , but the process takes longer than most people imagine .
Large investments in time and support for teachers are especially critical if the adoption of constructivist pedagogies accompany the infusion of media and technology . This is critical given that it is pedagogy that is most influential on learning , not media or technology . Media and technology , however , are integral to the implementation of innovative pedagogies .
The need for long-term , intensive research focused on the mission of improving teaching and learning through media and technology has never been greater . This research should be developmental in nature , i . e ., focused on the invention and improvement of creative approaches to enhancing human communication , learning , and performance through the use of media and technology . The purpose of such research is to improve , not to prove . In the final analysis , the esoteric and complex nature of human learning may mean that there may be no generalizable best approach to using media and technology in schools . The most we may be able to hope for with respect to media and technology in education is creative application and informed practice .
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