5a. Equitable access

Evidence of competence in ISTE-CS

Equitable access and equal access aren’t the same thing. I find it hard to feel as though I ever know enough about equitable access, especially considering my societal privilege. So I’ll tell you my current understanding, and I’ll tell you that I’m open to correction.

Achieving equitable access to technology is not just about granting equal access to students. It’s about also offering the supports needed for students to be able utilize those technologies. In my blog post, Digital education leadership mission statement, I wrote:

...it is important to understand if and how the technologies used in the classroom advantage some populations of students over others. While equal access to classroom technologies is a given, it is imperative to also consider if the technologies promote equitable access to the mathematics; this is in line with ISTE-CS 5a. For example, there is a large body of research around whether or not the use of calculators and other mathematical software disadvantages the performance of female mathematics students. The literature shows mixed results: often males outperform females (e.g. Forgasz & Tan, 2010), sometimes females outperform males (e.g. Lyublinskaya & Tournaki, 2011), or no difference is found (e.g. Munger & Loyd, 1989). As a future mathematics instructor, it is my goal to know what research has been done on equity and the use of technology in the classroom, and to think carefully about the technologies I choose to use in my own classroom.

Additionally, I feel I should point out that eliminating calculators or mathematical software due to inequitable access would not serve math students in the long run. But neither does ignoring the existence of inequitable access. So to add on to my mission statement, it is also my goal to understand and offer the supports needed to minimize inequitable access to the fundamental digital tools of mathematics education.

References

Forgasz, H., & Tan, H. (2010). Does CAS use disadvantage girls in VCE mathematics? Australian Senior Mathematics Journal, 24(1), 25-36. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ891807

Lyublinskaya, I., & Tournaki, N. (2011). The effect of teaching and learning with Texas Instruments handheld devices on student achievement in algebra. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 30(1), 5-35. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ924358

Munger, G. F., & Loyd, B. H. (1989). Gender and attitudes toward computers and calculators: Their relationship to math performance. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 5(2), 167-177. http://dx.doi.org/10.2190/R1HL-LG9J-1YN5-AQ4N