Dr. Darnell Williams
Professor of English and graduate education and director, Center for International Development, Langston University, Langston, Okla.

Central to determining the true impact of technology on learning and student success is the understanding of the deep impact technology has on society as a whole. Students need to know how technology has changed the nature of work, communications and our understanding of the development and acquisition of knowledge. When students understand and make use of the myriad ways in which access to information is gained (including technological tools), researchers gain data that can be aggregated and evaluated to measure the level of impact that technology has on student learning and success.
Current research studies on the impact of the use of technology on teaching and learning show that knowledge is not passively received, but actively constructed by learners from a base of prior knowledge, attitudes and values. Therefore, when students can use various technological tools and skills to pursue their own inquiries, find, organize and interpret information, and become reflective and critical about information quality and sources, researchers, once again, are provided measurable data.
Technology is a tool, a series of instruments that can be used to enhance and expand the learning process. Understanding technology and applying the art of Web design, for example, are highly valued skills in today's workplace. When students demonstrate that they understand the relevance of Web page creation as well as possess the skills to develop one, they are providing data that can be used to measure the impact of technology on learning and student success. 

 — Compiled by Joan Morgan