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	Identifying a Return on Investment *by Metiri Group*
In this era of budget cuts and high-stakes accountability, educators are in need to show a return on their technology investments. As a result, educators are increasingly basing their decisions about technology on research about how people learn with technology. Check out some of the emergent research as you identify your return on investment:
The Why... Why should technology and 21st century skills be on the radar screen of schools and districts? Link the discussions to students' academic achievement, technology literacy, and economic futures.	General: Progressive Policy Institute It's a Digital World The Scientific American 50 Award Don Tapscott: Growing Up Digital What does it mean to be Xliterate? IRA Digital Storytelling? Hot Wired Digital Video/Media Social Studies New Economy Globalization Science/Math Discoveries and Breakthroughs Human Genome Project
Data Collection/Analysis What learning goals are priorities in my district? in the school improvement processes? Would the research suggest a fit?	See also tenets of learning in Research-Knowledge Web pages Center for Problem-based Learning UC Irvine TLC Study Eliot Soloway's Highly Interactive Computer in Education site Fred Newmann's Study of Authenticity and Achievement in Chicago
Establishing Goals What are the learning goals associated with our technology investments? Could be learning deficits to work on, or could be visionary 21st Century skills not yet attained. Good goals should: Be directly related to kids and learning… broadly defined Paint a picture of what success will look like Be specific Be measurable Be realistic NOT be strategies	Link your vision to mainstream learning goals Lake Washington School District Lawrence Township YOUR school district vision 21st Century Skills 21st Century Skills - NCREL/Metiri Partnership for 21st Century Skills Digital Equity The Digital Divide Network - Benton Foundation The Digital Divide: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation enGauge Digital Equity by NCREL-Metiri A NATION ONLINE: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet (NTIA) Children and Computer Technology - David and Lucille Packard Foundation Writing Goals Good article on writing effective goals. You have to wade through the Iowa references, but it's worth it. A good chapter from ASCD on different kinds of goals
Reviewing Research	See Research - Knowledge Base
Examples of Lessons	MarcoPolo Integrating New Technologies into Methods of Teaching Learn and Live Documentaries, Lucas Foundation Apple Learning Interchange: ALI Digital Age Literacy - from a Digital Literacy Coach
Identifying Criteria for the Return What student product or performance would serve as acceptable evidence of success? How will I know if the technology intervention makes a difference?	Indicators of Success (Academic Achievement, 21st Century Skills, engagement, success in workplace, etc.) See State Learning Goals Consider formative assessments aligned to WASL NCRTEC's Scoring Guide for Student Products Rice University List of Student Product Type Henrico Framework Partners Consider getting your local universities involved Consider engaging your teachers in goals/criteria for action research

Optimizing Learning through Technology-based Learning Solutions
by the Metiri Group