The Future of Education

The purpose of this research study was to investigate an innovative service learning experience (SLE) that would integrate technology in an English as a Second Language (ESL) tutoring assignment that was part of a semester course, Understanding Cultures in the Classroom, for undergraduate Childhood Education and Educational Studies majors at a large southern university in the United States. Service learning provides an excellent way to incorporate 21stst century skills in an authentic way. The objectives of the study were to investigate the effectiveness of training in the use of the SAMR framework with education majors and well as determine obstacles and weaknesses in the SAMR framework for preservice teacher technology integration into ELL instruction. Through a mixed methods approach, the study investigated how 23 students integrated technology using the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition (SAMR) framework in their tutoring experiences at an elementary school with a high population of ELLs (English language learners). Data collected included pre and post surveys and final reflective papers describing the students’ perceptions of the SAMR Model. The pre- and post-survey results showed that there was a statistically significant increase (p = .013) in student confidence using various hardware, such as computers, phones, tablets, and cameras. There were no statistically significant differences in the applications and perceptions categories. Survey results highlight the need for preservice teachers to gain experience using various technological hardware in educational settings.

Keywords: Service Learning, SAMR model, Technology;