ARTI: An Online Tool to Support Teacher Action Research for Technology Integration

Abstract

Action research is recognized as a powerful tool for professional development and teacher preparation (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009; Zeichner, 2003) and teachers require powerful professional development to effectively integrate technology (Hew & Brush, 2007). ARTI (Action Research for Technology Integration) is an online tool designed to support the merger of action research and technology integration. This chapter provides an introduction to ARTI followed by a discussion of its theoretical foundations. Next, the conceptual design of ARTI is described in terms of the three main purposes for its development which are to provide: (1) an online scaffold for teachers to inquire about their technology integration practices, (2) a mechanism to synthesize action research information from multiple teachers, and (3) a mechanism to capture evidence of student learning within technology integration inquiries. Finally, examples of ARTI implementation, implications and future possibilities for the tool in teacher preparation are discussed.