Reflection Through the ID-PRISM: A Teacher Planning Tool to Transform Classrooms into Web-Enhanced Learning Environments

Recent books and articles are full of definitions of the ideal electronic classroom, prescriptions of how to use world wide web (www or web) resources, and descriptions of the effects of such resources on teaching practices and learning. Yet Becker (1999) found that only 30% of those teachers who were internet-connected acknowledged using web resources with their students. Instructional Design-Possibilities, Realities, Issues, Standards, and Multidimensional perspectives (ID-PRISM) was developed as a reflection tool to help the remaining teachers move through the stages of innovation by prompting them to think about possibilities, realities, issues, standards and multidimensional perspectives of teaching and learning to create an action plan for transforming their classroom into a web-enhanced learning environment. Rich reflection and web integration research provided the foundation for ID-PRISM. This article discusses this literature and the tool itself. It then concludes with an example and a recommended inservice program using ID-PRISM. "... school districts have chosen to ignore the essential human elements in the process of effectively integrating technology into the curriculum." (Farenga & Joyce, 2001, p. 317.) ********** Jl. of Technology and Teacher Education (2003) 11(3), 347-375 The availability of internet technologies has reached deep into the educational system with teachers being the real gatekeepers of their impact on teaching and learning. Access to the Internet has been accelerated by national mandates and State legislation requiring internet access for all students in the K-12 educational arena. Individual schools are beginning to develop technology infrastructures that rival corporate training studios. Through national and state funding, this evolution holds promise for new ways of teaching and learning. However, stories abound about how computers sit idle or are used for glorified seatwork. With this evolution come several questions that must be addressed to prevent unused, misused, or underused technology in the classroom. How do teachers create a world wide web (www or web)-enhanced learning environment that effectively integrates teaching objectives and learning with technology resources? (e.g., what are the possibilities?) What school-level support structures are in place to facilitate the development of web-enriched classrooms? (e.g., what are the realities of the school environment?) Which teaching and learning issues can be addressed through strategic integration of technology? (e.g., how does technology integration affect students and teachers?) Research has indicated that providing scaffolds for teachers to reflect on these educational issues can help them move through the stages of innovation and thereby reach beyond the walls of the classroom for new instructional resources that will enhance teaching and learning. This is the premise upon which this article and the Instructional Design-Possibilities, Realities, Issues, Standards, and Multidimensional perspectives (ID-PRISM) were based. An Argument for a Web-Enhanced Learning Environment in the Classroom Today, internet technology is being used to enable the integration of web resources to enhance the interactive and social nature of instruction. Recently, researchers have investigated inter-, intra- and extranet interactive learning strategies (Geyer, 1997), interactive collaboration with scientists (Federman & Edwards, 1997), electronic discussion groups (Karayan & Crowe, 1997; Papert, 1997), Multiuser Object-Oriented virtual spaces for sharing ideas and developing solutions to problems (Conlon, 1997), electronic learning communities (Lieberman, 1996), and general use of internet resources in the classroom (Koszalka, 1999). This research is rich. Findings suggested that these interactive learning strategies engaged learners more fully in instruction and facilitated their ability to comprehend and construct personal knowledge. …