Assessment of student learning is essential for determining if students have acquired the intended learning outcomes in a given subject area. This can be done in a variety of formats, including, but not limited to, multiple-choice questioning, written essays, projects or products and performances, such as presentations or skits. Technology adds another factor to assessment because it can be difficult to decide if students acquired given knowledge because of the technological use or because of other factors used in the lesson. It is important to consider the relative advantage of a technological tool so you can decide if it made an impact on a lesson or not.

Consult your state curriculum guide to see if there are any suggestions for objectives that could be met most readily by a technological tool. For example, the Virginia Department of Education suggests that eighth-grade students should be able to use "technologies to identify and provide possible solutions to real-world problems." The department also suggests that eighth-grade students should be able to "examine the financial responsibilities of citizenship." Given these standards, a teacher could select a technological tool that would help students examine the problems associated with financial responsibility.

Choose a technological tool to use during your lesson. Possible tools could be the Internet, word processing, podcasts, digital video, Smart Board, PowerPoint or Photo Story 3. The teacher in our example could select technologies that allow students to record ideas about financial responsibility, such as digital video, podcasts or Photo Story 3.

Determine how students will use the tool in your lesson. For example, students could use the tool as either the end or the means to the end. It could be used for research or to create a product. The teacher in our example could have students use the Internet as a means to find out about financial responsibility, or they could have students create a PowerPoint presentation as a product about financial responsibility. Judi Harris, a professor at The College of William and Mary, suggests that it is more effective for students to use technology to gather information than to use technology to enhance content knowledge because students are working as professionals in the former case.

Select or write objectives that will help you determine the effectiveness of the tool. The International Society for Technology in Education has written standards for students and teachers in terms of effective technology use. Some suggestions for student use from this list include creating unique products, using technology to communicate about their learning, using tools to gather information and using tools to analyze information and suggest solutions.

Carry out your lesson and measure student products against your list of objectives to determine if the technology made an impact. Based on the standards from The College of William and Mary and the International Society for Technology in Education, the teacher in our example might find that the technology would make more of a difference if students were to suggest solutions about financial responsibility through creating a product rather than just reading on the Internet about financial responsibility.