Technology in Education Flashcards

A GED teacher notices that her adult learners with limited digital literacy are struggling to engage with an adaptive learning platform that adjusts difficulty automatically. Which of the following interventions best addresses BOTH the digital literacy gap AND maintains the platform's adaptive benefits?

Answer: Conduct structured digital scaffolding sessions where students first master platform navigation before engaging with academic content

Structured digital scaffolding separates the skill of navigating the tool from the academic content, ensuring students can use the platform effectively without losing its adaptive benefits. Removing the platform (A) eliminates personalized learning. Opt-out (C) creates inequity and avoids the problem. Lowering difficulty for everyone (D) overrides the adaptive algorithm and disadvantages more advanced learners.

Under FERPA regulations, a GED program coordinator wants to use an AI-powered analytics dashboard from a third-party vendor to identify at-risk students. Which condition MUST be met for this to be legally permissible without obtaining explicit parental or student consent?

Answer: The vendor must qualify as a 'school official' with a legitimate educational interest under a formal data-sharing agreement

FERPA's 'school official' exception allows disclosure to vendors if they have a legitimate educational interest and are subject to the same data-use restrictions as school officials, typically formalized in a data-sharing agreement. Vendor location (A) is not a FERPA criterion. Limiting to attendance data (C) is unnecessarily restrictive and not a FERPA requirement. State DOE approval (D) is not required under federal FERPA for this exception.

A GED instructor is designing a blended learning unit on algebraic reasoning. Research on cognitive load theory would suggest which of the following technology integration choices is MOST likely to impede learning rather than support it?

Answer: Presenting a dynamic graphing tool, written instructions for the task, and a simultaneous audio explanation of the same instructions

Presenting redundant information through multiple simultaneous channels (written text + audio narrating the same content) creates a 'redundancy effect,' a specific form of extraneous cognitive load identified in Sweller's cognitive load theory. This splits attention and overloads working memory. The other options — worked examples (A), spaced practice (C), and annotation (D) — are all evidence-based strategies that reduce or manage cognitive load effectively.

A GED program serving a largely rural population is considering a 'flipped classroom' model where students watch instructional videos at home and use class time for practice. Which factor most critically determines whether this model will exacerbate rather than reduce equity gaps among students?

Answer: The reliability and affordability of broadband internet access in students' home environments

The flipped model depends entirely on students being able to access video content outside of class. In rural communities, broadband access is often unreliable or unaffordable (the 'homework gap'), meaning students who lack connectivity cannot complete the at-home component, directly widening equity gaps. Video source (A), standards alignment (C), and video length (D) are important quality factors but do not determine whether the model structurally disadvantages a segment of the student population.

When evaluating the validity of an AI-generated formative assessment for GED preparation, an instructor should be MOST concerned if the tool:

Answer: Produces items with high Flesch-Kincaid readability scores relative to the GED's target reading level

If AI-generated items have significantly higher readability levels than the actual GED exam, they measure reading complexity rather than the intended content construct — a direct threat to construct validity. Students may fail not because they lack the content knowledge but because the language is inappropriately difficult. Unique question sets (A) support security. High internal consistency (C) is a reliability strength. Automated rubric scoring (D) is a potentially valid efficiency tool, not a validity threat.

A GED teacher wants students to use generative AI tools as part of a writing revision activity. Which instructional framing BEST develops genuine metacognitive skill while mitigating the risk of over-reliance on the AI?

Answer: Require students to accept or reject each AI suggestion and write a one-sentence justification for each decision

Requiring students to evaluate and justify each AI suggestion forces active, critical engagement with the tool rather than passive acceptance. This builds metacognitive awareness of writing choices — a key skill for GED success — while using AI as a thinking partner rather than a replacement. Submitting the AI draft (B) rewards the AI's output, not student reasoning. Unrestricted use (C) abdicates instructional responsibility. Grammar-only restriction (D) is overly limiting and doesn't develop critical evaluation skills.