Technology Enhanced Learning Environments for Closing the Gap in Student Achievement between Regions: Does It Work?
Student achievement gap between urban and suburban regions are a major issue in U.S. schools. Technology enhanced learning environments that support teaching and learning process with advanced technology may close this achievement gap. This paper examines the impact of student and school factors with an emphasis on schools’ geographic location on student achievement in the Cisco Networking Academy, a technology enhanced learning environment. The instructional model in the Cisco Networking Academy combines face-to-face learning with online curriculum and instructional materials that are distributed over the Internet so that all instructors and students receive the same instructional materials and content tests. 4,670 students from 386 high schools participated in this study. Considering together with gender, ability and motivation factors, results showed that students located in different geographical locations achieve equally well in the networking program. The results concluded that t
