Before conducting my research into the topics of Interactive Whiteboards and Laptops my initial thoughts surrounding technology was that schools and education systems kept up to date with society and mainstream trends due to the belief that technology makes our everyday lives easier. However, through further investigation I found that there are many reasons why the latest technologies are adapted to classrooms. They have engaging and motivating qualities that enhance learning experiences which are particularly relevant to the mainstream exposure of technology to youth today.
A practical application of this unit has been in Web2.0 technologies such as wikis and blogs, posting and using social media. These are all things that I have used throughout the unit and I can see how these tools can be easily adapted for classroom work, assignments etc. When I began this unit I was apprehensive about the use of technology as it is not something that I have had broad exposure to in the past. I undertook secondary education over 16 years ago and unless a student actually took computer studies at school, you went through your schooling without even using computers. Now after 11 weeks I feel more confident and have an understanding of web2.0 technologies I did not know existed.
Probably the most important thing I have learnt from the unit and in my Research Analysis is that technology, content and pedagogy do not work in isolation but are integrated each into the other.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Revised Research Analysis 2
In our modern, technologically driven society, Information Technology plays an important role in everyday life. Therefore having competent skills with computers and computer applications is an essential skill for all students to acquire (Trimmel & Bachmann, 2004). However what are the issues involved in changing our classrooms from traditional use of pen and paper to the use of laptop computers? Is the expense and associated distractions worth the change to current technology or can laptops improve other area’s of student achievement besides just improving Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills?
There is a great deal of data supporting the positive aspects of students using laptop computers in class. Besides the increased efficiency with personal computers (PC) that students gain by their frequent use of laptops in every day class situations, studies show that students personal motivation levels increase in classes where laptop computers are used (Trimmel & Bachmann, 2004), (Lauricella & Kaye, 2010). This is a positive side effect as many teachers regard motivation as the “life blood” of learning, that it is the reason why learners decide to make an effort and it determines how long they will sustain an activity or how connected they feel to the activity (Rost, 2006). Another advantage of laptops being used in the classrooms according to a study by Trimmel & Bachmann (2004) is an improvement in student attendance rates at school. This result fits in with the finding of increased motivation; if students are motivated and feel more engaged it is only natural that their attendance rates at school will improve. This is a positive outcome that comes with technology in general in that it has a ludic or fun element to it. In the same study a further finding was that students in classes where laptops are used showed increased scores in tests on spatial intelligence, which is an intelligence skill that deals with foresight and the ability to visualise (Trimmel & Bachmann, 2004).
A key finding by Lauricella & Kaye, (2010) is that research suggests that students who use laptops over time have improvements in their academic grades (Lauricella & Kaye, 2010). This is a key reason why governments are investing money to roll out laptops in schools. Evidenced based research that shows improvements in students’ grades will always attract funding by respective education departments.
However, while there is a great deal of positive data around laptop use there are also negative aspects to this technology. One main argument against students using laptops in the classroom is the distraction that they cause. According to one study by Lauricella and Kaye (2010) 74% of students admitted to spending up to 50% of class time sending and receiving messages by instant messenger or by email, with another study finding that up to 42% of class time is taken up with students multitasking and looking at non-class related material. Multitasking is a real problem as it switches students’ attention back and forth between productive class work and non-productive material which is not associated with actual class work (Kraushaar & Novak, 2010). Other studies show that multitasking leads to a dramatic increase in memory errors and the processing time required learning new material (Rubenstein, Meyer & Evans, 2001).
Another argument against schools adopting laptops are the negative health affects surrounding them. It was found that students commonly complained of sore arms and fingers and stiff necks and backs, as well as dry eyes related to staring at the laptop screens (Trimmel & Bachmann, 2004). Other considerations to be made when adopting laptop technology in schools are disruptions and lost time caused by technical failures, repairs and replacements of damaged or lost laptops as well as the associated cost in improvements in the wireless infrastructure and IT support systems (McVay, Snyder & Graetz, 2005).
Although there are many negative arguments against adopting laptop computers in the classroom a lot of data promotes the improved outcomes in student motivation and enhanced learning experience. This is a major achievement in an age when youth are becoming disengaged with the education system. Laptops have shown to increase cognitive spatial ability that transfers into higher test scores. Some of the issues around physical strain can be managed with teachers mixing activities up so students are not looking at their laptops for long periods and through promoting correct posture for backs and necks. Schools can limit the distraction caused by laptops by using network oversight for teachers and network restrictions. In conclusion, it is evident that the benefits provided by laptops in the classroom outweigh the negative issues. In a highly digital society computers are here to stay and they will play an ever increasing role in our lives, including within our education system. While laptops cannot, and should not, be used in every lesson they will play an important roll in the future of education.
Bibliography
Fink III, J. (2010). Why We Banned Use of Laptops and "Scribe Notes" in Our Classroom. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(6), 1-2. Retrieved October 11, 2010, from Education Research Complete database.
Kraushaar, J., & Novak, D. (2010). Examining the Affects of Student Multitasking With Laptops During the Lecture. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21(2), 241-251. Retrieved October 11, 2010, From Education Research Complete database.
Lauricella, S. & Kay, R. (2010) Assessing laptop use in higher education classrooms: The laptop effectiveness scale. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(2). Retrieved September 27, 2010, from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet26/lauricella.pdf
McVay, G., Snyder, K. & Graetz, K. (2005). Evolution of a laptop university: a case study.British Journal of Educational Technology, 36 (3), 513-524. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from CAUL Wiley-Blackwell database.
Moon, S. (2009). Beyond laptops: The real education revolution. Retrieved October 11, 2010, From http://www.openforum.com.au/content/beyond-laptops-real-education-revolution
Trimmel, M., & Bachmann, J. (2004). Original article Cognitive, social, motivational and health aspects of students in laptop classrooms. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 20(2), 151-158. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from EBSCO host database.
Rost, M. (2006). Generating Student Motivation. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from http://www.pearsonlongman.com/ae/worldview/motivation.pdf
Rost, M. (2006). Generating Student Motivation. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from http://www.pearsonlongman.com/ae/worldview/motivation.pdf
Rubenstein, J., Meyer, D., Evans, J. (2001). Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching. Journal of experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27, 763-797. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from PsycARTICLES database.
Revised Research Analysis 1
Information Communication Technology (ICT) continues to play an ever increasing part in our education system. With more of what we do becoming digitized it is no wonder that traditional blackboards and whiteboards are also becoming digitized and replaced with the new generation of Interactive Whiteboards (IWB). This first research topic will examine the use of Interactive Whiteboards. The main issues surrounding the use of IWB include the way they influence the classroom, how they promote student engagement and whether they improve the overall quality of education.
One of the main arguments in favour of the use of IWB is that they allow students to engage in visual imagery in a deeper way than they do with just the spoken word. (Marentette & Uhrick, [nd]) The ability to create dot points and provide images, slides or video clips is a huge advantage and can provide a visual link to theory, thereby engaging students in the subject being taught. History teacher Richard McFahn stated that since IWB were introduced at his school "the students have gone from being completely uninspired to being enthused with the prospect of learning.” (Murray, 2006 p. 13). There is a ludic or fun element to IWB, with the interactive interface, touch screen and the ability to integrate animation, sound, video, and text gives the sense of play which is an important factor in keeping students engaged (Cuthell, 2005).
Besides increasing student class engagement, the use of IWB can provide teachers with the flexibility to tailor lessons to students various learning styles (Cuthell, 2005). This point was illustrated clearly in an article called ‘Use of SMART Boards for Teaching Kindergarten’. Students with limited literacy skills were able to utilise the board to demonstrate an understanding of outcomes in a science lesson through visual cues, the students then touched the screen on the correct answer. This was a way that teachers could test for learning that was previously unavailable to students with limited literacy skills (Preston and Mowbray, 2008).
Further benefits that IWB provide is the advantage the software gives teachers in lesson planning. The ability to cut and paste material in planning and then the immediacy of being able to switch between power points to writing on the boards or to use clips and images is a long way from traditional methods of relying on handouts and posters or needing to set up a television set prior to the class to use a clip or a scene from a movie (Barker, 2007).
While there are many positive views on the use of IWB with their use being internationally regarded and rolled out throughout schools world wide, there are other issues which also need to be considered. First and foremost of these is cost. The technology is quite cost prohibitive at around AUD8,000 for a basic model, making this very expensive to be utilised broadly within a school (Dudeney, 2006). Dudeney goes on to argue that to get the critical mass needed to make training and software licences viable schools need to acquire about half a dozen IWB. The reality is that this can be extremely expensive or unachievable for many schools.
A lack of specialised software for some Key Learning Areas, such as languages was also an issue raised in several articles. This can limit the resources available to some teachers, defeating the purpose of having the technology in the first place and result in IWB being under utilised (Dudeney, 2006).
One point that was often discussed was the training of staff. Appropriate training is essential to ensure IWB are utilised to their potential. If teachers are just given them without training they won’t know how to use them. One UK
It is clear that the use of IWB can take classrooms to a new interactive level. From their desks students can participate in interactive tours, watch clips or videos relevant to the content taught and have a summary of the lesson in a visual format. These are all good educational progressions that are only possible with the use of IWB. Although these progressions may not influence test scores they will engage this tech savvy generation and the links are clear between student engagement and academic achievement at school. Through this research it is also clear that adequate training is important to IWB being properly utilised to their full potential. More Australian research can be undertaken on how much IWB are currently being used in Australian schools and the pedagogical implications of their use. It is important that educators are relevant and find new ways to engage students. Technologies like IWB can do this, however it is important to understand that technology in itself will not solve every need because fundamentally, successful classrooms always come down to good pedagogy.
Bibliography
Bax, S. (2006). Interactive white boards watch this space. IATEFL Call Review summer 2006. Retrieved September 4, 2010, from http://associates.iatefl.org/pages/materials/itskills25.pdf
Cuthell, J.P.,(2005), Seeing the meaning: The impact of interactive whiteboards on teaching and learning. BECTA. Retrieved September, 3, 2010 from http://www.virtuallearning.org.uk/whiteboards/index/html
Dudeney, G. (2006). Interactive quite bored: IATEFL Call Review summer 2006. Retreived September 4, 2010, From http://associates.iatefl.org/pages/materials/itskills25.pdf
Marentette, L. & Uhrick, A. [n.d.] Reaching learners: Immersive education through interactive multimedia.VP sales & marketing, Nextwindow. Retrieved August 19 2010 from http://www.presentationproducts.com/sites/pproducts.com/files/Infocom%20-%20ReachingLearners.pdf
Friday, October 15, 2010
Research Analysis 2
In our modern, technologically driven society, Information Technology plays an important role in every day life. Therefore, having competent skills with computers and computer applications is an essential skill for all students to acquire (Trimmel & Bachmann, 2004). However what are the issues involved in changing our classrooms from the traditional use of pens and paper to the use of laptop computers? Is the expense and associated distractions worth the change to current technology or can laptops improve other area’s of student achievement besides just improving Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills?
While there are many negative arguments against adopting laptop computers in the classroom there is a lot of data promoting the improved outcomes in student motivation and enhanced learning experience as well as increasing students attendance, this is a major achievement in a time when youth are becoming disengaged with the education system and truancy is at an all time high. Besides this it appears that laptops have shown to increase cognitive spatial ability that seems to transfer into higher test scores. Some of the issues around physical strain can be managed with teachers mixing activities up so students aren't sitting there looking at their laptops all day and teachers and other staff promoting correct posture for backs and necks. As well as this schools can limit the distraction caused by laptops by using network oversight for teachers and blocking network access to certain sites in certain areas of school. In conclusion it is evident that the benefits provided by laptops in the classroom out weigh the negative issues. In a highly digital society computers are here to stay and they will play an ever increasing roll in our lives including our education system, laptops can't be used in every lesson but they will play an important roll in the future of education.
Bibliography
McVay, G., Snyder, K. & Graetz, K. (2005). Evolution of a laptop university: a case study.British Journal of Educational Technology, 36 (3), 513-524. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from CAUL Wiley-Blackwell database.
Rubenstein, J., Meyer, D., Evans, J. (2001), Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching. Journal of experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27, 763-797. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from PsycARTICLES database.
There is much data supporting the positive aspects of students using laptop computers in class. One of the main findings is that laptops increase student motivation in classes where they are used (Trimmel & Bachmann, 2004), (Lauricella & Kaye, 2010). Besides this laptop computers also improve attendance rates of students as well as increased learning interest in classes where laptops are used. (Trimmel & Bachmann, 2004). This is a positive outcome that comes with technology in general in that it has a fun element to it. Research seems to also suggest that students who use laptops over time have improvements in their academic grades (Lauricella & Kaye, 2010). A further study by Trimmel and Bachmann (2004) shows increased scores in tests on spatial intelligence. Another finding that isn’t too surprising is that students who use laptops regularly have better general computing skills than students that don’t use them.
While there is much positive data around laptop use there are also negative aspects to this technology. One main argument against students using laptops in the classroom is the distraction that they cause . According to one study by Lauricella and Kaye (2010) 74% of students admitted to spending up to 50% of class time sending and receiving messages by Instant messenger or by email, with another study by Kraushaar and Novak (2010) finding that up to 42% of class time is taken up with students multitasking and looking at non-class related material. Multitasking is a real problem as it students attention switches back and forward between productive class work and non-productive material that is not associated with class work (Kraushaar & Novak, 2010). Other studies show that multitasking leads to a dramatic increase in memory errors and the processing time required to learn new material (Rubenstein, Meyer & Evans, 2001).
Besides these implications other considerations to be made when adopting laptop technology in schools is the disruptions and lost time caused by technical failures and the associated cost in improvements in the wireless infrastructure and IT support systems as well as repairs and replacements of damaged or lost laptops (McVay, Snyder & Graetz, 2005).Another argument against schools adopting laptops are the negative health affects surrounding them. It was found that students commonly complained of sore arms and fingers and stiff necks and backs, as well as dry eyes related to starring at the laptop screens (Trimmel & Bachmann, 2004).
While there are many negative arguments against adopting laptop computers in the classroom there is a lot of data promoting the improved outcomes in student motivation and enhanced learning experience as well as increasing students attendance, this is a major achievement in a time when youth are becoming disengaged with the education system and truancy is at an all time high. Besides this it appears that laptops have shown to increase cognitive spatial ability that seems to transfer into higher test scores. Some of the issues around physical strain can be managed with teachers mixing activities up so students aren't sitting there looking at their laptops all day and teachers and other staff promoting correct posture for backs and necks. As well as this schools can limit the distraction caused by laptops by using network oversight for teachers and blocking network access to certain sites in certain areas of school. In conclusion it is evident that the benefits provided by laptops in the classroom out weigh the negative issues. In a highly digital society computers are here to stay and they will play an ever increasing roll in our lives including our education system, laptops can't be used in every lesson but they will play an important roll in the future of education.
Bibliography
Fink III, J. (2010). Why We Banned Use of Laptops and "Scribe Notes" in Our Classroom. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(6), 1-2. Retrieved October 11, 2010, from Education Research Complete database.
Kraushaar, J., & Novak, D. (2010). Examining the Affects of Student Multitasking With Laptops During the Lecture. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21(2), 241-251. Retrieved October 11, 2010, From Education Research Complete database.
Lauricella, S. & Kay, R. (2010) Assessing laptop use in higher education classrooms: The laptop effectiveness scale. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(2). Retrieved September 27, 2010, from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet26/lauricella.pdf
Moon, S. (2009). Beyond laptops: The real education revolution. Retrieved October 11, 2010, From http://www.openforum.com.au/content/beyond-laptops-real-education-revolution
Trimmel, M., & Bachmann, J. (2004). Original article Cognitive, social, motivational and health aspects of students in laptop classrooms. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 20(2), 151-158. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from EBSCO host database.Rubenstein, J., Meyer, D., Evans, J. (2001), Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching. Journal of experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27, 763-797. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from PsycARTICLES database.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Cognitive, social, motivational, and health aspects of students in laptop classrooms
Trimmel, M., & Bachmann, J. (2004). Original article Cognitive, social, motivational and health aspects of students in laptop classrooms. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 20(2), 151-158. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from EBSCO host database.
This study by Trimmel and Bachmann (2004) looked at 49 students at an Austrian private school, 27 students were in laptop only classrooms and 22 were in traditional non-laptop classrooms. The aim of the study was to find differences in cognitive performance, social atmosphere, communication, motivation and issues of strain and health issues. Data was collected by a series of tests and questionnaires over a one and a half year period. All but one non-laptop student reported having a laptop at home with laptop students using a computer 7-8 hours a day and non-laptop students using a computer 2-3 hours a day. The results of this study were quite interesting. Unsurprisingly, laptop students had scored higher on tests regarding general computing skills and had more positive results regarding classroom atmosphere, student motivation, spacial intelligence and learning interest. However there were issues regarding health with laptop students reporting negative effects of physical strain in hands, arms, necks and posture. Strain on eyes was also an issue with laptop students who were commonly suffering the effects of dry eyes.
It seems to be clear in this study that laptops have many positive benefits but these do need to be weighed up against the negative health affects.
This study by Trimmel and Bachmann (2004) looked at 49 students at an Austrian private school, 27 students were in laptop only classrooms and 22 were in traditional non-laptop classrooms. The aim of the study was to find differences in cognitive performance, social atmosphere, communication, motivation and issues of strain and health issues. Data was collected by a series of tests and questionnaires over a one and a half year period. All but one non-laptop student reported having a laptop at home with laptop students using a computer 7-8 hours a day and non-laptop students using a computer 2-3 hours a day. The results of this study were quite interesting. Unsurprisingly, laptop students had scored higher on tests regarding general computing skills and had more positive results regarding classroom atmosphere, student motivation, spacial intelligence and learning interest. However there were issues regarding health with laptop students reporting negative effects of physical strain in hands, arms, necks and posture. Strain on eyes was also an issue with laptop students who were commonly suffering the effects of dry eyes.
It seems to be clear in this study that laptops have many positive benefits but these do need to be weighed up against the negative health affects.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Examining the Affects of Student Multitasking With Laptops During The Lecture.
Kraushaar, J., & Novak, D. (2010). Examining the Affects of Student Multitasking With Laptops During the Lecture. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21(2), 241-251. Retrieved October 11, 2010, From Education Research Complete database.
This paper by Kraushaar and Novak (2010) looks at undergraduate student use of laptop computers in lecture theatres. The aim of this study is to look at the affects of multitasking during lectures and to ascertain weather multitasking (looking at non course related material and applications) has an effect on student learning outcomes. Data for this study was collected by student self reporting and through the use of spyware installed on students laptops. The idea of installing spyware on the students laptops was to be able to check the self reported data against the collected data fed by the spyware. The spyware was installed upon agreement with the participating students, and it was quite often disabled by students to hide what they were doing. There were 97 students who participated in the study and they were all undergraduates from the one faculty in differing years at Vermont University. The results were interesting as they show that students have non-course related material open 42% of the time and there seemed to be an under reporting of the multitasking as shown by the software data. This is concerning for other studies that rely solely on self reported data. The correlation though between multitasking and academic achievement wasn't quite clear with one measure showing that it did affect academic achievement and another measure showing that it was unclear. This was a good study with some interesting results especially revealing the amount of non-course related material that is looked at during lectures, as this seemed especially high.
This paper by Kraushaar and Novak (2010) looks at undergraduate student use of laptop computers in lecture theatres. The aim of this study is to look at the affects of multitasking during lectures and to ascertain weather multitasking (looking at non course related material and applications) has an effect on student learning outcomes. Data for this study was collected by student self reporting and through the use of spyware installed on students laptops. The idea of installing spyware on the students laptops was to be able to check the self reported data against the collected data fed by the spyware. The spyware was installed upon agreement with the participating students, and it was quite often disabled by students to hide what they were doing. There were 97 students who participated in the study and they were all undergraduates from the one faculty in differing years at Vermont University. The results were interesting as they show that students have non-course related material open 42% of the time and there seemed to be an under reporting of the multitasking as shown by the software data. This is concerning for other studies that rely solely on self reported data. The correlation though between multitasking and academic achievement wasn't quite clear with one measure showing that it did affect academic achievement and another measure showing that it was unclear. This was a good study with some interesting results especially revealing the amount of non-course related material that is looked at during lectures, as this seemed especially high.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Beyond laptops: The real education revolution
Moon, S. (2009). Beyond laptops: The real education revolution. Retrieved October 11, 2010, From http://www.openforum.com.au/content/beyond-laptops-real-education-revolution
In my research on laptops in schools I have been looking at the federal governments roll out of laptops for year 9 students and how each state has gone about this and the success and downfalls of the program. whilst researching I found this interesting article by Sheryle Moon on the failures of the so called educational revolution. Moon criticises the governments obsession withtechnology trinkets such as laptops. This was a major platform for the Rudd government and to think that a laptop computer in the hands of all our fifteen year olds was the answer for education and training shows just how small thinking our politicians are. Moon calls for a greater emphasis on fostering creative thinking in our students. Moon furthermore says that our employers are looking for communication, collaboration and creativity skills and she admonishes the work of Sir Ken Robinson in education and agrees that our schools teach students the same way they have been taught for a hundred years and that greater focus needs to be paid to right hemisphere thinking and allowing our children to experiment and think creatively. While I do agree with Moon, I have found some great things are being done with the laptop program. I have read many positive articles about this program and I do believe that this is a major step in our education system to transforming it to the new digital society. A great article regardless with some valid points.
In my research on laptops in schools I have been looking at the federal governments roll out of laptops for year 9 students and how each state has gone about this and the success and downfalls of the program. whilst researching I found this interesting article by Sheryle Moon on the failures of the so called educational revolution. Moon criticises the governments obsession withtechnology trinkets such as laptops. This was a major platform for the Rudd government and to think that a laptop computer in the hands of all our fifteen year olds was the answer for education and training shows just how small thinking our politicians are. Moon calls for a greater emphasis on fostering creative thinking in our students. Moon furthermore says that our employers are looking for communication, collaboration and creativity skills and she admonishes the work of Sir Ken Robinson in education and agrees that our schools teach students the same way they have been taught for a hundred years and that greater focus needs to be paid to right hemisphere thinking and allowing our children to experiment and think creatively. While I do agree with Moon, I have found some great things are being done with the laptop program. I have read many positive articles about this program and I do believe that this is a major step in our education system to transforming it to the new digital society. A great article regardless with some valid points.
"Why we banned the use of Laptops and scribe notes in our classroom"
Fink III, J. (2010). Why We Banned Use of Laptops and "Scribe Notes" in Our Classroom. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(6), 1-2. Retrieved October 11, 2010, from Education Research Complete database.
This journal paper by Joseph Fink is actually a response to an article written by Professor Chanen Kibosh (2007) about how laptops are a distraction in lectures and classes. Fink agrees with Kibosh and has implemented for the last two years that the are banned in his pharmaceutical course. Fink in this article justifies this decision by stating that laptops are a distraction to his students as the temptation to multitask in the form of sending emails checking facebook etc is too great and that he expects his students to be giving their undivided attention in his classes. Fink argues that not to pay full attention is rude and unprofessional, and as he is training future medical professionals they will also be expected to give their undivided attention to their patients. As well as this Fink argues that laptops can interfere with the learning environment of other students much to the same way that cell phones do. He says that it is common policy to ask students to turn off their cell phones but to have students attention distracted and distracting those around them by their laptops seems to be a double standard. I think Fink makes some good points although he will probably be labelled a dinosaur for saying this, however I tend not to agree with him as students in university are adults and should be able to be responsible with this technology. I feel it is quite narrow minded for a university that should be promoting new ways and new technologies to ban something because their adult students can't be trusted. This is quite paternalistic, what next checking students in lecture theatres that they haven't nodded off! Although I don't agree with Fink he does raise some interesting points against laptops and goes to forming a balanced view on this issue.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Evolution of a laptop University: A case study
McVay, G., Snyder, K. & Graetz, K. (2005). Evolution of a laptop university: a case study.British Journal of Educational Technology, 36 (3), 513-524. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from CAUL Wiley-Blackwell database.
This article looks at a case study of the Winona State University laptop program and how this relatively small university became one of the leaders in information communication technology in the USA. The paper looks at how this program was rolled out in three stages over six years. The University undertook the program with seven principles of good practice for undergraduate study, these included things like providing access to ICT services, giving students the best opportunity to use the latest technology in their studies and allowing the students to have an unfettered opportunity to actively learn outside the classrooms. Through this program after the third year of operation new students were required to lease a new laptop through the university and all staff were provided one. There was also a major overhaul of the universities wireless services and support infrastructure. However there were some problems with this program with surveyed students reporting they could have purchased the hardware and software else were at a cheaper cost, as well there was a high percentage of students reporting that apart from using their laptops to email and access course information they were underutilised, this criticism mainly came from particular courses. On the whole this program looks to be successful with greater benefits to the students than the upfront cost. Although it is important for staff to receive training to provide relevant material and support to fully utilise this technology. The program is currently being expanded to move beyond laptops to move to the new technology of tablets or iBooks.
This article looks at a case study of the Winona State University laptop program and how this relatively small university became one of the leaders in information communication technology in the USA. The paper looks at how this program was rolled out in three stages over six years. The University undertook the program with seven principles of good practice for undergraduate study, these included things like providing access to ICT services, giving students the best opportunity to use the latest technology in their studies and allowing the students to have an unfettered opportunity to actively learn outside the classrooms. Through this program after the third year of operation new students were required to lease a new laptop through the university and all staff were provided one. There was also a major overhaul of the universities wireless services and support infrastructure. However there were some problems with this program with surveyed students reporting they could have purchased the hardware and software else were at a cheaper cost, as well there was a high percentage of students reporting that apart from using their laptops to email and access course information they were underutilised, this criticism mainly came from particular courses. On the whole this program looks to be successful with greater benefits to the students than the upfront cost. Although it is important for staff to receive training to provide relevant material and support to fully utilise this technology. The program is currently being expanded to move beyond laptops to move to the new technology of tablets or iBooks.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Assessing laptop use in higher education clasrooms.
Lauricella, S. & Kay, R. (2010) Assessing laptop use in higher education classrooms: The laptop effectiveness scale. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(2). Retrieved September 27, 2010, from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet26/lauricella.pdf
The purpose of this article was to create a scale to evaluate the effectiveness of laptop use in higher education. The authors of this study evaluated the laptop use of 177 students at Canada's Ontario Institute of Technology, a University that provides laptops to all students and is completely wireless meaning the students have internet access at all times. The students were spread across the different courses and different years of study and came from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds. Over a period of 12 months students kept a record of their use of the laptops in the classroom and the lecture theatre, from both academic to non-academic use. This data was then correlated along with the students results and their own perceptions of how laptops helped them. The scale that was created at the conclusion of this study consisted of four constructs: academic use, non-academic communication, playing games and watching movies. This paper contained a lot of tables of data that were hard for a non-statistician as myself to properly analyse. There was also a lot of information on statistical validity that was quite heavy to interpret. However the authors summary provided an interesting insight into the use of laptops in the classroom with the author concluding that although laptops provide greater means for distraction in the classroom with 74% of students admitting to spending up to 50%of class time sending and receiving non-academic messages, laptops were used a majority of the time by a majority of the students on academic activities such as taking notes researching etc, with the group that used laptops for a majority of the time on academic activities showing improvements in their grades. As well as improvements in students grades this study concluded that student satisfaction is much higher when taking a class with laptops as well as improvements in communication with staff and peers. This paper provided a good start to my research with some solid data on the effectiveness of laptops in the classroom.
The purpose of this article was to create a scale to evaluate the effectiveness of laptop use in higher education. The authors of this study evaluated the laptop use of 177 students at Canada's Ontario Institute of Technology, a University that provides laptops to all students and is completely wireless meaning the students have internet access at all times. The students were spread across the different courses and different years of study and came from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds. Over a period of 12 months students kept a record of their use of the laptops in the classroom and the lecture theatre, from both academic to non-academic use. This data was then correlated along with the students results and their own perceptions of how laptops helped them. The scale that was created at the conclusion of this study consisted of four constructs: academic use, non-academic communication, playing games and watching movies. This paper contained a lot of tables of data that were hard for a non-statistician as myself to properly analyse. There was also a lot of information on statistical validity that was quite heavy to interpret. However the authors summary provided an interesting insight into the use of laptops in the classroom with the author concluding that although laptops provide greater means for distraction in the classroom with 74% of students admitting to spending up to 50%of class time sending and receiving non-academic messages, laptops were used a majority of the time by a majority of the students on academic activities such as taking notes researching etc, with the group that used laptops for a majority of the time on academic activities showing improvements in their grades. As well as improvements in students grades this study concluded that student satisfaction is much higher when taking a class with laptops as well as improvements in communication with staff and peers. This paper provided a good start to my research with some solid data on the effectiveness of laptops in the classroom.
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