What added value does a 1:1 student to laptop ratio bring to technology-supported teaching and learning?

A Summary of the article by Dunleavy, M., Dexert, S., and Heinecket, W.F.

Introduction

The last 20 years have seen 1:1 laptop computing programs in schools rise steadily.  It was estimated in 2000 that 1000 American schools where using 1:1 laptops, or ubiquitous computing, for a total of 150,000 laptops in use.  Since 1980, advocates have hailed 1:1 computing as being able to transform the way we educate, but detractors have suggested that such constant use of technology could actually be detrimental to education. 

Most research thus far has determined that there is a need for more and better detailed information describing student and teacher practices and academic outcomes.  This paper attempts to address that need.

Literature review

Most research to date focuses on teacher use of laptops in classrooms and the general benefits gained.  Teachers describe using productivity (MS Office, for example) tools, research applications and Internet browsers.  Teachers report that networked laptops afford them greater access to current instructional content, resources which they describe as helping to support learners of different modalities by allowing teachers to present information in myriad ways.

Teachers have also reported in previous research that they tend to design more student-centred and constructivist lessons in classrooms with 1:1 laptops, or build more inquiry-based activities.  They also report acting more as a facilitator in the classroom, rather than a lecturer.

Finally, teachers report enjoying the increased ability to give rapid feedback to students and monitor student progress more closely and provide better targeted remediation.

These previous studies give us a good idea of the general use of laptops in classrooms, but practitioners and policymakers need to know how teacher practices in 1:1 laptop settings are benefiting student learning.  They also need to know what potential difficulties might arise in such settings.

This paper attempts to discuss what benefits 1:1 laptops bring to classrooms that would not otherwise be possible-- the 'added-value' of the programs.  This paper also examines how 1:1 computing helps create effective learning environments: learner-centred, knowledge-centred, assessment-centred, and community-centred.

Technology rich environments do not immediately equate to enhanced learning or added value. One-to-one computing presents many challenges unique to the increased dependence on technology, and these need to be addressed as a counterpoint to the benefits of the technology.

Methods

Two case study sites were selected for this study.  We sampled eight teachers at each site, teaching in the core areas of math, science, and English in grades 6-8.  Students, teachers, technology coordinators, resource media specialists, and administrators participated in formal and informal interviews, and were directly observed.

Teachers were selected through peer and administrative recognition and by having students who consistently did well on state testing.  They used 1:1 computing 24 hours a day for 5-7 days a week, had been participating in 1:1 computing for 2 years or more, and were willing to participate.

Four researchers spent about 130 hours over the course of a semester on each site collecting data.  Teachers were aware that they would each be observed for an average of 15 hours, but were not notified prior to an observation.

Findings

Online research and productivity tools

In all 8 classrooms at both sites, the most common use of student laptops was for online research in conjunction with productivity tools.  Observations and interviews also revealed a wide variety of instructional approaches in use, and found that overall, the laptops did improve the effectiveness of the learning environments.  However, there were some situations where the networked laptops did detract from learning, which was made worse by the 1:1 student to laptop ratio.

Students were observed making effective use of commercial search engines and used productivity tools to record and communicate the results of their searches.  In some cases, the 1:1 ratio let students approach assignments independently and from an angle which interested them.  Teachers were able to get a sense of each students' perspective on topics assigned in addition to whether or not they simply knew the facts.  Other times, teachers designed lessons that still required students to produce the one correct answer to questions and that could have been just as easily completed without the computers.

Teachers expressed concerns about student access to inappropriate materials and time wasted on ineffective searching.  Teacher response to these concerns ranged from providing students with a list of suggested websites with which to begin but still encouraging exploration, to forbidding Internet searches and only providing access to certain pre-screened websites.  These are challenges faced by all teachers using the Internet in their classrooms, but in 1:1 classrooms, the challenge is exacerbated by both the presence of so many students needing to be monitored simultaneously, as well as the frequency with which students are accessing materials online.

Drill and Practice

Drill and practice exercises were the second most common use for the laptops in the classes observed.  These exercises generally enhanced the learning environment by increasing the teacher's ability to formatively assess students, provide individualized instruction, provide timely feedback, and improve student engagement.  Teachers, primarily in math and science classes, were observed circulating throughout the room to provide individual instruction to students having difficulty while students performed drill and practice exercises.

The laptops were primarily used to drill students on previously covered material and to assess student comprehension.  Most of the websites used by teachers had 'hint' functions that allowed students to independently solve their own difficulties, and provided visual and audio feedback.

These laptop exercises added value to instruction by freeing the teacher from answering every question, by allowing students to practice to fluency at their own pace, by providing students privacy in their learning that may have encouraged them to ask questions they otherwise would not have, and by allowing teachers to better assess the learning of individual students and the class as a whole.

The 1:1 environment was also seen to support an interactive and social setting for the students.  Students often asked each other for or offered assistance in solving problems.  Teachers reported that this interactive setting increased student engagement and willingness to work.

There were, however, occasions when teachers used drill and practice websites as a reward rather than an opportunity to learn.  There were also instances of students simply using the websites as a way to check their final answers on math problems, working them out on paper beside the computer, and leaving no room for incorporating student work into assessment.

ECommunications video/audio/data online environments

Online environments, such as classroom websites, made up the third most frequent use by teachers and students of the laptops.  The 1:1 environment added value to learning in all areas within this category.

Teachers built websites to communicate items such as assignments, goals, homework, and links.  These websites were also used to publish student work and grades, for turning in assignments, and for general communication.

Some of the communications that took place could have been completed with paper and pencil, however the laptops added value by minimizing wasted time shuffling papers, improving and extending student attention, allowing students to complete activities at their own pace, allowing students to access instructions whenever they needed to, and allowing both students and parents to access materials from home.  Finally, these eCommunications minimized paper waste, saved time, and provided a permanent record of what occurred.

Challenges

Challenges specific to the 1:1 laptop computing environment fall into two categories: classroom management and hardware issues.

Teachers at both sites reported that classroom management had become more difficult.  The computers at times served as a competitive and disruptive distraction.  There were isolated but significant examples of teachers unable to manage their classrooms appropriately in this environment.

Some of the hardware issues encountered were students forgetting to bring their machines to class or not having a machine due to repairs, and uncharged batteries.  There could be instances where students could be 'locked out' of a lesson if there were no extra computers available or well-positioned outlets to charge a battery.

Discussion

According to our observations, the 1:1 laptop environment adds value to education by providing an increased:

• ability to individualize instruction
• formatively assess learning
• capacity for self-guided pacing
• ability to access online resources
• capacity for student interaction and collaboration
• capacity for networked communication and materials management. 

The challenges we observed were:

• unique hardware issues
• potentially distracting video and audio
• the need for effective classroom management
• the possibility of deceased student-teacher interaction (laptops as proxy instructors).

Implications and conclusion 

The mere presence of 1:1 laptops does not automatically add value to learning, however with high quality professional development to address classroom management issues and to learn what instructional and assessment practices, along with curricular resources, work best in this environment, teachers can use the laptops to enhance learning.

Teachers would benefit from the district-level or school-level support for locating and acquiring potential curricular resources and software applications.

Special attention should be paid to help teachers realize how laptops can support assessment-centred learning environments.

While drill and practice software is often considered a low-level use of technology, when every student has a laptop, they have the potential to increase the frequency, quality, and speed of whole class and individual student assessment.

School leadership must implement policies that allow teachers to focus on integration rather than distracting management issues such as charging batteries or preventing students from accessing inappropriate Internet content.  Careful 'what if?' planning must occur prior to implementation.

Policymakers must consider the costs of professional development in addition to the costs of purchasing hardware.  It is unlikely that a laptop program's goals can be reached without the opportunity for teachers and technology specialists to learn about and plan for well-managed uses.

Dunleavy, M., Dextert, S., and Heinecket, W. F. (2007). What added value does a 1:1 student to laptop ratio bring to technology-supported teaching and learning? Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 23. p. 440-452.