What does a one-to-one laptop environment look like?

Well ... what does a one-to-one laptop classroom environment ‘look’ like? And, how can we support teachers facing this reality?

What do we know from the numerous one-to-one computing initiatives that have been running in the US since 1994?

Here is a selection of some readings to give you a sense of where the thinking currently lies:

· Implementation and effects of one-to-one computing initiatives: a research synthesis – this paper synthesises findings from a number of studies into the impact of one-to-one laptop initiatives. Students in these programs often improve their technology literacy and skills in the use of word processing tools (explains the other studies that find that students length and quality of writing improves). It isn’t clear yet as to the effects of student attainment. We probably need to be very clear about the goals of the implementation and methods to monitor the effects to get really good data about this. This paper does provide some ‘pieces of the jigsaw’ and as usual, there is a need for more research!

· Fostering girls’ computer literacy through laptop learning – can mobile computers help to level out gender difference? – this study found that students using laptops outperformed those from non-laptop classes having a significant effect on students computer literacy – in particular, their knowledge about hardware and software, and the use of the internet for retrieval of information and for communication. There was no difference found between girls and boys. Why? No doubt more research into impact of self-confidence for girls

· Teachers learning to use technology within the context of a laptop learning initiative: the interplay of personal histories, social dynamics an institutional culture – this paper outlines the challenges for a teacher facing the prospect of a laptop program: developing a working technological literacy, understand how computers can facilitate curriculum, managing the classroom environment and imagining how these tools can transform the teaching and learning environment. Quite an interesting discussion around how influences of socio-cultural factors impact on teachers participation in laptop programs.

· Anytime, anywhere learning final evaluation report of the laptop program: year 3 – this is the final report on the implementation of a laptop program in Michigan. They found that students increased their use of computers as learning tools, they improved their ICT skills and computer work became meaningfully integrated into curriculum. Also their findings suggest improved writing and problem-solving skills.

· The laptops are coming! The laptops are coming! – this is a short article by a teacher who reflects on what she has learnt after one year in a laptop program. She provides an interesting list of questions that she would have liked to have asked at the start.

Using the web's connectivity potential

Are you creating documents with several contributers? Do you find that you have a problem with version control? Try Google docs - you have only one version and you can invite as many people as you like to contribute. This short video by Common craft shows you how.

The latest video to be doing the conference rounds is on by Professor Michael Wesch. It is a four-minute guide to web 2.0 (a term which is fast losing its currency, like cloud computing - these terms are becoming meaningless). However, it is a good visual of some of the potential of the web environment.

Have you visited slideshare.net? People post their slideshow presentations no audio but even so some very interesting (and also very strange! but that's the web) stuff. George Siemens has posted some thought provoking presentations, e.g. Rethinking teacher: networks and social connections.

Social media and literacies

What does a social media classroom look like? a collaboratory?

An eight-minute video created by Howard Rheingold gives us a glimpse of the affordances of an integrated environment incorporating social media tools like Delicious, Twitter, blogs, Flickr and wikis. Howard tells us know to worry about keepng up with technologies, it is better to try and keep up with the literacies and pedagogies that technologies can provide.



Are you really reading when you go online?

This NY Times article explores the debate about the effects of ICT on reading in the digital age. Many children are engaged in reading fragmented, non-linear and somewhat variable quality of online text. Will this lower literacy levels? As usual this is a complex issue with no easy answers.



The one-to-one computer experiment

In Birmingham, Alabama some school students have been given the green and white XO laptop as a pilot of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative. Will this program work? e-school news reports as educators in the US look on.

What about videoconferencing ...

The NSWDET Connected Classrooms Program Bulletin No. 3 listed ideas from students about who they would like to talk to via videoconferencing:

• Other Student Representative Councils
• HSC experts including past students
• Experts in English
• Authors
• Successful business people
• Political figures
• WWII survivors
• Music teachers
• Native speakers of languages other than English (students also would like to talk to students in schools overseas).

How interesting! Now what does the research suggest about the impact of videoconferencing in the classroom and the factors associated with effective use.

• The evaluation report for the UK’s DfES Videoconferencing in the classroom project (.pdf) suggests there is clear evidence of the educational potential of videoconferencing and identified a number of factors associated with effective use (e.g. support from senior staff, careful preparation and planning, robust technical support, links to relevant events and curriculum support). No surprises here!

So, what are we doing in Australia?

• DET: Western Australia
• DECS: South Australia

In NSW, we are supporting schools via TaLe with information and examples of why, when and how to use videoconferencing (TaLe links can only be accessed through the Department of Education and Training portal).

Students are expert multitaskers - reality or myth?

Multitasking: Do we need to deeply engage in everything or maybe not everything is that important that it requires our undivided attention! Perhaps we can afford to partially attend to a few things at once? Or is there a serious outbreak of distracted students who cannot concentrate and focus, who have a disturbingly short attention span? Read on ...

• Stoooopid ... why the Google generation isn’t as smart as it thinks in the Times Online is an interesting article that may all be ‘moral panic’ about the loss of the ‘skills of concentration’ and the horror of our distracted students but it certainly is thought provoking. What is the potential of our students being distracted by the use of laptops with wireless internet connections during lessons? How can this sort of classroom be managed for effective learning?
  
• The Atlantic.com published the provocative article, Is Google making us stupid? Do we risk becoming ‘pancake people’ spread wide and thin as we rely on the web to fill us up with content and forget about deep thinking? This is indeed a most interesting (and I daresay controversial) account of how the internet has affected our concentration and the way we think. I must admit to being sceptical about this missive but it sure makes a good read (i.e. if deep reading hasn’t become a struggle for you!).
  
• Some research (published as The laptop and the lecture: the effects of multitasking in learning environments ) by Helene Hembrooke and Geri Gay at Cornell University confirm the well-established research findings on the negative effects of multitasking on performance where one group was allowed to browse, search and engage in social networking using their laptops throughout a lecture then tested immediately after. Interesting findings when further analysis was done on the laptop group.
  
• Information behaviour of the researcher of the future reports the findings of a study commissioned by the British Library and JISC to identify how young people (the so-called Google generation) access and interact with digital resources. This report includes a discussion on the myths and realities of the Google generation, skills gaps and the implications and challenges.
  
  
  Certainly some interesting ideas ...

Learning with digital technology

What does the research say about the education benefits of learning with digital technology? Well quite a lot - and not much!

• Kathryn Moyle and Susanne Owen (University of Canberra) have put together a very readable literature review: Students' voices: Learning with technology (2008) which describes some of the research on students' expectations about learning with technologies. It gives us a great insight into students access to computers, the applications students use and their proficiency with ICT tasks. It notes that there is a limited amount of Australian research and little research which looks at deeper levels of student learning with digital technologies.
• The Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment (Boston College) published the article (2005), Learning with technology: the impact of laptop use on students achievement - great title! This is certainly something we would like to know. This study reports that students scored significantly higher test scores and grades in writing (greater length and higher quality), English and mathematics when immersed in a laptop program. These results were probably positively influenced by the teachers that volunteered for the program. However there are some interesting observations made that make this worth reading.
• Cisco Systems commissioned a literature review on emergent findings on technology use in schools by the Metiri Group, Technology in schools: What the research says (2006). They make the opening comment that although after three decades of computers in schools, their use remains controversial (interesting!). A range of types of technologies are examined: TV, radio, calculators, interactive whiteboards, quick-response systems, portable ICT devices, virtual learning, computing laboratories and 1:1 ratio of computers to students (this is the only section I have read to date). The trends and research (both descriptive and rigorous) is examined in relation to knowledge and skills, content expertise, information processing and visualisation, higher-order thinking and sound reasoning and authentic learning experiences. A great starting point for some further reading.

Digital Education Revolution

One-to-one computer initiatives are not new - there are a large number of programs worldwide designed to make laptops available to all students in schools.

Digital Education Revolution: the aim of this program is to provide world class education to prepare students for life beyond schools by equipping them with the skills for life, work and study in an increasingly digital world.

• There are 896 schools benefiting from Round one funding - of these there are 302 NSW government schools (48% of the total funding) These schools are listed on the website
• A total of 116 820 computers will be provided in Round one

So, what's happening overseas? Do laptops impact on learning? What professional learning support needs to be provided? Here are some readings to get you started:

• Miracle or menace (Educause quarterly no. 3 2004) This article outlines the limitations but focuses on strategies to bring learning to life in the laptops classrooms and describes the challenges for teachers in looking at curriculum in a new, fresh and innovative way
• Implementation and effects of one-to-one computing initiatives This paper is a synthesis of research about the effectiveness of these programs. It provides some interesting findings about the use of computers by students, teacher beliefs and the effectiveness of professional learning programs.
• Laptops for learning This report on a taskforce for the implementation of laptops in Maine, US describes guiding principles for bridging the digital divide, teaching 21st century skills, reforming teaching methods, providing effective professional development, using laptops for formative assessment, multimedia tools and benefits.