Different Ways Students Use Technology

This two‐year, mixed methods study with surveys, observations, and interviews, documented student technology use and skill before and after the implementation of a new one‐to‐one tablet computing program at a private middle school in the United States. Results showed that after one year with tablets, several differences in students' technology use and skill were documented, including: higher satisfaction with school technology, greater frequency of technology use in specific subjects such as math and science, greater frequency of certain classroom activities such as two‐way communicating, and greater technology skills on competencies such as editing collaborative wikis. New modes of student collaboration were evident after implementing the tablet program, including sharing notes and co‐editing wikis. Differences were inconsistent across grade levels and subjects, suggesting teachers are adopting the tablet innovation differentially. In general, technology use increased most in math, science, and social studies classrooms, with smaller increases in language arts and foreign language classrooms.

Oliver, K. M., & Corn, J. O. (2008). Student‐reported differences in technology use and skills after the implementation of one‐to‐one computing. Educational Media International, 45(3), 215-229. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09523980802284333?scroll=top&needAccess=true