Rationale for a One-To-One Mobile Computing Program
The knowledge-based world in which we live has changed the perspective of what it means to be educated, and information access is the leading culprit behind this change. In years past, those who were deemed "smart" were those with encyclopedic knowledge, having and possessing factual information. Now, however, a shift has occurred, as access to information can literally be only a few keyboard strokes away. Even better, those keyboard strokes can occur in an otherwise isolated and mobile environment, freeing students and professors to learn and problem solve in authentic, context-based settings.
Below are some of the potential benefits of a one-to-one laptop initiative:
1. An Increase in an Authentic, Constructivist Learning Environment
The work of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky established the ground work for Constructivist Learning Theory, an approach to education that holds to the idea that students learn new knowledge by actively constructing meaning out of their academic and authentic experiences (see Piaget, 1952b; Vygotsky, 1978). Since their work, new technologies have emerged that can help to facilitate learning in a real-world, problem-based context. To this end, the work of John Bransford and colleagues emphasizes that engaged learning correlates positively with increased learning (Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2000).
Likewise, the work of Windschitl and Sahl (2002), emphasizes that instructors who have a proclivity toward constructive, student-centered teaching can be more apt to implement such strategies when the environmental context for learning supports such learning strategies. To this end, laptops in the hands of all students can be a meaningful catalyst for establishing such a relevant educational context.
In addition, Lowther, Ross, and Morrison (2003) found relevant results related to one-to-one laptop integration. Their findings showed that student-centered instructional strategies were used more frequently in laptop classes as compared to traditional learning environments (p. 25). Likewise, the results of their work revealed that laptop students performed better than non-laptop using students on a writing test, providing evidence in support of technology as it relates to student achievement (p. 25).
Constructivism and technology work well together, as technology has become a vehicle that enables and supports authentic learning, communication, collaboration, and problem solving
For more information, see:
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R.C. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
John-Steiner, V., & Mann. H. (2003). Sociocultural approaches to teaching and development: A Vygotskian framework. Educational Psychologist, 31(3 & 4), 191-206.
Karpov, Y. V. & Bransford, J. D. (1995). L. S. Vygotsky and the doctrine of empirical and theoretical learning. Educational Psychologist, 30, 61-66.
Lowther, D. L., Ross, S. M. & Morrison, G. M. (2003). When each one has one: The influences on teaching strategies and student achievement of using laptops in the classroom.
Piaget, J. (1952b) The origins of intelligence in children. New York: Basic Books.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. M . Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman (Eds.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Windschitl, M. & Sahl, K. (2002). Tracing teachers' use of technology in a laptop computer school: The interplay of teacher beliefs, social dynamics, and institutional culture. American Educational Research Journal, 39(1), 165-205.
Although labs have been a viable option for providing students with access to computers, students deserve the level of learning that can occur in a one-to-one laptop initiative. Cost has been a leading factor that has previously prevented one-to-one computer use on many university campuses. However, new technologies and partnerships have been able to provide students with more immediate computer access.
Computer labs are becoming an antiquated model of learning, although they have proven valuable as resources for learning (Kulik & Kulik, 2001). Computers are a tool for learning, much in the same way that pens and pencils, as "technologies", can be classified as learning tools. However, most educators would consider it ludicrous to dedicate an entire lab to pen and pencil use, restricting their application to out-of-classroom purposes. Clearly, isolating such learning tools to non-classroom use does not fully support their integration with learning. Now that laptops have become more affordable, direct integration into classroom learning environments has become a more viable option.
For more information, see:
Penuel, W. R. (2006). Implementation and effects of one-to-one computing initiatives: A research synthesis. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38(3).
Kulik, C. L. C., & Kulik, J. A. (1991). Effectiveness of computer based instruction: An updated analysis. Computer in Human Behavior, 7, 75-94.
3. Acquisition of Workforce Related Skills
Today's workforce requires technologically savvy problem solvers, as our graduates will enter a highly competitive, global economy. According to the US Department of Labor, professional jobs, which require skilled workers, will be one of the fastest growing occupational groups in the United States (see http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco2003.htm).
In turn, the preparedness of tomorrow's workforce will be highly dependent on the technology proficiency that is offered by institutions of higher learning (Moursund and Bielefeldt, 1999). A laptop in the hand of every student can provide a valuable context to support such workforce related needs. This idea is supported by the work of Schaumburg (2001), which examined the effects of a laptop use on student's technological literacy. The results of her study indicated that laptop students perform better than non-laptop using students on a test of technological knowledge (e.g., knowledge of productivity tools, Internet skills, etc.).
For more information, see:
Moursund, D. & Bielefeldt, T. (1999). Will new teachers be prepared to teach in a digital age? A national survey on information technology in teacher education. Santa Monica, CA: Miliken Exchange on Education Technology (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 428 072).
Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2008). Available at: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org
Schauburg, H. (2001, June). Fostering girls computer literacy though laptop learning. Paper presented at the National Educational Computing Conference, Chicago, IL.
4. Empowering a Digital Native Audience
Today's students have been referred to as digital natives, as they "are native speakers of technology, fluent in the digital language of computers, video games, and the Internet" (Prensky, 2006). Although all students may not have the technological savvy to create a website, maintain a blog, or produce a wiki, many are communicating with others around the world in ways never before possible. The social networking provided by Facebook, for example, has altered student expectations of communication and collaboration, yet in many arenas, education continues to lag behind and not understand its audience and the relevance of technology to learning. In large part, this is due to the fact that many educators are digital immigrants, not having grown up with digital technologies in the ways that many of our students have.
For more information, see:
Prensky, M. (2006). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63, 8-13. Available online: http://www.ascd.org/authors/ed_lead/el200512_prensky.html
A comparison between digital native and digital immigrants. http://www.apple.com/au/education/digitalkids/disconnect/landscape.html