Schools across the nation are trying to bring more
technology into the classroom by making tablet computers available to each
student. A new study found that while the tablets do help, academic performance
may be better if students share the device.
Northwestern University researcher Courtney Blackwell
studied iPad usage and the academic performance of kindergarten students at
three schools. Students at one school had an iPad for their personal use, the second
school had students sharing 23 units, and a third school didn’t provide the device
at all.
Blackwell found that kids sharing iPads did 28% better
on literacy tests at the end of the year. Kids with their own device improved
by 24% and those who did not have iPads in the classroom improved by 20%.
“I think it’s important to remember that iPads and
technology in general are just one part of the curriculum, with many other
factors playing a role in children’s achievement,” she said in an article in Time magazine. “Technology has always been touted as a potential panacea for
education, but historically it has never changed the U.S. education system on a
large scale. That said, with so many schools integrating one-for-one tablets
and other devices, we need to know how technology is affecting learning to understand
the best way to make tablets and technology most effective for students and
teachers.”
