What Added Value Does a 1:1 Student to Laptop Ratio Bring to Technology-Supported Teaching and Learning?

TLDR: Results indicated that online research, productivity tools, drill and practice, and eCommunications were the most frequent uses of computers in the 1:1 classroom, and the 1%:1 classroom provided potentially transformative added value while simultaneously presenting unique management challenges to the teacher.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to document typical use and configuration of 1:1 computing in twoschoolsfocusingontheaddedvalueanduniquechallengestheseusespresent.Aqualitative casestudydesignwasusedintwomiddleschools(sixth,seventhandeighthgrade)inthesoutheastern United States purposefully selected for their 1:1 computing programmes. Data were collected through formal and informal interviews, direct observations and site documents. Results indicated that online research, productivity tools, drill and practice, and eCommunications were the most frequent uses of computers in the 1:1 classroom. Moreover, the 1:1 classroom provided potentially transformative added value to these uses while simultaneously presenting unique management challenges to the teacher. In addition, the presence of 1:1 laptops did not automatically add value and their high financial costs underscore the need to provide teachers with high-quality professional development to ensure effective teaching. In order to create effective learning environments, teachers need opportunities to learn what instruction and assessment practices, curricular resources and classroom management skills work best in a 1:1 student to networked laptop classroom setting. Finally, researchers documentedwidevariationinfidelityto1:1computing,whichsuggeststheneedforfurtherresearch exploring the conditions under which this variation exists.