By Anna Kårhammar, E&T
School children who use a tablet computer benefit the most when allowed to take it home, rather than just using it in school, reveals research from the University of Hull. The iPad Scotland Evaluation Study set out to establish the impact of handheld computer tablet devices in schools, and found that personal ‘ownership’ of such devices is the single most important factor for successful use of the technology. The study is the largest of its kind ever conducted within the UK, covering students from eight schools across six Scottish Local Authorities over a six-month period. “We saw very early on that the biggest impact came from personal ownership of the computer, and being able to take it home,” said Kevin Burden, principal investigator on the research project. The research focused on four central themes in order to evaluate the overall effectiveness of these devices in assisting with learning, and was carried out by researchers from the Technology Enhanced Learning Research group at the Faculty of Education at the University. The first theme – how tablet devices impact on teaching and learning generally – found that benefits included greater motivation, engagement, parental involvement and understanding of complex ideas.
http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2012/nov/scottish-schools.cfm
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