Implementing Ipads into K-12 Classrooms: A Case Study
Abstract: The assumption of a positive impact on student learning has led to an exponential use of technology in education (Ross, Morrison, & Lowther, 2010), but do we understand enough about the impact of such tools as iPads with their extensive libraries of applications and how to use them to foster student learning or do these devices represent the bells and whistles of the next doomed reform (Matthews, 2009)? This case study investigates one small city district’s attempt to introduce iPads into elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. The following constructs were measured to investigate the educational potential of handheld devices and to document the technological uptake in k-12: (a) teacher sense of efficacy in facilitating use of technology to guide student ownership of cognitive development; (b) student engagement in instructional activities; (c) student motivation for completion of assigned projects; and (d) organizational context (e.g., principal support, resources, etc.).
Presider: Lara Ervin, University of San Francisco