Research Report

Study Finds Tablets Improve Middle Schoolers’ Collaboration, Interest

Stone Middle School in Fairfax County.

Stone was chosen for the study because of “the strength of their … technology staff and the interest of the school site administration.”

Many schools are in the midst of major investments in mobile technology with the promise of tablets changing the way students learn. A new study of middle schoolers in Virginia indicates that may be money well spent.

The survey of one middle school in suburban Northern Virginia demonstrates the use of tablets improved the completion of homework, increased interest in the lessons from teachers and changed the learning environment by giving students access to the Internet all of the time.

The survey from the nonprofit Project Tomorrow and the technology firm Kajeet for Education sampled the effects of Android tablet use on 130 8th graders at Stone Middle School in Centreville, Va.

Key Findings

  • When asked, 35% reported being more interested in their teacher’s lesson or activity when they used their tablet.
  • Students with the tablets were almost 50% more likely to communicate with classmates and teachers, and to work on projects with classmates.
  • 29% reported using the Internet at school for learning purposes on a daily basis and an additional 43% indicated going online at least a few days a week.

The report also found that students appreciated the devices because many could not access the web at home due to competition with family members or technology shortcomings. For these students, their tablets became a new tool outside of the classroom as well.

The study was conducted by a firm that sells wireless technologies to school and so it may be expected that many of the findings highlight the positives connected to bringing 1-to-1 technology into the classroom, but still the results are impressive.

Many of the key concerns about theft and damage to these devices did not materialize, but the report did indicate that the teacher development needs to make the most of the technology are significant.

“The process of teacher integration of the devices into their instructional plan is not a straight line. Teachers need time to experiment with the devices and to develop a personal value proposition around how to best leverage these tools within their highly personalized approach to teaching,” the report’s authors concluded, adding that “To fully capitalize on the benefits of the mobile devices, teachers must redesign in many circumstances their lessons and instructional strategies.”