Overwhelmingly, independent schools are embracing mobile devices — laptops, iPads or other tablets, and smartphones — to enhance teaching and learning. The "NAIS 2012 Mobile Learning Survey" found that 75 percent of NAIS-member schools currently use mobile learning devices in at least some grades, and an additional 12 percent are actively planning to use them. Thirty-five percent of schools use a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model in at least some grades, and a significant number of schools have 1:1 computer programs in at least some grades. Among schools that use mobile learning devices, close to 70 percent use iPads for teaching and learning purposes — although the use of devices varies by grade level.1
With the existence of a digital divide among school-age children nationally, many schools find they need to consider equity and access when implementing mobile device programs. Thirty-five percent of schools that currently use mobile learning devices offer financial aid for these devices to families who receive financial aid for tuition and other school expenses. Of the schools that are actively planning to use mobile learning devices, 43 percent plan to provide financial aid to cover the cost of these devices.
Independent school administrators believe in the transformative potential of mobile learning. The vast majority of respondents to the survey agreed or strongly agreed with the following statements:
• Use of mobile devices such as laptops, iPads/tablets, and smartphones can transform how students learn (90 percent agreed).
• Using mobile devices makes the learning experience more engaging for students (84 percent).
• E-textbooks are creating a paradigm shift in terms of the interaction of teachers and students with learning materials (73 percent).
• Schools have no choice but to adopt mobile devices in their classrooms (62 percent).
While research on mobile learning and K–12 education is a new and emerging area, existing studies of its value show demonstrated increases in student achievement, engagement, motivation, and research skills.2 According to the survey, independent school administrators whose schools have adopted mobile devices rated the following benefits as very or extremely important:
• Enabling collaborative learning and teaching.
• Adapting curricula to make learning interactive and engaging for students.
• Enabling a learning environment in which students act more as "authors" and "doers" and less as passive consumers of educational materials.
• Supporting differentiated instruction.
• Training students to use the types of devices they will be using in the future.
• Equalizing access to the Internet and Web 2.0 tools for students of all economic backgrounds.
• Making the classroom environment more integrated with the ways students use these devices in other parts of their lives.
• Being able to take advantage of new learning materials (e-textbooks, apps, supplementary learning content) that are available for these devices.
• Supporting project-based learning.
• Making learning accessible to students from any location at any time.
• Helping the school present itself as technologically savvy to parents, students, donors, and other stakeholders.
Overall, while survey respondents indicate that they have achieved some of these benefits to date, they identify several areas that offer opportunities for improvement. Independent school administrators view equalizing access to the Internet and Web 2.0 tools, making learning accessible to students from any location at any time, and helping schools present themselves as technologically savvy as strengths of their mobile learning initiatives. Respondents also say that there are opportunities for growth in teaching and learning practices that will help their schools realize the transformative potential of mobile devices.
| Keys to Success4 By Jenni Swanson Voorhees Let pedagogy lead, iPads follow. • Prepare for innovation with evaluation of current practices, imagine ways in which current practices could be strengthened or improved and how iPads could contribute to that improvement. • Set up opportunities for teachers to engage students with iPads early in the planning process, then discuss experiences in the light of current best practices. • Create a culture of thoughtful discussion, experimentation, and evaluation among the teachers and team leaders with high expectations for participation and reflection. Let the planning process serve as a catalyst for clarifying goals and objectives. • Let teachers work as a team to clarify curricular goals and objectives, and develop theories about what could be improved with an innovation such as iPads. • Plan which aspects of curriculum could be strengthened through appropriate apps and alternative ways to experience and express learning. Establish an "app" review process that requires correlation to curricular goals and objectives. • Establish frequent, regular sessions to share and reflect on experiences with the expectation that [teachers] will constantly assess their approach with an eye to continual revision. • Establish a culture of continuous evaluation — set up a framework for feedback and review with scheduled full program evaluations. Create a culture of collaboration and growth among teachers and among students. • Encourage feedback from students, and allow them to try new ways to express learning. Encourage innovation among teachers and students by celebrating discoveries and reflecting on successes. • Engage teachers in professional growth by asking them to reflect on their experiences publicly through Personal Learning Networks (PLNs), blogs, workshops, and school visits. • Constantly question the program, the process, the tools, with the goal of a nimble response to change and the expectation of constant improvement. |
In cases where mobile learning initiatives are successful, survey respondents report pedagogical changes, where the classroom becomes more student-centered and the teacher becomes a coach or guide. In some schools, the use of mobile devices enables teachers to "flip" their classrooms so students view lectures online and class time is free for discussions, one-to-one instruction, and hands-on activities. With mobile learning, educators report, class activities become more interactive, allowing for greater student creativity, project-based learning, differentiated instruction, and collaborative group work. In an ideal class where mobile devices are used, students become active curators and creators of content and knowledge.
In their 2010 article, "Educational Outcomes and Research from 1:1 Computing Settings," Damian Bebell and Laura O'Dwyer, educational researchers at Boston College, compared 1:1 computing studies and found several common factors that lead to successful 1:1 school change efforts.3 While the findings are specific to 1:1 initiatives, they are applicable to other technology-enhanced school change efforts and other types of mobile device initiatives.
According to the report, schools that have the greatest success with 1:1 computer initiatives:
• Look at the use of devices in relation to teaching and learning practices in order to answer the question: "How will the devices enhance teaching and learning?"
• Recognize that the success of their programs depends on teachers, give teachers time to prepare and plan for the implementation, and provide teachers with sustained professional development and support. As a result, teachers are highly motivated to use devices to transform teaching and learning.
• Have strong, ongoing support from school leadership, and with this support, develop community expectations that sustain new pedagogical practices.
Jenni Swanson Voorhees, lower school director of academic technology at Sidwell Friends School (Washington, DC) and chair of the NAIS 21st-Century Curriculum/ Technology Task Force, is in the second year of a 1:1 iPad implementation effort, and has developed Keys to Success for schools engaged in iPad initiatives. Her recommendations on pedagogy, the planning process, and community building provide sound advice for educators involved in mobile learning programs (see sidebar on page 18).
The convergent rise of mobile devices, mobile apps, online learning, Web 2.0 tools, and new learning management and content-authoring platforms is driving major paradigm shifts in how we teach and learn. To navigate this sea change successfully, schools need to focus on how these developments can enhance teaching and learning. Schools that provide solid leadership for new educational practices and engage teachers, students, and the community in setting new expectations for learning will thrive in this changing landscape.
Notes
1. For detailed findings on the use of laptops, tablets, and smartphones by grade level, NAIS members can view the full survey report at www.nais.org.2. Damian Bebell and Laura O'Dwyer, "Educational Outcomes and Research from 1:1 Computing Settings," Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, January 2010; online at http://escholarship.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/jtla/article/viewFile/1606/1463.
3. Bebell and O'Dwyer, "Education Outcomes."
4. Jennifer Swanson Voorhees, "iPads in the Classroom: Are We Getting Results? Keys to Success," February 24, 2012; online at https://sites.google.com/a/sidwell.edu/workshops/ipads-in-the-classroom-are-we-getting-results.
| Action Steps • Engage teachers in the development, implementation, feedback, and assessment processes for new devices. Give teachers adequate time and support to look at curriculum and how the devices can be used to enhance learning. • Engage your community in feedback about mobile learning. Build community expectations for your program that support pedagogical shifts. • When considering the use of new devices, survey families and/ or students to find out what types of devices your students have access to. • Conduct a readiness assessment when planning for new devices or to improve your existing program. Look at areas such as decision making, communication, program development, infrastructure, and support. |