A new collection of research suggests that one computer per student leads to better performance.
Class performance can be improved, a new collection of research suggests, if each student uses a computer.
The findings of the studies, published by Boston College's Lynch School of Education, have appeared in a special issue of the Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment.The journal's January 2010 edition presents the first-ever collection of peer-reviewed research articles that investigate the effects of providing every teacher and student their own laptops in school or what is know as "1:1 computing."
Laura M. O'Dwyer, Boston College Assistant Professor of Education and a co-editor of the journal said: "This new collection of articles brings together some of the best evidence to date on the implementation and impacts of 1:1 computing."
Co-editor and Lynch School researcher Damian Bebell said: "One of the most salient findings was the critical role that teachers played in the success of each 1:1 program."
Having a strong commitment from school leadership, developing reliable and encouraging administrative policies and creating professional development opportunities for teachers, particularly the sharing of best practices, were other factors for the success of students using 1:1 technology.
All the studies, which analysed the effect of 1:1 computing on students' performance, discovered that students in the 1:1 settings outperformed their traditional classroom peers on English/Language Arts standardized tests by a statistically noticeable margin.
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