tag:theconversation.com,2011:/africa/topics/one-laptop-per-child-17773/articlesOne laptop per child – The Conversation2018-03-19T16:01:14Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/933052018-03-19T16:01:14Z2018-03-19T16:01:14ZHow kids in a low-income country use laptops: lessons from Madagascar<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210317/original/file-20180314-113462-1kgcrn1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A Malagasy girl works on her laptop.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">http://www.nosykombaproject.org/gallerie-photos/</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every child, no matter what country they’re from or their social background, should have the chance to use and learn about technology. That’s the thinking behind a number of projects led by international organisations like <a href="https://en.unesco.org/themes/ict-education">UNESCO</a> and UNICEF. They hope to bolster education and economic growth by making digital technologies available in the developing world. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://one.laptop.org/">One Laptop Per Child project</a> was a pioneer in this field. This educational project, launched by the MIT in 2005, produces <a href="http://laptop.org/en/laptop/">laptop computers</a> suitable for children aged between 6 and 12. These are loaded with an operating system that features free educational software called <a href="https://sugarlabs.org/">Sugar</a>. The programme has been rolled out at schools in more than 30 countries. </p>
<p>The project aims to equip all primary school children and all teachers with computers in a way that involves communities and that ensures everyone feels a sense of responsibility for the equipment. For example, kids aged six to 12 own their computers and can take them home to use.</p>
<p>Research <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0034654316628645">shows</a> that using technology in school makes children more engaged with learning. We wanted to know how children in low-income countries use laptops in their everyday lives; in school and after class. To find out, we embarked <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/cv4y7UqYqzxcWtcNAuEe/full">on a study</a> in a village in Madagascar four years after the project was launched there. </p>
<p>Our results show that the use of computers in low-income countries supports formal and informal learning activities at home. It provides easy access to information, educational games and tools for self-expression. </p>
<h2>Use at school</h2>
<p><a href="http://datatopics.worldbank.org/education/country/madagascar">Madagascar</a>, an island nation off Africa’s southeast coast, is extremely poor: 75% of the population (25 million) live below the poverty line, and the country scores low on the <a href="http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-index-hdi">human development index</a>, performing poorly in areas like education and living standards.</p>
<p>The study was conducted in a village located on the island of Nosy Komba, in the northeast of the country. Laptops are seen among residents there as high status objects because they cost a lot of money. None of the parents we interviewed could afford to buy one. They also have a high symbolic value: parents believe that if their children can master laptop use they will become more intelligent and develop professional skills.</p>
<p>A programme was rolled out in the village by <a href="https://olpc-france.org/">One Laptop Per Child France</a> and another French organisation, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GducoeurESGMS">Gducœur</a>. They supplied laptops and provided technical, logistical, administrative, financial and educational support. The laptops were given to 160 children aged between 5 and 15 enrolled in the village’s primary school.</p>
<p>Our analysis was both quantitative and a qualitative. We examined logs that showed which applications the children had used on their laptops during the previous 12 months; we analysed what they’d produced – for instance, recorded files. And we interviewed the children and their parents.</p>
<p>The results showed that the laptops were used very differently at school and in the children’s homes. At school, computers were generally used to learn about word processing, to play educational games and to support creative activities (drawing, digital story telling). Computers were also used as a virtual learning environment that offered a range of resources unavailable in the classroom like calculators, ebooks, maps, a watch, measuring tools and so on.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210319/original/file-20180314-113482-or0fvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210319/original/file-20180314-113482-or0fvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210319/original/file-20180314-113482-or0fvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210319/original/file-20180314-113482-or0fvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210319/original/file-20180314-113482-or0fvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210319/original/file-20180314-113482-or0fvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210319/original/file-20180314-113482-or0fvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210319/original/file-20180314-113482-or0fvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A teacher at work with his class in the Nosy Komba primary school.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">http://www.nosykombaproject.org/gallerie-photos/</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At home the children, like their peers in developed countries, largely used computers to take photos or make videos, listen to music, play games, share content and do homework. The younger children tended to use fewer reading and writing applications. Those in the equivalent of fourth and fifth grade used more digital books; they also shared images and videos more frequently with their friends.</p>
<h2>Similarities and differences</h2>
<p>Our findings suggest that developing countries like Madagascar have something in common with western nations when it comes to laptop use, such as how the children used the computers at home. </p>
<p>But there was one marked difference: computer use in Madagascar tended to be a collective rather than an individual practice. Children and their families would gather around one laptop to play educational games, take photos or make videos. Computers were being used to strengthen existing social relations among siblings, parents and peers. </p>
<p>All of this is important and valuable. Laptops have introduced the children of Nosy Komba to previously inaccessible tools. But we found that original projects were limited. While applications used were designed to foster creativity, children need support to develop creativity skills. </p>
<p>Educators have a crucial role to play here. They can help to nurture children’s creativity: the can help them to connect their lived experience and to express their imagination to produce original content. This will unlock new forms of expression and different kinds of literacy, including visual.</p>
<p><em>This article was co-authored with Pierre Varly, an international consultant in quantitative methods in education. He runs <a href="https://varlyproject.wordpress.com/">a blog</a> on education in developing countries.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93305/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This work was supported by grants from the Paris Region (program PICRI, région Ile de France).
We thank the associations we work, it works and Gducoeur, that hosted us in the village and gave us access to the project. The quantitative data were collected with the support of OLPC France members and analyzed by VarlyProject in collaboration with Abdallah Abarda (statistician). </span></em></p>Laptops have introduced the children of Nosy Komba in Madagascar to previously inaccessible tools.Sandra Nogry, Professeure associée en Psychologie de l'éducation, CY Cergy Paris UniversitéLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/709012017-01-25T00:02:24Z2017-01-25T00:02:24ZIt’s true, internet surfing during class is not so good for grades<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152734/original/image-20170114-11834-1xp0kab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Should laptops be used during class?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/catalystopensource/23887038194/in/photolist-CoPjf7-BujNYV-qR4AHy-GaZRJy-EkcBtK-AMAF77-FkvwEg-AMB23E-skAyBj-F8wDkc-Ekdvx4-ATeS9u-tTY5T7-drspwe-cEJnWs-cEJrdJ-P3cW8-P2Gsy-egDAjA-CWQjeE-drsqbZ-drsjsx-P2GqW-drsk1z-drsiUg-P2Gs1-43YU9U-43YUef-cEJjL1-drsB7q-cEJ6FG-cEJpCY-rfX2Xw-bzyULm-ibPN36-jfB2a2-hVL1YU-drsCcj-fuGmBy-ehBnRE-drsBxq-bx1jyp-cEJ1Zs-5uegbU-7Hkj6f-bx1skR-9FUKfq-8yksB8-fvT5PN-dn7w9M">Catalyst Open Source</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many universities <a href="https://tech.msu.edu/about/guidelines-policies/computer-requiremen">encourage students to purchase</a> laptops that they can bring to class. Charities like <a href="http://one.laptop.org/">One Laptop per Child</a> provide low-cost laptops to disadvantaged students.</p>
<p>There is no doubt that having a desktop computer or laptop in school is useful for writing papers, gathering information and learning how to program and use software.</p>
<p>But, as would seem obvious, surfing the internet during class – and connecting with friends, shopping or streaming movies – could also prove to be a source of distraction and hinder learning. </p>
<p>I am an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University. Over the past few years, I have noticed an increasing number of students who bring laptops to class. </p>
<p>So, I decided to use my research expertise in memory and attention to investigate: How do students use their laptop in class? How does it relate to their learning of class material?</p>
<p>Here’s what I found. </p>
<h2>Multitasking in the classroom</h2>
<p>Certainly, there have always been distractions in the classroom. Less high-tech distractions such as passing notes, doodling or reading the newspaper can be easily noticed. Even smartphone use is easy to tell, as there is a downward lap gaze.</p>
<p>In contrast, it is difficult to tell what students are doing on a laptop.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152735/original/image-20170114-11837-8kt691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152735/original/image-20170114-11837-8kt691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152735/original/image-20170114-11837-8kt691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152735/original/image-20170114-11837-8kt691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152735/original/image-20170114-11837-8kt691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152735/original/image-20170114-11837-8kt691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152735/original/image-20170114-11837-8kt691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It is difficult to tell what students are doing on a laptop.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tostie14/93871481/in/photolist-9i7HP-79iEnu-5ur4p5-8BgNuK-8BgMpe-8amxUP-8apNJd-8apMNL-8BjTKw-3VCRgx-6eyxRH-rKi8G-afLB4o-8amxNe-2sqzdG-8apNCd-8amyyg-8amxCT-8amyfi-6kHo2J-8BjSzb-dYKMHp-bDoRd-dyhKpP-5wTW-8BjTPG-tfLWf-4BLDNn-8xdksf-7VFqFk-cWcyXh-7ThPTV-8DAsW-8amwNz-6eCFVb-JrAdC-bdu5z-6QvMwA-bBe6pr-WjL8-5sHXE4-bBe6gR-bqJJDz-rz82Ve-7w39DA-bojcEJ-5kLSKa-6df119-6AeZDz-6TVfCg">Kevin Tostado/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Indeed, studies have shown that laptops are a source of distraction in the classroom – not only for the student themselves, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131512002254">but also for those sitting near</a>. Even if a students did not bring a laptop to class, the laptop screen of other students could be a source of distraction for those sitting in near proximity. </p>
<p>However, it is legitimate to ask: Could surfing the internet for academic reasons lead to better learning? Are some students smart enough to multitask in class?</p>
<p>We sought to answer these questions, among others, in a <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797616677314">recent study</a> in which we tracked internet use in a large introductory psychology course. </p>
<h2>Our classroom internet study</h2>
<p>For our study, we used a proxy server to track internet use. Out of a class of 507 students, 127 agreed to participate. The proxy server recorded all internet requests that students made during class so that we would know what websites students were visiting and not have to rely on their memory. Not all the participants remembered to log in to the proxy server. So, we ended up with 84 students who logged into the internet regularly.</p>
<p>We were surprised by how much these students used the internet for nonacademic purposes. On average, over a third of the class time was spent on the internet in activities not related to the class.</p>
<p>We then calculated each student’s internet use and compared it to their final exam grade. We found that students who surfed the internet more during class were also more likely to have lower scores on the final exam. </p>
<p>To make sure that this relationship between internet use and exam scores wasn’t related to students’ lack of interest in the class, motivation or intelligence, we conducted some further analyses. </p>
<p>Interest, motivation and intelligence are big predictors of exam scores – the largest being intelligence. We measured intelligence by gathering students’ ACT scores that were used for college admission, as they are <a href="http://www.iapsych.com/iqmr/koening2008.pdf">highly related to intelligence</a>. </p>
<p>As can be expected, our results show students’ class time surfing the internet for nonacademic purposes is related to lower grades. This is so even after accounting for all these other factors. If one imagines a pie chart representing all the reasons that students do well or poorly on the final exam, internet use would explain about 5 percent of performance. </p>
<h2>Benefits of browsing?</h2>
<p>What if students used the internet in class to browse academic material related to the class? Would it be beneficial to their grades? </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152736/original/image-20170114-11831-xo3lw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/152736/original/image-20170114-11831-xo3lw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152736/original/image-20170114-11831-xo3lw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152736/original/image-20170114-11831-xo3lw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152736/original/image-20170114-11831-xo3lw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152736/original/image-20170114-11831-xo3lw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/152736/original/image-20170114-11831-xo3lw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Are students distracted even when surfing class-related materials?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanfordedtech/6468101599/in/photolist-ig4cJU-rnict-7BSB9i-8AXrkv-aRyFwT-cbe81W-6pfqFy-aRyE8e-9VnPuJ-aRyFki-bA4aJu-aRyGRk-afJ6vz-4vLwLk-aRyETa-4awaKc-7GJRQc-ig4tyP-4yiwBV-9VjYzX-9VjZb4-GAiEXN-xhSvR-nLZc7-aRyJgT-8dcya2-aRyK6p-bA4ayA-aRyGFi-4UTQnq-c9t5w5-aRyHrz-3fZfrw-aRyHWi-aRyHAk-aJsFwt-4yixE6-9Preuz-bmLZBU-7gpSJi-aRyDZ4-aRyF3r-aRyHg6-6cb6Uf-aRyH4p-agDd5h-bNXPBV-7gpSbr-gSMK3-ne1uL">EdTech Stanford University School of Medicine Follow</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some students browsed the class website and searched for materials being discussed in the classroom on Wikipedia. For example, some students searched for more information about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_conditioning">classical conditioning</a>, a learning procedure taught in psychology. We wanted to see whether this type of internet browsing would be beneficial for exam scores. </p>
<p>We found even when internet browsing was about such academic content, it was not associated with higher exam scores. In other words, even when students were browsing for class-related information, there was no related benefit to the final exam. </p>
<h2>It’s way too tempting for students</h2>
<p>Nonacademic internet use predicted lower exam scores, and this was so regardless of motivation, interest or intelligence. In other words, these factors did not explain why students surfed the internet during class. </p>
<p>When a laptop is being used to take notes or download class slides, it may become tempting to check email, catch up on homework for another class or see who won the game the night before. </p>
<p>In fact, avoiding nonacademic internet use might require a great deal of behavioral control. A recent study found people who had a greater tendency for impulsive behaviors <a href="http://www.cla.temple.edu/tunl/publications/documents/Wilmer2016.pdf">engaged more heavily with mobile devices</a>. The ability to avoid the temptation for a 100-minute class could tax the abilities of many students. </p>
<p>There are other other downsides as well of laptop use in class: Taking notes on a computer has even been shown to be less effective for learning <a href="https://sites.udel.edu/victorp/files/2010/11/Psychological-Science-2014-Mueller-0956797614524581-1u0h0yu.pdf">than writing them by hand</a>. Researchers have found that writing notes by hand forces students to think more deeply about the material because they have to paraphrase what has been said. Students are more likely to type information verbatim when they use a laptop. </p>
<p>In classes with no computer-based assignments, how about asking students to leave their laptops behind when they come to class?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/70901/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Ravizza receives funding from the National Science Foundation. </span></em></p>Laptops in class are distracting – even for the most motivated students.Susan Ravizza, Associate Professor of Psychology, Michigan State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/586962016-06-17T01:23:09Z2016-06-17T01:23:09ZWhy schools should provide one laptop per child<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126974/original/image-20160616-15104-zn8n2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Does technology help with learning?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/knightfoundation/6771620575/in/photolist-bjojST-rQUau-bjoiSH-AnsKK-22BJWe-bjoiXk-CXnth-5iz7Be-22Gb5f-bjoi8c-bjoiKt-5MA7U9-M2QaK-xWhj3-2GKH7h-CXnsN-485oq3-CXnty-e2QMHQ-22Gc5m-zqH3j-7644Ze-2ogD4v-eUq2p-dnKZpD-Ympxy-bHVxdv-2AbGoN-5Cw2TL-rQU5Q-22BLAF-icSNMP-zqHE9-22BMev-22BKkx-2GCySb-76ttpa-gC59F-3dmBqN-76xpcj-3dhdwr-4ALkWx-3dhdcr-8GmvbX-nDi6kC-6naKtj-9Z2i1Q-77xcGL-55iN2w-2x1zPG">John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Follow</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A recent international study by the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/unitedstates/">Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development</a> found <a href="http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/education/students-computers-and-learning_9789264239555-en#page3">no positive evidence</a> of impact of educational technology on student performance. </p>
<p>It did not find any significant improvement in reading, math or science in countries that heavily invested in technology to improve student achievement. In fact, the report found that technology perhaps <a href="http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/education/students-computers-and-learning_9789264239555-en#page3">even widened the achievement gaps</a>. </p>
<p>Does this mean we should abandon attempts to integrate technology in schools?</p>
<p>We are researchers of technology and learning in K-12 environments, and our research suggests this would be shortsighted. </p>
<h2>Impact of one-to-one laptop programs</h2>
<p>For the last 10 years, our research team has been investigating what are called <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Never_Mind_the_Laptops.html?id=RE6k6LA8HhoC">“one-to-one” programs</a>, where all the students in a classroom, grade, school or district are provided laptop computers for use throughout the school day, and often at home, in different school districts across the United States. </p>
<p>The largest one-to-one laptop program in the world is <a href="http://laptop.org/en/index.shtml">OLPC (One Laptop per Child)</a>, which mainly targets developing countries, with the mission “to create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children.” In the United States, the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) <a href="http://www.maine.gov/mlti/">launched a one-to-one laptop initiative</a> in fall 2002, which made Maine the first state to use technology to transform teaching and learning in classrooms statewide. Later, these programs were extended to other school districts as well.</p>
<p>In addition to our own extensive observations, <a href="http://rer.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/02/03/0034654316628645.abstract">we conducted a synthesis</a> of the results of 96 published global studies on these programs in K-12 schools during 2001-2015. Among them, 10 rigorously designed studies, mostly from the U.S., were included, to examine the relationship between these programs and academic achievement. We found significant benefits.</p>
<p>We found students’ test scores in science, writing, math and English language arts improved significantly.</p>
<p>And the benefits were not limited to test scores. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126975/original/image-20160616-15117-4jizin.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126975/original/image-20160616-15117-4jizin.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126975/original/image-20160616-15117-4jizin.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126975/original/image-20160616-15117-4jizin.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126975/original/image-20160616-15117-4jizin.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126975/original/image-20160616-15117-4jizin.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126975/original/image-20160616-15117-4jizin.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Laptop use led to significant benefits for students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_and_selena/5051157647/in/photolist-8GmvbX-nDi6kC-6naKtj-9Z2i1Q-77xcGL-55iN2w-2x1zPG-7aa6qg-8yksB8-9TGhB4-uxAmo-7SeMmq-fvT5PN-4pdjuj-8PCwt2-4pdj9A-4S2cNf-GP4sT4-4pdk3b-4pdiNG-9mfBYn-7Gx3uV-76xmB5-4Xtgen-An4wL-5w9RHP-4jzErz-5GdYyo-4YzJf3-vL4ZQ-Dngoj-xWhgq-Ympxo-2wWc4i-4etwWW-4pdd9N-BGfRG-6hNoKN-8ikuj9-4p9grc-J6x6D-4vyc9E-2x1AuS-J6x5p-22GbqA-3EBBoN-9R2S7-wpeZz-45QUR1-CXnv9">Tim & Selena Middleton</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We found students with laptops wrote more frequently across a wider variety of genres. They also received more feedback on their writing. In addition, we found they edited and revised their papers more often, drew on a wider range of resources to write, and published or shared their work with others more often. </p>
<p>Student surveys, teacher interviews and classroom observations in these studies revealed that students with access to laptops worked more autonomously and gained experience in project-based learning. This allowed them to synthesize and critically apply knowledge. </p>
<p>For example, researcher <a href="http://www.education.udel.edu/chrystallamouza/faculty-bio/chrystalla-mouza-biography/">Chrystalla Mouza</a> found that elementary school students with access to laptops <a href="http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ826086">were able to create</a> electronic storybooks and publish reports in language arts classrooms.</p>
<p>One-to-one laptop programs also enhanced students’ 21st-century skills – skills needed in an information age – such as the ability to locate and use internet resources. Students also improved their collaborative learning skills – that is, they were more capable of working collaboratively with others.</p>
<p>Research led by <a href="https://umwa.memphis.edu/fcv/viewprofile.php?uuid=dlowther">Deborah L. Lowther</a> at University of Memphis found that when students were given a problem and related answer to consider, students with laptops <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02504551#page-1">exhibited higher problem-solving skills</a> than those in the comparison group. </p>
<p>A closer look at the OECD report also reveals that students in the United States <a href="http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/education/students-computers-and-learning_9789264239555-en#page3">performed particularly well</a> on technology-based tasks such as online navigation, digital reading and using computers to solve math problems.</p>
<h2>Can laptop use reduce educational gap?</h2>
<p>However, our study did not find firm evidence on whether these one-to-one laptop programs helped lessen the academic gap between academically advantaged and disadvantaged students. </p>
<p>Earlier studies have found that laptop programs <a href="http://dlib.bc.edu/islandora/object/bc-ir:101385/datastream/PDF/view">could help shorten</a> the achievement gap between low-income students and their peers. We did not find such positive evidence in all programs. </p>
<p>One possible explanation is that difficulty in using technology sometimes places an extra load on already challenged students. In contrast, wealthier students are usually more tech-savvy so they can maximize the benefits of using computers to support learning. </p>
<h2>Not all laptop programs are effective</h2>
<p>One issue here is that not all programs are successful. In our study, although most programs were successful, there were some stark failures as well.</p>
<p>These tended to be in school districts that treated computers like magical devices that would solve educational problems merely through their distribution, without sufficient planning on how they could best be deployed to improve learning. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126977/original/image-20160616-15092-kaso6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126977/original/image-20160616-15092-kaso6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126977/original/image-20160616-15092-kaso6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126977/original/image-20160616-15092-kaso6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126977/original/image-20160616-15092-kaso6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126977/original/image-20160616-15092-kaso6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126977/original/image-20160616-15092-kaso6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some schools phased out their laptop program. Mere access to a computer does not improve learning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&language=en&ref_site=photo&search_source=search_form&version=llv1&anyorall=all&safesearch=1&use_local_boost=1&autocomplete_id=ipifccuth0o8ngej90&searchterm=students%20in%20classroom&show_color_wheel=1&orient=&commercial_ok=&media_type=images&search_cat=&searchtermx=&photographer_name=&people_gender=&people_age=&people_ethnicity=&people_number=&color=&page=1&inline=128872687">Schoolchildren image via www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some of these schools, after observing no progress with laptops, decided to phase them out. For example, <a href="http://www.liverpool.k12.ny.us/">Liverpool Central School District</a>, a public school district in a suburban community near Syracuse, New York, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/education/04laptop.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=phase%20out%20laptops%20from%20fall,%202007%20&st=cse">decided to drop the laptop program</a> from fall 2007. </p>
<p>A school district in Philadelphia had to abandon its program after being <a href="http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/02/19/school-district-sued-for-using-webcams-to-spy-on-students/">sued over its use of laptop webcams</a> to capture pictures of students at home. The district claimed it was an effort to track down missing laptops. </p>
<p>For schools and classrooms that are already poorly organized, merely having access to a computer connected to the internet will not improve learning. However, for classrooms that focus on improving students’ writing, analysis, research, problem solving and critical thinking, those same internet-connected computers could be invaluable tools.</p>
<h2>Technology to train future citizens</h2>
<p>Perhaps we could learn a lesson from the business world. When computers were first introduced into corporations, it took a number of years to increase productivity.
Today it is hard to imagine any field of commerce or knowledge production succeeding while shunning computers.</p>
<p>Well-organized programs that make individual computers available to students are already getting <a href="http://rer.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/02/03/0034654316628645.abstract">excellent test score results</a>. Such programs are critical for helping students develop necessary skills for the future. These programs deserve our support.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/58696/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Warschauer has received funding for his research from the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Education Sciences, the Carnegie Corporation, the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access, the Spencer Foundation, the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, and Google Research..</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Binbin Zheng does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Researchers found students’ test scores in science, writing, math and English language arts improved significantly when they were provided with laptops. The benefits were not limited to test scores.Binbin Zheng, Assistant Professor, Michigan State UniversityMark Warschauer, Professor of Education and Informatics, University of California, IrvineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/463262015-08-31T20:07:24Z2015-08-31T20:07:24ZStudents with laptops did better in HSC science<p>While there are plenty of reasons why students should be exposed to technology in schools, educational research is yet to produce consensus on the degree to which personal laptops boost learning.</p>
<p>Historically, when researchers examine what makes a difference in education, laptops, and other technology, come way down <a href="http://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/">the ranks</a>. Some educationalists go as far as to describe the use of computers in schools as <a href="https://theconversation.com/driven-to-distraction-bringing-your-own-device-to-school-could-hinder-learning-18239">distractions</a>, plus there are <a href="https://theconversation.com/devices-in-schools-and-at-home-means-too-much-screen-time-for-kids-45709">concerns about screen time</a>. </p>
<p>A <a href="http://ftp.jrc.es/EURdoc/JRC81903.pdf">report from the European Commission</a> which looked at 31 recent “one laptop per child” initiatives from across 19 countries found little or no improvement in learning outcomes. However, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2014.982229">recent research</a> which examined a group of Australian schools found laptops did make a positive difference to learning. Not surprisingly, how the laptops were used determined the size of the benefit.</p>
<h2>The Digital Education Revolution</h2>
<p>In 2008, the then newly elected Labor government began implementing the (<a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/computer-costs-and-confusion-continue-to-dog-the-latest-trial-of-technology-in-aussie-schools/story-fni0cx12-1227187628438">subsequently much maligned</a>) A$2.1 billion “Digital Education Revolution”, whereby it was intended that every Year 9 student would receive a laptop over four or five years, thus <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/digital_education_revolution_program_review.pdf">creating a 1:1 computer-to-student ratio</a>. </p>
<p>For 12 Catholic secondary schools in Sydney this meant that half of the Year 9 students in 2008 received a laptop and half did not. The distribution of who received the laptops was random in terms of socioeconomic status and average performance, having being imposed independently by a federal audit. </p>
<p>This ultimately lead to a dichotomous scenario whereby in 2011 half of the students in these schools sitting for the NSW HSC had been schooled for over three years with 1:1 laptops and half had not. </p>
<p>This created a natural experiment beyond our influence rather than a researcher-designed randomised experiment. This was also quite timely as many principals and education authority directors were wondering what would happen to their exam results.</p>
<h2>The effect</h2>
<p>We looked at the examination data from the 12 schools to see if the students with laptops performed better or worse in the sciences (our field of research) than those without. We predicted a null result. </p>
<p>To our surprise, when controlling for other factors (socioeconomic status, gender, school type, prior attainment and more), we found that those who had been schooled with a laptop did better to varying degrees and that this was statistically significant in biology, chemistry and physics. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93010/original/image-20150826-1603-1mn0syq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93010/original/image-20150826-1603-1mn0syq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93010/original/image-20150826-1603-1mn0syq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93010/original/image-20150826-1603-1mn0syq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93010/original/image-20150826-1603-1mn0syq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93010/original/image-20150826-1603-1mn0syq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93010/original/image-20150826-1603-1mn0syq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93010/original/image-20150826-1603-1mn0syq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">HSC physics students had the most significant gains from laptop use.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In senior science laptops were found to have no effect and the sample size for earth and environmental science was too small to produce a result.</p>
<p>We then found the “effect size” (an approach taken by prominent education researcher <a href="http://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/">John Hattie</a> who gave a score of effect size to every kind of educational intervention so that we may compare them) was much greater in physics than in biology or chemistry. This presented the follow up question - why?</p>
<h2>The why</h2>
<p>In our <a href="http://www.citejournal.org/vol15/iss2/science/article1.cfm">follow up paper</a> we investigated why the students with laptops did better, particularly in physics, by surveying how physics and biology teachers and students actually used their laptops.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the physics students and teachers consistently reported performing more “higher-order” activities such as simulations and spreadsheets with their laptops than their biology counterparts, and much than those without laptops.</p>
<p>The biology students and teachers consistently reported more use of “lower-order” activities such as word processing, electronic textbooks and internet searching.</p>
<p>We also scrutinised the <a href="http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/">NSW HSC syllabuses</a>. Despite both the biology and the physics syllabuses providing identical motherhood statements about the use of technology in their guidelines there were no explicit mandates or recommendations for the use of technology in the biology content, unlike physics where there were many.</p>
<p>Ultimately we found that in HSC biology, chemistry and physics, those students schooled with laptops actually performed better than those without. This effect was much more pronounced in physics which correlated with greater higher-order use as mandated by the curriculum.</p>
<h2>The aftermath</h2>
<p>There are several repercussions from this research. The findings, as ever, are highly contextual (for these 12 schools; in southwest and south Sydney; in the HSC sciences; in 2011), but we now have some robust quantitative data regarding the use of technology and student academic performance in Australia. The crude data is <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.1080/09500693.2014.982229#tabModule">freely available</a> for anyone to perform their own analysis.</p>
<p>The research also suggests the “Digital Education Revolution” was not as shambolic or a waste of money in all cases, <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/computer-costs-and-confusion-continue-to-dog-the-latest-trial-of-technology-in-aussie-schools/story-fni0cx12-1227187628438">as portrayed in the media</a> . With the NSW HSC syllabuses about to be rewritten, we hope there will be greater consistency in the capitalisation on technology for “higher-order activities” across all subjects.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/46326/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Crook is the Founder of CrookED Science, a science and technology education consultancy.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Manjula Sharma receives funding from The Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching, and Department of Education and Training Australian Maths and Science Partnerships Programme.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Wilson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Recent research which examined a group of Australian schools found laptops did make a positive difference to learning.Simon Crook, PhD Candidate - Physics Education Research, University of SydneyManjula Sharma, Associate professor, University of SydneyRachel Wilson, Senior Lecturer - Research Methodology / Educational Assessment & Evaluation, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/427382015-06-11T11:07:05Z2015-06-11T11:07:05ZWithout teacher guidance, all the tech in the world will be quite useless<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/84429/original/image-20150609-10720-14x7hpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">How can technology be harnessed to teach children in an effective way?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/4063885464/in/photolist-dZau8h-7c3Ldk-7c3HDr-7c7veN-7c3GgH-7c7tyL-7c7s8L-7c7unN-7c7sMo-7c7zvY-7c7wSY-7c7yzY-7c7rtC-94EcJg-6T2Wt9-9bBdFG-8nyNVd-3oxYh-9NELbX-5A6y2h-5mP2XB-5mThfW-7Mxqhz-7MBpFo-7wigCB-rcd28x-8Rz6N3-6xd89E-6vSCa-ttunps-68xxks-bNpR4v-8mVc4V-6xcFLL-8TntHw">Frederick Noronha fredericknoronha1@gmail.com</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A couple of years ago, I taught an afterschool class at a Seattle nonprofit, the <a href="http://www.seattlefoundation.org/npos/Pages/TechnologyAccessFoundation.aspx">Technology Access Foundation (TAF),</a> which provides STEM education (science, technology, engineering, math) to children from less-privileged backgrounds. My students were 8-11 years old, and it was the first time that I had taught elementary school students.</p>
<p>The curriculum devised by TAF’s staff involves hands-on interaction with laptops to explore programming, robotics and audio editing. With a PhD in computer science and a range of experience teaching older students, I thought it would be easy. </p>
<p>It was anything but. </p>
<p>To allow students a lot of interaction with their devices, I avoided lectures and instead had the students work on their own while I went from table to table to help them individually. My hope was to give the children a chance to learn at their own pace.</p>
<p>The students, however, had other ideas. The minute I turned my attention to one, the others started playing video games. However nutritious the syllabus, they were drawn to the cognitive candy of flashy graphics and sound effects.</p>
<p>The problem I faced at TAF was a small version of the conundrum that confronts parents and schools everywhere: how do we prepare children for a technological world while avoiding the distractions of technology?</p>
<h2>Diversions in India</h2>
<p>I first encountered this problem about a decade ago in India. At the time, I was the head of a research team at <a href="http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/collaboration/global/india/">Microsoft Research</a> in Bangalore. My group explored ways in which computing technology could support poor communities. Education was one of our focuses.</p>
<p>Many Indian government schools boasted computer labs, but given limited funds, they often had no more than five or six PCs. With class sizes of 40 or more, this inevitably meant that crowds of children would huddle around each machine, with most of them unable to access the mouse or keyboard.</p>
<p>We tried an innovation in which a single PC was outfitted with multiple mice, each with an attendant cursor on screen. This customized educational software, called MultiPoint, allowed several students to interact simultaneously.</p>
<p>MultiPoint was a hit with students. <a href="http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=1240624.1240864">A controlled trial</a> showed that for some exercises, students could learn as much when they were sitting five to a PC as when they had a PC all to themselves.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/84453/original/image-20150609-10675-dlp7ee.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/84453/original/image-20150609-10675-dlp7ee.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/84453/original/image-20150609-10675-dlp7ee.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/84453/original/image-20150609-10675-dlp7ee.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/84453/original/image-20150609-10675-dlp7ee.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/84453/original/image-20150609-10675-dlp7ee.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/84453/original/image-20150609-10675-dlp7ee.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Technology Access Foundation student sneaking in a video game during an afterschool programming class.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kentaro Toyama</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, when we tried to take the idea to other schools, we were stymied. </p>
<p>One problem we often encountered was that teachers would be overwhelmed with the mechanics of the technology. Without a dedicated IT staff or significant training themselves, they’d spend the first 15-20 minutes of a 50-minute class fiddling with the PCs to set them up. </p>
<p>Whatever the technology’s potential, in actuality, time was diverted from learning. </p>
<h2>Technology’s law of amplification</h2>
<p>Similar things happened in dozens of other projects we ran in <a href="http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2369220.2369248">education</a>, <a href="http://itidjournal.org/itid/article/view/327">agriculture</a>, <a href="http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2369253">healthcare</a> and so on. Despite our best efforts at good design, computing technology did not, in and of itself, lower costs, improve pedagogy, or make organizations more efficient.</p>
<p>Teachers didn’t improve just by using digital content; administrators didn’t become better managers through clever gadgets; and budgets didn’t grow with the use of supposedly cost-saving machines. </p>
<p>Anurag Behar, CEO of a nonprofit we worked with, <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/Y3Rhb5CXMkGuUIyg4nrc3I/Limits-of-ICT-in-education.html">put it</a> succinctly: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“At its best, the fascination with [digital technology] as a solution distracts from the real issues.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Contrary to Silicon Valley hype, machines don’t add a fixed benefit wherever they’re used. Instead, <a href="http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1940772">technology amplifies underlying human forces</a> – the unproductive ones as much as the beneficial ones. My book, <a href="http://geekheresy.org">Geek Heresy: Rescuing Social Change from the Cult of Technology</a>, explains in detail why technology by itself doesn’t solve deep social problems. </p>
<p>Other researchers have found a similar pattern. University of California, Irvine, researcher, <a href="http://education.uci.edu/person/warschauer_m/warschauer_m_bio.php">Mark Warschauer</a>, along with colleagues <a href="http://www.montclair.edu/profilepages/view_profile.php?username=knobelm">Michele Knobel</a> and Leeann Stone, sums up this challenge in <a href="http://epx.sagepub.com/content/18/4/562.short">his paper</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Placing computers and internet connections in [low-income] schools, in and of itself, does little to address the serious educational challenges faced by these schools. To the extent that an emphasis on provision of equipment draws attention away from other important resources and interventions, such an emphasis can in fact be counterproductive.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In other words, while digital tools can augment the efforts of a well-run learning environment, they harm dysfunctional schools by distracting them from their goals. </p>
<p>The amplification principle also applies at the individual level.</p>
<p>Children have both a drive to learn and an affinity for quick rewards – digital aids amplify both. Few people would imagine that children left in a room with an encyclopedia and enticing toys (even educational ones) could, on their own, summit the intellectual mountain that is a K-12 education. </p>
<p>Handing students a computing device and expecting them to teach themselves is the virtual equivalent of being left in such a room. Rigorous research by <a href="http://economics.ucsc.edu/faculty/singleton.php?&singleton=true&cruz_id=rfairlie">economists Robert Fairlie</a> and <a href="http://people.ucsc.edu/%7Ejmrtwo/">Jonathan Robinson</a> finds that laptops provided free to students result in no educational gains of any kind. </p>
<p>In other words, while technology can amplify good pedagogy, there is no way around quality adult guidance for real learning.</p>
<h2>People first, technology second</h2>
<p>At TAF, I was lucky to have a good manager and several terrific teachers as role models. They recommended that I set some rules. For example, I asked students to close their screens any time I was doing a demonstration. I prohibited free time with the laptops if they came early, so that they wouldn’t start off with games. And anyone caught playing video games during class was sent to my manager for a few words of discipline. </p>
<p>Implementing these rules was a challenge at first, but young children are mercifully responsive to firm adult direction. Within a couple of classes, the students got used to the new class culture, and they started focusing on the learning activities. </p>
<p>What I learned was that even in a class about computers, maximizing screen time wasn’t the goal. The first requirement is the proper mindset – focused motivation in students and capable adult supervision. </p>
<p>If technology amplifies human forces, then a good outcome with technology requires that the right human forces be in place first.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/42738/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kentaro Toyama is affiliated with Digital Green (board chair), Village Health Works (board member), Humanosphere (board member), Innovations for Poverty Action(board member), Grameen Foundation (advisory board), IICD (advisory board).</span></em></p>How can we prepare children for a tech world while fighting the distractions it inevitably brings?Kentaro Toyama, Associate Professor, Technology and Global Development, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.