What do they all say?

It’s not the provision of the technology itself that acts like a silver bullet to make these changes: if that’s all that happens, the plan is pretty much guaranteed failure.

It’s a combination of leaning theory, staff commitment, clear leadership, professional development and technical planning with the emphasis on learning theory.

Our decision has been based on widespread readings of academic journals such as the Journal of Research on Technology in Education, attendance at conferences both domestically and overseas, the experience of other schools and teachers who have been early adopters and who have noticed improved learning outcomes, discipline specific associations such as the English Teachers Association of NSW and invited guests.

Probably the definitive research study (on the provision of laptops to all middle schools in the entire state of Maine in the USA) has been authored by Maine Education Policy Research Institute University of Southern Maine.

In its executive summary, it states:

1. •Teachers are using the laptops in a variety of ways, and most often in developing instructional materials, conducting research related to instruction, and communicating with colleagues.
   

2. •Students report using the laptops most frequently in finding information (90%), organizing information (63%), and taking class notes (57%).
   

3. •Student usage of the laptops for completing class work is higher for students who may take the laptops home.
   

4. •Over 70% of the teachers surveyed reported that the laptops helped them to more effectively meet their curriculum goals, and individualize their curriculum to meet particular student needs.
   

5. •Over 75% of the teachers reported that having the laptops helped them better meet Maine’s statewide learning standards, the Learning Results.
   

6. •More than 4 out of 5 teachers surveyed reported that students are more engaged in their learning, more actively involved in their own learning, and produce better quality work.
   

7. •More than 70% of the students surveyed reported that the laptops helped them to be better organized, to get their work done more quickly, and with better quality.
   

8. •Teachers reported that all types of students are more engaged in their learning and more motivated to learn, particularly at-risk and special needs children.
   

9. •A sample of ninth grade students who no longer have laptops reported that they get less work done without the laptops, and the quality of their work has declined without the laptops.
   

The full report is available at www.usm.maine.edu/cepare/Reports/MLTI_Report1.pdf

Further recommended reading: Seymour Papert, MIT, (who built on work by educational psychologists and thinkers Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner, Lev Vygotsky), and the general topic of Constructivism in education.