postgraduate proposal for simon crook - a research study to assess the impact of 1-to-1 laptops on...

8/6/2019 Postgraduate Proposal for Simon Crook - A Research Study to Assess the Impact of 1-to-1 laptops on Student Perfo

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Postgraduate Proposal for Simon Crook, May 2010

Title

A Research Study to Assess the Impact of 1-to-1 laptops on

Student Performance in Science

Research Questions1. What improvement, if any, in student performance in Science can be attributed to the 1-to-1

laptop program instigated through the Australian Federal Governments Digital Education

Revolution (DER)? Was there a measurable increase in Science SC and HSC results due to every

Year 9 12 student receiving a laptop?2. How did teachers approaches to technology in the classroom affect the success of the DER and

ultimately student performance in Science?

3. Did students experience greater motivation to study in Science upon receiving a laptop throughthe DER?

4. How did school leadership, policies, culture and initiatives affect and the uptake of technology inthe classroom related to the DER?

Significance

At present there is little quantitative data regarding a causal link between student participation in a1-to-1 laptop program and increased academic achievement in Science. The key objective of this

proposed research project is to provide such data so as to determine any causality, positive or

negative. As a $2.2 billioniFederal initiative, under the constant scrutiny of media, the education

system and Australian society as a whole, it is of paramount importance to measure any net

improvement in student performance due to the DER. The classrooms being considered in this study

have been changed for at least the near future with the saturation of technology. Should a link be

found between access to 1-to-1 laptops and student performance in Science then this will help

shape future learning environments and influence future teaching practices. Schools and School

Systems are currently deciding on the sustainability of a 1-to-1 program after the Federal money

runs out. The findings of this research may well contribute to the decision making.

Historical Context

In November 2007, Kevin Rudd MP, then leader of the Opposition, released A Digital Education

Revolution Policy Documentii stating in part the intention toprovide world class information and

communications technology (ICT) for every secondary student in years 9 to 12, ideally equipping

every student with a laptopiii. In February 2008, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, Deputy Prime Minister and

Minister for Education, informed all secondary schools that they could apply to participate in the

DERiv under the subsection entitled the National Secondary School Computer Fund (NSSCF)v.


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The 36 secondary schools that I work with submitted applications for the DER. Every school was

successful and as a System, following DER guidelines, we decided to roll out laptops to every Year 9

student over 2 rounds for the next 4 years. The 19 schools involved in Round 1 were announcedvi in

June 2008 by the Hon Julia Gillard MP. The first school issued their Year 9 students with laptops in

September 2008, with the other schools doing likewise in due course. The Round 2 schools did not

receive their first machines until mid 2009vii

, the delay due to negotiations with the NSW

Governmentviii, custodians of the largest education system in Australia.

The first schools with students studying with 1-to-1 laptops to sit external examinations were Round

1 schools in late 2009. In the case of NSW this was the 6 Year 10 School Certificate examinations.

Research ContextWith the first external examination data in the DER 1-to-1 laptop context obtained for the 2009

School Certificate (SC) and 2011 Higher School Certificate (HSC) examinations there is now the

opportunity to assess the impact of 1-to-1 laptops on student performance. Trend and value-added

data will be available as students involved in the DER perform these examinations over subsequent

years with the final 2012 DER Year 9 cohort undertaking SC in 2013 and HSC in 2015.

As eLearning Adviser to the 16 secondary schools in my Region, I have unique access and

understanding of the DER implementation in these schools. Thus it is my intention to analyse the

performance of the DER year groups in this sample of schools. By triangulating the reported

implementation by students, teachers and leadership and cross-referencing this with standard

examination results, coherent data should be obtainable to assess the impact of 1-to-1 laptops.

In order to keep the data focused it is proposed that only student performance in the Sciences isanalysed. Physics and Science form my personal teaching background, thus this data field lends itself

to my research.

Initial Literature ReviewCurrently there appears to be only a limited pool of data around the direct link between student

access to technology, particularly 1-to-1 laptops, and student performance, particularly Science. The

main contemporary contributions are from OECD, JTLA, IFS and the University of Southern Maine.

In 2010 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publishedAre theNew Millennium Learners Making the Grade?: Technology Use and Educational Performance in Pisa

ix.

OECD is one of the worlds largest publishers in the fields of economics and public policyx. OECD

works with the governments of 30 democracies, addressing the economic, social and environmental

challenges of globalisation. In particular, around education, OECD organises and analyses the

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This is an internationally standardised

assessment that is jointly developed by participating economies and administered to 15-year-olds in

schoolsxi. Tests are typically administered to between 4,500 and 10,000 students in each country.

One of the domains assessed is Scientific Literacyxii.

The above report found that


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students experience with using computers is positively related to their PISA 2006 science

scores.

As the report focused on general access to technology at both school and at home rather than

specifically 1-to-1 laptops (and importantly, most students did not have access to 1-to-1, in fact far

less on average) the context of school access is very different. Thus giving conclusions such as

frequency of computer use at home is more clearly correlated with PISA 2006 science scores

than with frequency of computer use at school.

In analysing the DER 1-to-1 program, the students in question will in theory have complete access to

computers, both at school and at home.

Also in 2010, The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment (JTLA) published One to One

Computing: A Summary of the Quantitative Results from the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiativexiii

as part of a series of articles around Educational Outcomes and Research from 1:1 Computing

Settingsxiv

. The JTLA is a scholarly, peer-reviewed on-line journal that provides an interdisciplinary

forum where initiatives that combine technology, learning theory, and assessment are sharedxv. It

releases regular publications with a special emphasis currently on research on 1-to-1 laptop settings.

The article referred to above stated

there is also evidence that student research skills and collaboration were enhanced by the

improved educational access and opportunities afforded by the 1:1

and the

unprecedented two-year improvement in eighth grade Math pass rates across corresponded

with the years students participated in the 1:1 laptop program.

The research published in JTLA was specifically around 1-to-1 laptops and found a positive

correlation between 1-to-1 and both skills and examination grades attained. However, the

curriculum areas examined were Mathematics and English rather than Science. In addition, reducing

the impact of the conclusions, the article contained the waiver

without a true experimental design, this trend analysis does little to prove that the 1:1 pilot

program improved test scores. However one potential explanation of the seventh and eighth

grade MCAS pass rates over this time period could be that 1:1 participation was conducive or

complementary to practices that fostered improvements in test performance.

In 2009, Chowdry et al from the Institute for Fiscal Studies published Drivers and Barriers to

Educational Success - Evidence from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in Englandxvi

. This

Research Report stated that

after controlling for KS3xvii

results, the availability of a computer at home is significantly

positively associated with Key Stage 4xviii

test scores. This association amounts to around 14

GCSExix

points (equivalent to 2 GCSE grades in a single subject),losing access to a computer is associated with a reduction of 20 GCSE points


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and

gaining access to the internet is associated with 10 GCSE points.

As with OECD, Chowdry et al did not look specifically at 1-to-1 access. Also, Chowdry combined data

from the core subjects: Mathematics, English and Science, rather than examine Science alone.However, this Research Report gives specific quantitative data on learning gain and loss, having

controlled for historical results.

In 2002, the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) was started whereby all 7th and 8th grade

students and their teachers were provided with laptop computersxx. This program has been the

subject of several analytical publicationsxxi, forming some of the most substantial research into the

impact of 1-to-1 laptops on student performance, primarily published by the University of Southern

Maine.

Amongst these publications is the 2004 reportThe Impact of Maines One-to-One Laptop Program

on Middle School Teachers and Studentsxxii

. As an evaluation two years into the 1-to-1 program it

concludes

the evaluation evidence collected over the first 15 months of the program indicates that the

laptops are being used widely by teachers and students, and their use has improved learning.

The evidence of increased student performance was mainly anecdotal and an aggregation of

perceptions from staff and student surveys rather than cross-referenced with examination results.

Also, it did not look at performance in Science. However, this report specifically focuses on 1-to-1

laptops and presents good data on engagement and motivation.

A more recent publication from 2009,Using Laptops to Facilitate Middle School Science Learning:

The Results of Hard Funxxiii

, compared the performance of students with access to 1-to-1 laptops to

those without. The findings were that

it may be concluded that the intervention used in this project provides an example of the

successful use of the MLTI laptops within a science classroom in order to increase the

academic achievement and the general engagement of the students.

Methodology Summary1. Analysing the 2009 SC Science results will allow for comparison between the 7xxiv schools

that received laptops in Year 9 2008 and the 7xxv

that did not. Similarly, the same cohort will

take their HSC in 2011 so a similar comparison of results will be possible. By studying all

schools examination performance from 2009 to 2012 and comparing against recent

historical data, possible trends may emerge.

2. Surveying teachers and students regarding the amount and type of use of laptops in theclassroom will be cross-referenced with student performance in examinations.

3. Surveying students and teachers plus monitoring retention rates from Stage 5 to Stage 6Science will provide evidence of any increased motivation.

4. Surveying school and System leaders and cross-referencing with student and teacher surveysmay find a causal link between leadership and uptake.
http://maine.gov/mlti/resources/ScienceLearning.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/resources/ScienceLearning.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/resources/ScienceLearning.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/resources/ScienceLearning.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/resources/ScienceLearning.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/resources/ScienceLearning.pdf


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Timeline

July 2010 Ethics complete

July/Aug 2010 Obtain 2009 results complete

July-Dec 2010 Literature Review literature compiled

Aug 2010 Generate student/staff/leadership surveys complete

Aug/Sept 2010 Survey Y10 students 2010 complete

Aug/Sept 2010 Survey Y10 teachers 2010 complete

Aug/Sept 2010 Survey Y10/12 leadership 2010 dropped

Oct/Nov 2010 Analyse 2009 results initial analysis

Dec 2010 Obtain 2010 results complete

Jan-Mar 2011 Analyse 2010 results begun

Aug/Sept 2011 Survey Y10/12 students 2010

Aug/Sept 2011 Survey Y10/12 teachers 2010

Aug/Sept 2011 Survey Y10/12 leadership 2010

July 2012 Nov 2011 Publish initial findings

ihttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/Pages/default.aspxiihttp://www.pixel.com.au/documentation//products/netsupport/netsupport_school/labors_digital_education

_revolution_campaign_launch.pdfiiihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS-JS_uuNRM(1:05 minute mark)

ivhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_081010_165816.aspx

vhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/SCHOOLING/DIGITALEDUCATIONREVOLUTION/COMPUTERFUND/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundOverview.aspxvihttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/ComputerFund/Pages/NationalSecondarySc

hoolComputerFundRoundOne.aspx#1vii

http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090331_102609.aspx viii

http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_081008_115126.aspxix

CENTRE FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATION,Are the New Millennium Learners Making the

Grade? Technology Use and Educational Performance in PISA 2006. OECD, 2010.

http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?CID=&LANG=en&SF1=DI&ST1=5KSCG4HRN95Kxhttp://www.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_36734052_36734103_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

xihttp://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32235907_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

xiihttp://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32236102_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.pixel.com.au/documentation/products/netsupport/netsupport_school/labors_digital_education_revolution_campaign_launch.pdfhttp://www.pixel.com.au/documentation/products/netsupport/netsupport_school/labors_digital_education_revolution_campaign_launch.pdfhttp://www.pixel.com.au/documentation/products/netsupport/netsupport_school/labors_digital_education_revolution_campaign_launch.pdfhttp://www.pixel.com.au/documentation/products/netsupport/netsupport_school/labors_digital_education_revolution_campaign_launch.pdfhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS-JS_uuNRMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS-JS_uuNRMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS-JS_uuNRMhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_081010_165816.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_081010_165816.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_081010_165816.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/SCHOOLING/DIGITALEDUCATIONREVOLUTION/COMPUTERFUND/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundOverview.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/SCHOOLING/DIGITALEDUCATIONREVOLUTION/COMPUTERFUND/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundOverview.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/SCHOOLING/DIGITALEDUCATIONREVOLUTION/COMPUTERFUND/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundOverview.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/SCHOOLING/DIGITALEDUCATIONREVOLUTION/COMPUTERFUND/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundOverview.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/ComputerFund/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundRoundOne.aspx#1http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/ComputerFund/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundRoundOne.aspx#1http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/ComputerFund/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundRoundOne.aspx#1http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/ComputerFund/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundRoundOne.aspx#1http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090331_102609.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090331_102609.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090331_102609.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090331_102609.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_081008_115126.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_081008_115126.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_081008_115126.aspxhttp://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?CID=&LANG=en&SF1=DI&ST1=5KSCG4HRN95Khttp://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?CID=&LANG=en&SF1=DI&ST1=5KSCG4HRN95Khttp://www.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_36734052_36734103_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_36734052_36734103_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_36734052_36734103_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32235907_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32235907_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32235907_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32236102_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32236102_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32236102_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32236102_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32235907_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_36734052_36734103_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?CID=&LANG=en&SF1=DI&ST1=5KSCG4HRN95Khttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_081008_115126.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090331_102609.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/ComputerFund/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundRoundOne.aspx#1http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/ComputerFund/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundRoundOne.aspx#1http://www.deewr.gov.au/SCHOOLING/DIGITALEDUCATIONREVOLUTION/COMPUTERFUND/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundOverview.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/SCHOOLING/DIGITALEDUCATIONREVOLUTION/COMPUTERFUND/Pages/NationalSecondarySchoolComputerFundOverview.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_081010_165816.aspxhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS-JS_uuNRMhttp://www.pixel.com.au/documentation/products/netsupport/netsupport_school/labors_digital_education_revolution_campaign_launch.pdfhttp://www.pixel.com.au/documentation/products/netsupport/netsupport_school/labors_digital_education_revolution_campaign_launch.pdfhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/Pages/default.aspx


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xiii

Bebell, Damian, and Rachel Kay. "One to One Computing: A Summary of the Quantitative Results from the

Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative."Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment. 9.2 (2010)

http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/vol9/2/xiv

http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/xv

http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/mission.htmlxvi Chowdry, H. et al, Drivers and Barriers to Educational Success Evidence from the Longitudinal Study of Young

People in England, Institute for Fiscal Studies. 2009

http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR102.pdfxvii

equivalent to NSW Stage 4xviii

equivalent to NSW Stage 5xix

equivalent to NSW School Certificatexx

http://maine.gov/mlti/about/index.shtmlxxi

http://www.usm.maine.edu/cepare/mlti.htmxxii

Silvernail, David L., and Dawn M. M. Lane. The Impact of Maines One-to-One Laptop Program on Middle

School Teachers and Students. University of Southern Maine, 2004

http://maine.gov/mlti/articles/research/MLTIPhaseOneEvaluationReport2004.pdfxxiii

Berry, Alexis M., and Sarah E. Wintle. Using Laptops to Facilitate Middle School Science Learning: The

Results of Hard Fun. CEPARE, University of Southern Maine and MICDL, 2009http://maine.gov/mlti/resources/ScienceLearning.pdfxxiv

7 secondary schools received laptops in Year 9 plus 1 senior college received laptops in Year 11 in 2008xxv

7 secondary schools plus 1 senior college did not receive laptops until 2009
http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/vol9/2/http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/vol9/2/http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/mission.htmlhttp://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/mission.htmlhttp://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/mission.htmlhttp://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR102.pdfhttp://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR102.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/about/index.shtmlhttp://maine.gov/mlti/about/index.shtmlhttp://maine.gov/mlti/about/index.shtmlhttp://www.usm.maine.edu/cepare/mlti.htmhttp://www.usm.maine.edu/cepare/mlti.htmhttp://www.usm.maine.edu/cepare/mlti.htmhttp://maine.gov/mlti/articles/research/MLTIPhaseOneEvaluationReport2004.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/articles/research/MLTIPhaseOneEvaluationReport2004.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/resources/ScienceLearning.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/resources/ScienceLearning.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/resources/ScienceLearning.pdfhttp://maine.gov/mlti/articles/research/MLTIPhaseOneEvaluationReport2004.pdfhttp://www.usm.maine.edu/cepare/mlti.htmhttp://maine.gov/mlti/about/index.shtmlhttp://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR102.pdfhttp://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/mission.htmlhttp://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/vol9/2/

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