Thanks for the explanation, Mark. Interesting about math and reading results. Hard to believe that two cornerstones of the K-12 academic world are not impacted by using laptops. But then again, we're not talking about laptops, per se, but how they are (mis)used by people. Sort of a misaligned take-off on "Guns don't kill people. People kill people."
"We carried out research in 10 one-to-one laptop schools, and reviewed research from hundreds of others." -- Will your research be specifically mentioned/cited in your upcoming book so we know about how you did the research and what other research you researched? John John T. Thompson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor & Coordinator Educational Computing Program Computer Information Systems Dept. Chase 208, Buffalo State College 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 (716) 878-3531 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.buffalostate.edu/depts/edcomputing/ "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." ~ Charles Darwin -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mark Warschauer Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2006 6:00 PM To: The Digital Divide Network discussiongroup Subject: RE: [DDN] $14 Million Study Proves (???) StudentLaptopsIneffective Academically At 2:01 PM -0400 7/23/06, John Thompson wrote: >"Reading and mathematics are probably the two areas where you would least >expect to find a positive impact on test scores." -- Why is that? > John We carried out research in 10 one-to-one laptop schools, and reviewed research from hundreds of others. Laptops are least frequently used in mathematics instruction. With rare use, there is little chance that they would help raise test scores. (Why they are rarely used in mathematics instruction is another question, but I guess that most teachers find the range of software and online resources for teaching math unhelpful, especially given the way most US math instruction is geared. One exception is Gometer's Sketchpad, but that is mostly used at the high school level, and the majority of one-to-one laptop programs are in middle schools.) As for reading, one major contributor to reading gains is extensive reading -- and that much more easily takes place from books, rather than the screen. Computer-based intensive reading tutorial programs are usually so mind-numbing that teachers and students fail to implement them well. There are of course some creative ways to use laptops to promote reading comprehension , yet much more common and frequent uses of laptops are to develop research skills, writing skills, data analysis skills, etc. And laptop use often takes place in classrooms that emphasize multimedia/multimodal literacy. None of this means that laptop use will hinder reading scores, but it's also unlikely that it will raise scores -- especially in the first year of implementation. Mark At 2:01 PM -0400 7/23/06, John Thompson wrote: >"Reading and mathematics are probably the two areas where you would least >expect to find a positive impact on test scores." -- Why is that? > >John > >John T. Thompson, Ph.D. >Assistant Professor & Coordinator >Educational Computing Program >Computer Information Systems Dept. >Chase 208, Buffalo State College >1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 >(716) 878-3531 [EMAIL PROTECTED] >http://www.buffalostate.edu/depts/edcomputing/ > >"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most >intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." > ~ Charles Darwin > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mark Warschauer >Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 5:22 PM >To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group >Subject: Re: [DDN] $14 Million Study Proves (???) Student LaptopsIneffective >Academically > >I haven't read the full study, but there's nothing surprising about >the findings described below, and they are consistent with what has >been found in other research (see, for example, my own book, Laptops >and Literacy, soon off the press from Teachers College Press). > >Specifically: > >(1) Computers/laptops are infrequently used in mathematics classes > >(2) Reading and mathematics are probably the two areas where you >would least expect to find a positive impact on test scores > >(3) Even in other areas where laptop use might be greater, such as in >writing, social studies, and science, the types of skills that >students learn with laptops are usually much different than what >students are tested on (think, for example, of the difference between >sitting down for a half-hour handwritten writing test, and learning >to write on a computer, with the latter involving revision and >editing, spell and grammar checking, gathering and making use of >information from the Internet, etc.) > >(4) Laptops can be a very disruptive technology, both for teachers >and students, and it is thus unlikely that substantial benefits would >be achieved the first year (and, indeed, such a disruption could take >away from other goals, such as raising test scores). > >Even in the long run, laptops may not raise reading or writing >scores, but they will be used for a wide variety of other purposes, >such as to improve process-oriented writing, research skills, >analytical skills, autonomous learning ability, media literacy, etc. >Those who make decisions about laptop use on whether they raise math >or reading skills -- even in the long run, let alone in the short run >-- are barking up the wrong tree. >Mark > >>Pardon for the cross posting. I spotted this on a local education >>list/serve and was wondering if anyone had thoughts on the merits of >>the statement or the study. >>Paul Mondesire - [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>$14 Million Study Proves Student Laptops Ineffective Academically >> >>Another in a long line of studies showing no learning benefits from >>providing students w/ laptops. And yet states and districts continue to >>adopt such policies. >> >>DOE initially proposed giving laptops to every public school student, and >>this was part of their CFE plan; now the laptop initiative seems to have >>been cut back, but the spending on technology increased in the current >>capital plan to over $1 billion. >> >>This particular study, funded by the US DOE to evaluate a Texas middle >>school laptop program, concludes: >> >>"We found that after one academic year of implementation, there were no >>positive effects of immersion on either reading or mathematics scores. >After >>controlling for prior achievement and other important student >>characteristics, there were no significant differences in the spring 2005 >>reading or mathematics TAKS scores of students in immersed and control >>schools. In fact, students in immersed schools had slightly lower scores >>than comparison students. " >> >>Here are links to the full study: >>http://www.txtip. info/projecteval uation.html >> >>http://www.txtip. info/images/ 06.05.06_ eTxTIP_Year_ 1_Report. pdf >> >>The program included not just laptops for each student, but extensive >>training programs for their teachers. >> >>Below is a summary by laptop critic Donna Garner, followed by excerpts from >>the study itself. As the study points out, this is only the first year >>evaluation, with more years to follow. >> >>Leonie Haimson, >>Class Size Matters >>124 Waverly Pl. >>New York, NY 10011 >> >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>www.classsizematter s.org >> >>"$14 Million Study Proves Student Laptops Ineffective Academically" >>Saturday, July 15, 2006 >>by Donna Garner >> >>Our country has been waiting for a scientifically conducted study on >>laptops. Now we have it. Presented below are excerpts from the $14 Million >>Texas Technology Immersion Pilot (April 2006 report -- funded by the U. S. >>Department of Education) which is supposed to prove whether student >>immersion on laptops by middle-school students will raise their academic >>achievement. So far as I know, this study is one of a kind and is much >>needed since technology companies are pushing their laptops into classrooms >>through aggressive marketing tactics. >> >>No expense was spared in this study. The 22 Texas schools which >participated >>were given the best technology available, and their staffs were extensively >>trained. "Package costs ranged from about $1,100 to $1,600 per student. Of >>the 22 immersion sites, 6 middle schools selected the Apple package, 15 >>selected the Dell package, and 1 school selected the Region 1 ESC package >>(Dell computer)." As stated in the report, "Technology immersion >>encompasses multiple components, including a laptop computer for every >>middle school student and teacher, wireless access throughout the campus, >>online curricular and assessment resources, professional development and >>ongoing pedagogical support for curricular integration of technology >>resources, and technical support to maintain an immersed campus." >> >>To find out the results after the first year, please read the following >>comments which have been taken directly from the newly released April 2006 >>report. I will give you a clue: The technology companies won't like the >>results. >> >>Also, please read the comments which I wrote on August 3, 2005, when our > >Texas legislature was running hell-bent to push laptops on every student >and >>teacher in Texas at an estimated price tag of $3 Billion. The leader of >that >>political movement was Rep. Kent Grusendorf, and thankfully he was >>unsuccessful in his attempt to force laptops on our Texas schools. He also >>was unsuccessful in his attempt to get re-elected last November to the >Texas >>House. >> >>For those of you who have questioned the huge expenditures of time and >>effort to bring laptops into your local school districts, this study will >>give you scientifically based evidence to prove that everyone needs to step >>back and take a hard look at the educational value of student laptops. I >>think it is particularly interesting that the authors of the study stated, >>"... there were no positive effects on students' personal self-directed >>learning, and based on classroom observations, the availability of laptops >>did not lead to significantly greater opportunities for students to >>experience intellectually challenging lessons or to do more challenging >>school work." >> >>Donna Garner >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] rr.com <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] rr.com> >> >>EVALUATION OF THE TEXAS T ECHNOLOGY IMMERSION PILOT >>First-Year Results >>April 2006 >> >>Prepared for Texas Education Agency >> >>Prepared by: Texas Center for Educational Research >>CTexas Center for Educational Research >>Research funded by the U. S. Department of Education >> >>Excerpt from this study: >> >>We found that after one academic year of implementation, there were no >>positive effects of immersion on either reading or mathematics scores. >After >>controlling for prior achievement and other important student >>characteristics, there were no significant differences in the spring 2005 >>reading or mathematics TAKS scores of students in immersed and control >>schools. In fact, students in immersed schools had slightly lower scores >>than comparison students. >> >>http://www.txtip. info/projecteval uation.html >> >>http://www.txtip. info/images/ 06.05.06_ eTxTIP_Year_ 1_Report. pdf >> >>Effects of Immersion on Academic Achievement >> >>There was no significant effect of technology immersion on sixth graders >>achievement in reading or mathematics. The ultimate goal of technology >>immersion is increasing middle school students' achievement in core >academic >>subjects as measured by the state assessment (TAKS). In Texas, sixth >graders >>complete TAKS assessments for reading and mathematics. We found that after >>one academic year of implementation, there were no positive effects of >>immersion on either reading or mathematics scores. After controlling for >>prior achievement and other important student characteristics, there were >no >>significant differences in the spring 2005 reading or mathematics TAKS >>scores of students in immersed and control schools. In fact, students in >>immersed schools had slightly lower scores than comparison students. >> >>Several factors help to explain the discontinuity between the many positive >>effects noted for schools, teachers, and students at immersed campuses and >>the absence of a positive effect on student achievement outcomes. First, >>implementation fidelity was an important factor. Limited project >>implementation almost certainly influenced outcomes (e.g., the small number >>of days that students actually had laptops, the minimal use of digital >>resources). In our theoretical model, we hypothesized that students in >fully >>immersed schools would experience school and classroom environments that >>would lead to changes in students, which in turn, would lead to increased >>achievement. While we found noteworthy improvements in some areas (e.g., >>changes in teacher proficiency and technology use, improvements in >students' >>proficiency and school engagement), there were no positive effects on >>students' personal self-directed learning, and based on classroom >>observations, the availability of laptops did not lead to significantly >>greater opportunities for students to experience intellectually challenging >>lessons or to do more challenging school work. >> >>Furthermore, although technology use increased in the first year and > >surpassed control schools, laptops were used infrequently for learning in >>core subject classes, especially mathematics . Using laptops for lessons > >once or twice a week, or once or twice a month in math classes, may be >>insufficient to make a difference in achievement. Unfortunately, students >in >>Texas middle schools do not complete social studies assessment until eighth > >grade or a science assessment until tenth grade, so we did not have >academic >>outcome measures for those content areas. >> >>It is also important to remember that this is a longitudinal study , and >>while we expected that some impacts might emerge in the first year, it was >>also considered likely that changes in student academic performance would >>require more than one year to surface. Additionally, the findings reported >>here represent only a first step in analyzing first-year data. Additional >>analyses will further examine the relationships among school, teacher, and >>student mediating variables and academic achievement. We also intend to >>delve more deeply into the relationships among the fidelity of >>implementation, mediating variables, and outcomes >>_______________________________________________ >>DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list >>DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org >>http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide >>To unsubscribe, send a message to >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in >>the body of the message. > >_______________________________________________ >DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list >DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org >http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide >To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with >the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. > >-- >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG Free Edition. >Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.3/395 - Release Date: 7/21/2006 > > >_______________________________________________ >DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list >DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org >http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide >To unsubscribe, send a message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in >the body of the message. _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. -- No virus found in this incoming message. 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