Validation of an iPADs Ability to Improve Student Achievement?

Oh that www.good.is website just keeps on delivering and finding great stories and articles – if you have never been there or do not subscribe to their RSS feed – do it now! Some of their infographics are just amazing.

Anyway they have just published a recent article showing one teachers’ iPAD experiment to show that the use of such mobile technology can and actually does raise achievement. Although as the author of the post suggests this is not peer-reviewed research it definitely puts at least some positive backing to the idea of the iPAD as more than an expensive toy.

“Harmon’s experiment hardly measures up as a peer reviewed study, but one teacher’s experience is valuable too. Let’s hope more teachers take the initiative to see if new classroom technology is worth the investment.”

Jim Harmon the English teacher who undertakes the research is working in the context of a state school where students and parents are disenfranchised  with school in general and there are a large number of issues with literacy and numeracy. The research showed that the iPAD raised “excitement for learning” which I do wonder is enough to suggest that any improvement in literacy can come about due to the fact that students like playing with an Apple device simply because it is “cool” and easy to use. However the report is an interesting read and worth a delve into.

The report also provides food for thought at how we as a school go ahead with a program and then ensure that there is a way to measure its impact on the students learning and as importantly their management of learning.

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