Results reveal that one-to-one computing programs can have a big impact on achievement if properly implemented

Schools with one-to-one computing programs have fewer discipline problems, lower dropout rates, and higher rates of college attendance than schools with a higher ratio of students to computers, according to the results of a major new study. But for one-to-one programs to boost student achievement as well, they must be properly implemented, the study found.

Sixty-nine percent of the schools in the study reported that their students’ achievement scores on high-stakes tests were on the rise. Among schools with 1-to-1 computing programs, that figure was 70 percent. But it was 85 percent for schools with 1-to-1 computing programs that employed certain strategies for success, including electronic formative assessments on a regular basis and frequent collaboration of teachers in professional learning communities.

The findings come from Project RED (Revolutionizing Education), a national initiative that aims to prove that when properly implemented, investing in technology can boost student achievement and will result in monetary savings for schools and local governments. The survey results will be revealed June 28 at the annual International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference [Editor’s Note: For more live coverage

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Study Shows Which Technology Factors Improve Learning

News Highlights
• Technology-assisted classes help students stay in school – reducing drop-out rates.
• Schools with 1:1 learning programs, when properly implemented, have better education
success than do schools with fewer computing devices and poor implementation.
• But 80% of schools under-utilize technologies they have already purchased.
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June 28, 2010, Denver Colorado – At ISTE 2010, the Project RED Team (Revolutionizing Education) announced findings from their major survey of nearly 1,000 school principals and technology coordinators. “The most exciting findings were identification of which implementation factors improve learning outcomes,” said Tom Greaves, CEO of the Greaves Group and founder of the initiative.

Download the Full Version of the Project Red Press Release – June 28, 2010

Download ISTE 2020 Presentation on Project RED

ScienceDaily (Jan. 22, 2010) — A dozen years into the “1 to 1″ computing movement’s push to pair every schoolchild and teacher with a laptop, studies show the students in these programs outperformed their peers in traditional classrooms, according to researchers.

Students who have participated in 1:1 computing report higher achievement and increased engagement, according to findings of studies published in a special issue of the Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment, published by Boston College’s Lynch School of Education.

The journal’s January 2010 edition represents the first-ever collection of peer-reviewed research articles examining the impacts of providing every teacher and student their own laptop computer in school — typically know as “1:1 computing.”

“This new collection of articles brings together some of the best evidence to date on the implementation and impacts of 1:1 computing,” said Boston College Assistant Professor of Education Laura M. O’Dwyer, a co-editor of the journal, which is housed jointly in the Technology and Assessment Study Collaborative (inTASC) and the Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation and Educational Policy (CSTEEP) at Boston College.

The journal includes co-editor and Lynch School researcher Damian Bebell’s evaluation of a pilot program in Massachusetts’ Berkshire County. Bebell found the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative produced improved performance in English and writing, though results for math achievement were flat. Overwhelmingly, the laptops got students excited about school.

Bebell said that across all of the studies contained in the journal, one common link is clear: the value of teachers committed to making 1:1 computing work.

“One of the most salient findings was the critical role that teachers played in the success of each 1:1 program,” Bebell said. Additional factors critical to student success across 1:1 technology settings included:

• Having a strong commitment from school leadership
• Developing consistent and supportive administrative policies
• Creating professional development opportunities for teachers, particularly the sharing of best practices

All of the studies that examined the impact of 1:1 computing on student achievement found that students in the 1:1 settings outperformed their traditional classroom peers on English/Language Arts standardized tests by a statistically significant margin. Study authors also reported on evidence of increased student motivation and engagement, as well as changes in teachers’ instructional practices.