Does use of touch screen computer technology (Apples’ ‘iPad’) improve classroom

engagement in children?

Dougie Marks Tim LaxtonLecturer Researcher

University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow University

• Dougie Marks BA, MSc: – Health Psychologist, Lecturer in Alcohol & Drug

Studies at UWS, Researcher in Health & Education

• Tim Laxton BA, PgD:– MSc Student at UWS, Researcher in Health,

Sociology, & Education

• Dr Leah Marks BSc, PgCert HE:– Lecturer at the Medical School of Glasgow

University, Researcher in Technology & Education

Overview

• Engagement in the classroom – why is it important?

• Gender variations in attainment potentially related to engagement

• What role can the iPad play in this?

Engagement in the Classroom

• The problem of classroom engagement.• Seems to be important in relation to academic

success. • Engagement encompasses meaningful

involvement in the learning process

Exposure of young people to excessive stimuli

Community environment

School environment

Expectancies of young people

Cognitive characteristics

(Vacca & Vacca, 1999)

Factors impacting

Engagement

Why is engagement important?

• Positively correlates with several factors: 1) school attendance (Voelkl, 1995),2) achievement (Connell et al, 1994) 3) a sense of belonging (Goodenow, 1993)4) confidence regarding to achievement (Schunk &

Zimmerman, 1994).

Antisocial behaviour is inversely associated with engagement (Jenkins, 1995).

Problems of current education• Why is engagement a problem?• Education was NEVER designed with the needs of young people at

the heart• What we are educating young people for?• Educating for Victorian era

• Volatility of the job market, growing job instability, technological changes

• Predicted that students of today could have up multiple careers – not jobs – in their working life (estimates vary).

• The end of rote learning • Emphasizing a holistic educational experience

A Twofold Problem

• 1) Lack of job vacancies• 2) Meeting employer demands– A ‘problem at the supply end’ of talent.

“Increasingly, employers complain that today’s young adults are not equipped with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st

century workforce” (Pathways to Prosperity, Harvard University, 2011).

Engagement Theory (Skinner and Belmont, 1993)

3) Cognitive engagement - intellectual faculties necessary to comprehend new information and skills (Fredricks

et al., 2005).

1) Behavioural engagement - concept of participation, (social, academic or extracurricular)

2) Emotional engagement - affective reactions (positive or negative) to those sharing the school environment.

Gender differences in attainment & engagement

• The gender gap is well documented, and widening.

• Began recording a gender gap with regards to educational attainment in 1988.

• Since 1995 this gap has remained roughly constant at around 10% in favour of girls (Department for Education, 2003).

What causes discrepancy in attainment?

• Present educational status-quo inherently uninteresting to boys? Un-engaging, resulting in poor academic performance (Jackson, Moore and Leon, 2010).

• Girls report significantly higher engagement than boys on all aspects of engagement (Fredricks et al, 2004).

• Potential biological differences, gender stereotyping, lack of role models, curricular design, staff motivation, involvement of parents, and home circumstances

• Lack of application of knowledge gained on gender differences to the classroom environment.

• Scotland – despite the broader inclusion agenda, there is a risk that gender issues become overlooked (Forde et al, 2006)

Present Study

• Aim: To evaluate the impact introduction of 1:1 iPad deployment on classroom engagement of school pupils

• Particularly interested in gender effects

Method – 2 components• Classroom comparison

– lesson with iPad Vs lesson without (‘traditional’ lesson)– Comparison of engagement

• Focus Groups– Classroom teacher groups– Pupil groups

– Ethical approval gained for both components of the study from the University of Glasgow School of Education

Measuring engagement*

*Utilized Engagement Theory and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Principles in construction

Observational Data• Observation and evaluation study conducted :• Without iPad - pupils working from texts book

only. 2 tasks– For pupils of p4/5 this meant replicating and

coloring in various shapes into their jotters from text books

– For pupils of p6 this meant reading a short story in a group setting, followed by answering

questions in textbooks

• With iPad- pupils given task to complete solely using tablet technology only, 2 tasks

• - for p4/5 this involved pupils selecting from a series of products and creating their own advertisement

• - for p6 this involved pupils creating a melody to accompany a re-written poem about each pupils own personal experience

• Aim of focus group was to ascertain the views of the teachers and classroom assistants in the use of tablet technology

• Highlighted a perceived positive effect on learning, behavioral and emotional responses by pupils using the tablet technology in a classroom environment.

• Teachers viewed ... “ability to search the web” “ easy to use word processor” “ use of applications such as

‘keynote’, teaches kids to give presentations”“ less confinements for all round learning”

... as positives when reviewing the use of iPads in the classroom.

• All children interviewed expressed a number of positive points for using the tablets in the classroom.

• More fun way of learning• Easy and helpful to work on• Access to web allowed more creativity in their work• Homework less of a chore • Increase in confidence for learning new things

Group Comparison Results

• Significant differences were found between iPad and control conditions

• With iPad, students scored higher on: • overall engagement• cognitive engagement • emotional engagement• but NOT behavioural engagement.

Overall Differences in Engagement

Gender analysis

• Same pattern of results in the overall analysis remained in males

• BUT no significant differences between the conditions for females’ engagement.

Gender Differences in Engagement

Is Technology the Answer?

Conclusions

• Use of the iPad in class appears to significantly impact boys engagement, and engagement in the whole sample.

• Suggests that it is helping a sub-section of girls to engage, potentially those who were particularly disengaged previously.

• Appears to raise the standard of class engagement to that potentially seen previously in girls who were already motivated to learn.

Acknowledgements

• Collaborators: Iain McPhee, Louise Cremin, Tim Laxton, Anthony Sneider, & Leah Marks

• Management: Ken Barrie• Cedars School: Lesley Rankin, Fraser Speirs, Andrew

Jewell, Owen Atkinson