Home PublicationsJRTEPast IssuesVolume 33 Number 5

Edited by Dr. David J. Ayersman, Mary Washington College, and Dr. W. Michael Reed, New York University

Volume 33 Number 5 Summer 2001

Benefits of Laptop Computers for Elementary Teachers

Christy J. Falba
Clark County School District

Karen J. Grove
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Donald G. Anderson
Delphi Research of Nevada, Inc.

LeAnn G. Putney
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to describe a range of benefits of laptop computers as perceived by two case groups. The first case consisted of 26 elementary teachers from 12 schools in a large, urban school district. Participants in the second case were eight educational computing strategists assigned to those schools. Data from the second case were used to examine the degree of similarity between cases. All data were collected through online surveys. Spradley’s model for domain analysis was used to categorize patterns of beneficial uses of laptops. Analysis revealed two broad categories: individual use benefits and group use benefits. Findings were that laptops:

1. provided convenient access to technology allowing teachers to bridge barriers of time and access to accelerate development of technology skills,
2. promoted classroom instructional use of technology when coupled with projection devices,
3. proved beneficial to teachers at all levels of teaching experience and computer skill level, and
4. were a positive factor in teachers’ decisions to remain in schools where they were teaching.

Technology is revolutionizing much of the way the world operates. Workplaces are changing, employment skills are shifting, and new knowledge is required to accommodate this rapid infusion of technology. People are having to learn new ways to relate to different information sources and to communicate globally, as well as locally (U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment [OTA], 1995).

Recognizing their responsibility to educate students for living and working in this technological society, school districts have increased their acquisition of technological innovations such as computers. It is estimated that every year from 1985–1995, between 300,000 and 400,000 computers have been added to school inventories. (OTA, 1995). Yet, despite the increasing need and availability of technology, one of the key findings of the OTA report was that “substantial numbers of teachers report little or no use of computers for instruction” (p. 1).

Many teachers are overwhelmed by the prospect of spending additional hours after school learning to use the computer-based technologies placed in their classrooms. Acquiring computer skills for instructional use takes time (Sheingold & Hadley, 1990), and time is one commodity that is in short supply in an already full school year. School districts are faced with the dilemma of how best to increase teacher proficiency in technology without experiencing a decrease in the amount of actual class time spent on student instruction. One initiative aimed at solving this problem is the Laptops for Teachers Project.

The Laptops for Teachers Project was developed by the Clark County (Nevada) School District (hereinafter referred to as District) and first implemented during the 1998–1999 school year. Its overall objective is to investigate the use of portable computing devices as a means of providing teachers with access to technology both inside and outside the classroom. The Laptops for Teachers Project was made possible with funding provided by the state of Nevada through Senate Bill 482, 61.2.2. This funding was earmarked for professional development in schools identified as having student populations deemed to be at-risk. District staff members designed the project after consultation with teachers and administrators; persons who could offer a field-based perspective regarding what would be of most benefit to them.

When decision makers were confronted with the choice of purchasing either fixed or portable computing equipment, it became obvious to the coordinator of elementary instructional technology (hereinafter referred to as Coordinator) that, as a group, teachers wanted to be part of the process and that their input would be valuable. However, the original project evaluation addressed only the two stated goals for the project:

1. to augment the technology and skills of teachers in select schools and
2. to determine what staff development was necessary for the teachers to reach a level of competence that resulted in regular and varied use of the laptops.

No research had been designed to identify the benefits of the laptops as perceived by the participants in the program.

The purpose of this study was twofold:

1. to characterize the benefits of laptops as perceived by the teachers who had used them in the project during the 1998–1999 school year and
2. to identify the degree of similarity in the perceptions of use between the teachers who used laptops and the educational computing strategists (ECS) who observed their use.

Nature of the Program

The Laptops for Teachers Project was implemented in 12 schools of the Elementary Division of the Clark County School District in the 1998–1999 school year. The participating schools were selected from a list of potential candidates provided by the Federal Programs Department of the Clark County School District. Eligibility was based on two criteria: (1) the socioeconomic (SES) status of the school and (2) a school’s specific needs with regard to technology. In general, schools were chosen in order to achieve a balanced distribution across geographical and administrative subdivisions of the District. However, schools with affirmative site leadership, ready to take advantage of the new technology, received favorable consideration. Preference was also given to those schools with higher percentages of students receiving free and reduced lunch subsidies. Moreover, as a means of correcting inequities within the district, schools with aging equipment or fewer overall numbers of computers were deliberately kept on the list.

Twenty Grade K–5 teachers (and the ECS or appointed technology person [ATP] at each of the 12 pilot schools) were chosen to participate in the project. Most of the teachers were required to submit a written application beforehand. Once selected, teachers signed a “use agreement,” which included stipulations that they would have Internet connectivity, submit five technology lesson plans to the Coordinator, complete a weekly use report online, attend professional development sessions, and provide insurance coverage for the laptops.

Each participant received a laptop computer for use both during and away from school, a laser printer for the classroom, and a color inkjet printer for home use. In addition, each school received four projection devices, a flatbed scanner, and a digital camera. Software provided for the laptop computers included Microsoft Office (1983–2000), ClarisWorks (now AppleWorks, 1991–2000), Inspiration (1988–2000), Tabletop Jr./Sr. (1995), WebWhacker (2000), Kid Pix (1989–2001), and TimeLiner (2001).

Instruction in the use of the laptop computer was provided by the ECSs from nine of the schools. They also assisted with the training sessions held at the three schools without ECSs of their own. Each teacher was paid for 30 hours of professional development that included the following topics: the basics of working with the laptop computer, multimedia, Internet resources, graphing, and problem solving. This professional development time consisted of training sessions scheduled throughout the school year aimed at enhancing teacher expertise in using the computer as a resource (e.g., Internet resources for teachers and multimedia) and as a teaching tool (e.g., Inspiration [1988–2000] to record a class brainstorming session, Tabletop Sr. [1995] to demonstrate Venn diagram concepts).

A review of the literature on teacher use of laptops in schools was undertaken for two purposes:

1. to understand what was already known about the use of laptops by teachers and
2. to identify methodology and instrumentation that had been employed by other scholars and that might be of use for our study.

With regard to the search for model tools and methodologies, no studies were found that provided any resources for this evaluation. However, four research studies were found that specifically addressed the use of laptops by teachers in elementary or middle schools. The findings from the four studies are summarized in the following paragraphs.

In a study conducted with middle school teachers in South Dakota, Weast, Parry, and Peterson (1993) found that teachers supplied with portable computers increased their daily use of computers from 11% to 56% and their weekly use of computers from 35% to 75%. In the Sioux Falls School District, all middle school teachers, administrators, and professional support staff received a portable computer and 10 hours of training. Teachers were allowed to use the computers at home as well as in the classroom. When asked to list professional advantages of the portable computers, 42% of the educators cited the constant availability, which allowed them to work at home as well as throughout the school day. They further stated that this increased accessibility resulted in greater organization and efficiency, better assignments to meet students’ needs, and more communication with parents and other teachers.

One-third of the participants noted advantages relating to growth in teacher confidence and knowledge of computers, as well as improved record keeping. Overall, 95% of the respondents believed the project had extremely positive effects for them professionally. The results of this project showed that portable computers increased teacher interaction and collaboration resulting in new instructional ideas and strategies and increased student use of computers, as teachers became more confident computer users. Teachers also became more productive with management tasks and instructional preparation. No data were provided on classroom instructional use.

In a series of case studies of teachers who used portable multimedia computers in schools, Phillips, Bailey, and Fisher (1999) found that nearly all teachers showed gains in information technology skills as the computer activities became a part of their regular work. The study involved a representative sample of 60 teachers from more than 500 schools in England and Wales. The teachers were provided with portable computers for a period of one year to develop competence and confidence. They were encouraged to use the computers at home for personal and school-related work. The authors believed the value of portability provided by the laptop allowed teachers the flexibility to move their work between home and school, resulting in development of information technology skills. Some examples of use with students were listed, but the discussion focused on the development of personal information technology skills of the teachers.

In Gold’s (1999) review of a districtwide project, 300 teachers were provided with multimedia, Internet-capable laptop computers for personal use and school activities. Findings indicate that an environment for long-term use of technology was established when teachers were provided with portable computers and supported by aggressive staff development. The computer was viewed not merely as a part of school, but also a part of life that everyone (teachers and students) needed to learn. Specific advantages noted with the introduction of the laptops were:

1. positive attitudes and increased communication among teachers,
2. greater flexibility in the delivery of staff development,
3. more instances of cooperative learning, and
4. more time for experimenting with technology because of the ability to take the laptops home.

No information was provided on specific instructional uses with students.

Results from the second year of the Microsoft Corporation and Toshiba America Information Systems Laptop Pilot Program (Rockman, Chessler, & Walker, 1998) provided additional insights. The program began in the fall of 1996 at 29 school sites across the United States. Students and teachers in Grades 5–12 in both public and private schools received laptop computers for school and home use. The study, which covered the 1997–98 school year, included information on students, teachers, and instructional activities with the laptops. Findings from the survey of 144 teachers indicated that laptops were used most frequently for word processing (98%). This included activities such as creating student assignments, study guides, newsletters, and tests. Additional activities included writing evaluations, creating graphic organizers, and editing student work. The second most common use was accessing the Internet for research and preparation of lessons and presentations (84%). The next most common uses in approximately equal amounts were sending and receiving e-mail (68%), creating spreadsheets (67%), and using presentation software (69%). E-mail was used to exchange information with colleagues, parents, and students. Spreadsheets were used for administrative tasks such as attendance and grades, and presentation software was used to deliver lessons in conjunction with these devices for presentations. Sample lesson descriptions were included showing the different software tools used at various grade levels. However, no data were collected from the teachers regarding specific instructional activities.

Methodology

The purpose of our study was to describe a range of benefits of laptop computers as perceived by two case groups and to examine the degree of similarity in the perceptions of those groups. Data were collected through online surveys consisting of 12 questions that elicited demographic information and written responses.

The first case group consisted of teachers identified as frequent and visible users of laptop computers. It was our intent to select information-rich cases to provide an in-depth understanding of the beneficial uses of laptops in the elementary setting, similar to Patton (1987).

The second case sample was composed of ECSs who were assigned to schools in the project. Data from the second case were used to validate the beneficial uses reported by the first-case participants. Results were examined from an exploratory perspective using methodology that was primarily qualitative in nature with an added quantitative component. No test of the program was proposed, and there was no intent to describe changes in perceptions that would have required measures over time. All interactions were conducted through online correspondence.

Participants and Setting

Because the focus of this study was to examine the benefits of laptop use at the elementary level, we sought teachers who had experience using the laptops in their work. Administrators were asked to identify teachers who were “frequent and visible users of the laptops” and forward their names to the Coordinator. Of the 36 teachers recommended, 26 ultimately responded and were included in the first case study. This group included 20 Grade K–5 classroom teachers, 1 art teacher, 2 music teachers, and 3 Title 1 teachers. Additionally, ECSs who participated in the project were asked by the Coordinator to complete an online survey. Eight of nine ECSs responded and were included in the second case study.

Data Collection

We designed and administered two online survey instruments for our study: one for the teacher case group and a second for the ECS case group.

The instrument for the teacher case group was composed of three questions that elicited demographic information about the respondents, one question that required a categorical answer, and eight questions that were open-ended and elicited responses that were qualitative in nature.

The instrument for the ECS case group contained one question requiring a categorical answer and 11 open-ended questions eliciting responses that were qualitative in nature. Three of the questions were identical on both surveys. Six of the questions asked for the same information but from different perspectives, and three of the questions sought different information from each case group.

The Coordinator, as an administrator in the District, e-mailed surveys to each of the teachers in the first-case group. The surveys contained instructions that asked respondents to “complete the following questionnaire with as much detail and description as possible.” Additionally, the Coordinator sent surveys through District e-mail with the same instructions to the ECSs in the second-case group. Anonymity was guaranteed to both groups. Once surveys were returned, they were printed, coded for analysis, and separated into the two case groups.

Data Analysis

First Case

Data from the first case group were first analyzed for demographic information. Of the 26 respondents, teaching experience ranged from 2 to 27 years. For purposes of this study, the respondents were grouped into three ranges of teaching experience: those in the novice stage with 2–3 years of experience, teachers with 4–9 years of experience, and those with 10 or more years of experience. Respondents were also asked to identify their level of computer experience when they received the laptop. Seven considered themselves beginners, and 19 identified themselves as intermediate computer users. None of the teachers regarded themselves as expert users.

Table 1 contains a distribution of the respondents according to years of teaching experience and experience with computers. The respondents are further categorized according to grade levels as: primary (K–2), intermediate (3–5), or other (art, music, etc.). As indicated in the table, nine teachers had 2–3 years of teaching experience. Three of these nine rated themselves at the beginner level of computer experience and six at the intermediate level. All nine of the teachers with 4–9 years of experience rated themselves at the intermediate level of computer use. Equal numbers of beginner and intermediate computer users were found among the eight teachers possessing 10 or more years of teaching experience. Analysis of the teachers by grade level shows 9 primary grade (K–2) teachers, 11 intermediate grade (3–5) teachers, and 6 teachers who taught in other areas such as art, music, or Title 1.

Table 1. Case 1 Teacher Respondents by Years of Teaching, Computer Experience Level, and Grade Level
	2–3 Years Teaching Experience				4–9 Years Teaching Experience				10 or More Years Teaching Experience
	B		I		B		I		B		I
Primary	2		1		—		4		1		1
Intermediate	—		5		—		3		1		2
Other	1		—		—		2		2		1
Total	3		6		0		9		4		4
B = beginning computer experience level. I = intermediate computer experience level.

We performed a content analysis of the first-case responses to identify the respondents’ perceptions regarding the beneficial uses of the laptops they had been given. Initially, data were categorized into meaningful clusters. Spradley’s (1980) model for domain analysis was then used to code these clusters or patterns into cover terms. The analysis employed the semantic relationship of function in the form of “X is used for Y,” where X was the laptop and Y represented the cover term for themes of use, for example, “the laptop is used for communication.” Table 2 shows the cover terms constructed from the data showing the semantic relationship of function for “beneficial uses of the laptop.”

Table 2. Domain Analysis of Beneficial Uses of the Laptop
X	is used for	Y
A laptop	is used for	convenient access to technology.
		building teacher confidence.
		communication.
		lesson plans.
		data management.
		creating materials.
		resource gathering.
		student use.
		alternative learning opportunity.
		visual organization of learning processes.
		visually enhanced instruction.
		student presentations.
		attracting student interest and attention.
		student motivation.
		modeling software use.
		researching online.

Further examination of data provided additional subdomains for classifying specific beneficial uses of laptops. Analysis revealed two broad categories: individual use benefits—where only one person benefited from laptop use at a time—and group use—where many individuals benefited from laptop use at a time. Figure 1 shows the taxonomic analysis of beneficial uses classified in the individual or group use categories. Spradley’s (1980) taxonomic model was used to show the relationship among the cover terms in these two categories. First, we delineate the individual use category illustrated by instances cited in the actual survey responses. Second, we describe the group use category illustrated by quotes from the survey responses

Figure 1. Taxonomic analysis of individual and group use benefits noted by teachers.

The individual use category was subdivided into three areas:

1. factors that promote individual teacher growth of computer skills,
2. professional productivity activities for the teacher, and
3. instances of individual student use of the laptops.

In the category of individual teacher growth, items such as portability, doing work at home, mobility, and saving time formed the subset convenient access. A comment from Teacher L illustrated this point: “I have learned many programs at home while waiting for my laundry to dry! Working at home gives me the freedom to work when I have the time and interest to learn.” The building confidence subset consisted of such items as: decreasing fear of the computer, increasing teacher motivation and interest in technology, developing technology skills, and building teacher confidence. The subset communication included items such as composing memos, creating newsletters, generating progress reports, e-mail, developing informational literature for parents, and creating presentations for parents. All of these subsets formed a category indicating individual teacher growth in the domain of beneficial uses of the laptop.

In the category of professional productivity, items such as creating and modifying lesson plans at home or school and using templates to write lesson plans formed the subset lesson plans. Teacher A noted:

My laptop allows me to create more professional looking handouts and letters to parents, it has allowed me to create images to display in my classroom, and it makes me more productive because I can write my lesson plans on a template.

Items such as keeping records and grades, creating seating charts, storing records for next year, efficiently organizing student data and progression, and tracking missing assignments were organized in the subset of data management. Generating class worksheets and homework sheets, creating graphic organizers and transparencies, and adding graphics to vocabulary lists for second language learners were samples of items classified in creating materials. The area of resource gathering included items such as locating online information for use with students, downloading Web sites, conducting online research, and online assistance for teaching ideas and materials.

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Copyright © 2001, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). All rights reserved.