Last year, Tablets for Schools commissioned a team of specialist researchers to carry out a scoping study to explore the possibilities of tablet learning in schools. The study took place between April and July 2012 in three schools where all pupils use tablets.

Our research revealed many issues faced by schools as well as exciting insights and a genuine desire to embrace tablet technology. Click here for our key findings.

Next steps

Now our focus is on the ‘bigger picture’ of implementing a tablet for each pupil in every UK school. We’ll examine areas highlighted in our scoping study along with issues the Department of Education confirmed as contributing factors when they come to consider supporting 1:1 tablets in schools.

This research is set to start in January 2013 and will continue until September 2013. We’ll focus on Year 7 (a transition stage as these 11 year olds enter secondary school), while taking into account the impact of 1:1 tablet use on the whole school.

We will look at:

Teacher, pupil & parent engagement and Pedagogy

How 1:1 Tablet use:

• changes pedagogy (the way teachers teach and children learn)
• effects pupil attainment
• changes pupil inclusion (i.e. ensuring all children are given the same access to ICT)
• effects teacher participation, engagement and training
• effects changes in pupil engagement in education
• effects parental engagement in school and education.

Hardware

We will assess the Hardware and compare Tablets, in particular:

• Safety
• Security
• Functions
• Robustness
• Training (teachers, pupils, parents).

Content

Delivering functional curriculum content via the Tablet

• How do teachers use, create and adapt Content for their teaching
• What are the gaps in content provision, and best examples are cited by schools
• The potential of a portal that is easily accessed and provides reliable material that is satisfactory to teachers, pupils and parents.

Infrastructure and Funding

• An important part of our research is to understand how schools will handle the extra demand on band width that will be needed to service all-pupil use of Tablet devices.
• How funding is structured

Schools currently using 1:1 Tablets

• An assessment of four state funded UK schools currently using tablets
• A measurement of the tangible cost savings and efficiencies based on savings on textbooks, photocopying, paper, administration, based on those schools currently using tablets and rolled out to include those involved in the trial.
• A measurement of any improvement to pupil wellbeing and learning based on the effects of having access to the internet at all times for all pupils, the effects of learning in an autonomous way, and the way in which pupils can be creative in their learning and understanding of subjects.
• A measurement of teachers, pupils and parents and their perception of the benefits of tablets for pupils plus any perceived drawbacks.

Pedagogy

…to include teacher perception, changes in teaching style, new teaching models, teacher training, teacher-pupil relations

• Pupil engagement and motivation to learn – benefits for SEN – transition
• Peer to peer pupil affect – the contrast between those with and those without Tablets
• Parental Engagement – impact of tablets at home – parental engagement with school
• Content – what is used – how it is used – what is needed