Title: Setting students free with tablets: a multi-method evaluation of an educational technology intervention

Authors: Gavin T.L. Brown; Kumar Laxman; Hasan Ali

Addresses: Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand ' Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand ' Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

Abstract: Technology resources (e.g., tablets and websites) have the potential to extend school-based curriculum. Self-directed access to those computer resources has potential to improve learning outcomes. A multi-method case study evaluation of providing students with tablets as a self-directed learning tool for mathematics was carried out in a low socio-economic high school in New Zealand. Focus group interviews explored student experience with the tablets and the Khan Academy video tutorials for mathematics. A quasi-experimental analysis of pre- and post-test results showed no statistically significant advantage in mathematics achievement for the intervention students. Improvement in teacher rated classroom behaviour was positively correlated with achievement gains, teacher rated quality of classroom work was positively correlated with the number of times the tablets were borrowed from the school library and the length of time the tablets were borrowed. These correlations suggest that free, unmonitored access to tablets was associated with improved learning outcomes and behaviour. However, the evaluation clearly shows that integrating tablet access with classroom practices would be a valid direction to further improvement in student outcomes.

Keywords: tablets; mathematics education; Khan Academy; high school students; mathematics achievement; educational technology; case study; self-directed learning; high schools; New Zealand; video tutorials; classroom behaviour; classroom work quality; free access; unmonitored access; learning outcomes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMILE.2016.077585

International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments, 2016 Vol.4 No.2, pp.137 - 151

Received: 01 Jul 2015
Accepted: 28 Dec 2015
Published online: 06 Jul 2016 *

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