Other perceptual comparisons of interest: Overall there was sufficient support by students and parents for continuation of the PDA program (see Figure 3). At the same time, a strange twist was noticed when perceptions were gathered on whether or not other schools should follow the lead of this school. Although parents seemed to be in agreement with the PDA program, in that they purchased a PDA for their child, they showed some concern that other schools might follow their lead. Further study of this dichotomy of parental beliefs might reveal some interesting hopes and misgivings they may have for the program.
Figure 3: Parents and students agree that PDAs should continue to be used in school
Staff members had the most
divergent perceptions and thus it was often difficult to measure their
support for continuing the program: Highly divergent perceptions on
15 of 27 statements (56%); a moderate amount of divergent perceptions
on 7 of 27 statements (26%); agreement of perceptions on 5 of 27 statements
(19%).
It may be that PDAs are not being used as effectively as they could be, or that there are other factors that influence the perceptions of relative advantage of the tool by individual teachers. It may be useful to seek out available educational PDA applications and match applications with curricular areas.
Changes to improve the questionnaire
Participants were asked if PDAs were best used for such purposes as word processing or mathematics. Rather than the stated “best use of PDAs”, a gentler “suitable use of PDAs” may have elicited more support from participants. Additional changes to questionnaire statements could be:
• Should more software applications have been used?
• (For parents) Should the school have purchased PDAs for student use?
• (For staff) Should staff have been trained on a wider scope of PDA use, such as in science or mathematics?
• (For staff) Would increased staff involvement in the planning of a PDA program improve staff attitudes towards the use of PDAs in school?
• (For students) An open ended question may have been useful in asking students what additional uses in school PDAs might have
Conclusion The current computer technology of choice in most K-12 school districts is the desktop computer. However they are expensive and not portable. While laptop computers are portable, they are often more costly than desktop computers, and are considerably more fragile. Thus, one middle school in Western Canada initiated a PDA program. A group-specific questionnaire was developed in order to gain student, parent, and staff perceptions of the value and function of the PDA program.
The results indicate possible areas for improving the PDA program, specifically in the area of PDA curriculum integration into certain subject areas. It also appears that by using a wider variety of PDA software applications, the PDA program could be strengthened. Analysis of the questionnaires shows that there were possible problems with the wording of some of the questionnaire statements. It is believed that the altering and addition of different questionnaire statements, plus employing a larger sample, might yield more significant survey results.
Generally, students, parents and teachers felt that using PDAs was an important addition to their educational experience. It is important to emphasize that students, parents and teachers all strongly agreed that PDAs helped to enhance and support students in the areas of: a) collaboration; b) work effectiveness; and c) their technology knowledge.
It is interesting to note the differences between ninth grade and seventh grade students regarding their opinion on whether PDAs or laptops were preferable. The ninth grade students were divided. On the other hand, seventh grade students had a preference for PDAs. Ninth grade students had three years experience with PDAs in contrast with seventh grade students who only had one year of PDA experience. The differences between ninth grade and seventh grade students could be attributed to a variety of explanations:
- Novelty for seventh grade students who only used PDAs for less than one year
- Frustration with small screen size for ninth grade students who used PDAs for almost three years
- Laptops currently having more capacity and capabilities than the PDAs in use
Staff members showed a great deal of diversity in their perceptions of the PDA program. It might be possible to improve staff attitudes through professional development initiatives that are tailored to support curricular integration of PDAs.
It appears that parents have a somewhat idealistic view of the impact of PDA technology on student learning. It might be possible that parents perceived their children as special because they were selected for inclusion in the PDA program. Overall, this study provides some insight into the use of PDAs in specific context in seventh and ninth grade. However, it raises many questions as well. Further research is needed to measure the effect of PDA use on a variety of results including course completion, learning outcomes, and development of social skills. More work needs to be done to identify critical areas where PDAs or other handheld technology devices can enhance and support student learning.
Footnotes
1Alberta Education provides illustrative examples to clarify
the intent of the curriculum (http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/ict/ie.asp).
A classroom assessment toolkit is also available to assist teachers
with student assessment. Kits are available for grades K-12 from (http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/ict).
2In support of
the ICT curriculum and the use of technology as a tool for problem solving,
the Government of Alberta has initiated a number of exploratory projects,
such as LearnAlberta.ca and digital video teleconferencing initiatives.
Alberta SuperNet (http://www.albertasupernet.ca)
(Restructuring and Government Efficiency) is now operational throughout
the province. SuperNet comprises a high-capacity wide area network,
connecting schools, hospitals, libraries, and government offices. LearnAlberta.ca
(http://www.learnalberta.ca/login.aspx
) also provides resources for teachers, students, and parents, for
kindergarten to grade 12.
3A
PDA is a small hand-held processor-based device that replicates many
of the functions of a desktop computer. A key value of a PDA is that
it can be carried in a pocket or purse because of its small size and
lightweight construction. Even though PDAs have a small viewing screen,
they are viable alternatives to laptop computers because of greater
mobility and a lower purchase price. The cost of a PDA varies according
to functionality, memory size, and accessory features, but is usually
less expensive than desktop and laptop computers. Files created with
PDA applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, slide shows,
and personal organizers can be synced with computer versions of the
same applications. For improved data entry, light-weight, folding keyboards
are available. Various software applications can create new functions
for the PDA. For example, mathematical applications can be used to create
visual representations of mathematical concepts, aiding in student understanding.
About the Authors
 |
Carol
Allan is a middle school teacher in western Canada. Her
current teaching assignment is instructing computer technology to
7th, 8th, and 9th grade students. She has recently completed a master's
degree in instructional technology in education at the University
of Alberta in Edmonton. |
 |
Dr.
Mike Carbonaro is an associate professor in the department
of educational psychology at the University of Alberta, Canada.
His research interests include cognition, learning, and educational
technology. |
 |
Dr.
George Buck is an associate professor in the department
of educational psychology at the University of Alberta, Canada.
His research interests include: the development of computers and
instructional devices in education, learning, research methodologies,
and the history of psychology. |
