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A Survey of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) Use in a Middle School Environment: Perceptions of Teachers, Parents, and Students

Carol Allan, Mike Carbonaro, and George Buck

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References

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Appendix A

Questionnaire for School Staff

  1. How long have you been teaching? 0 – 10 years, 11 – 20 years, 21 – 30 years, more than 30 years
  2. Our students do their schoolwork more effectively when using their PDAs than without them.
  3. Our students find their PDA preferable to laptop/notebook computers because PDAs have more portability.
  4. Our students digitally communicate with other students using their PDAs.
  5. Our students collaborate with other students while using their PDAs.
  6. Our students find PDA screens sufficiently large for doing schoolwork.
  7. Our students are better problem solvers when using their PDA than without them.
  8. Our students access information from the Internet with their PDAs.
  9. Our students make multimedia presentations on their PDAs. (Multimedia - using pictures, and/or animations, and/or sound, and/or music, etc)
  10. Our students keep written assignments free of spelling errors by using their PDAs.
  11. Our students use their PDAs to send files to other PDAs or computers.
  12. Our students make a table, chart, or graph with their PDAs.
  13. Our students use a spreadsheet program to enter and manipulate data on their PDAs.
  14. Our students are better organized because of the calendar/organizer on their PDAs.
  15. Our students are glad to be part of the PDA program.
  16. Our students believe that PDAs are more useful with a wireless network.
  17. Our students consider PDAs to be small computers.
  18. Our students know more about computer technology because of using PDAs.
  19. The parents of our students think PDAs are quite useful for the money they cost.
  20. I think other schools should use PDAs in their classrooms.
  21. PDAs are the only kind of computer technology some of our students have at home.
  22. Our students have occasionally lost work because of a low battery or a technical problem on their PDAs.
  23. Our students believe that the best use of a PDA is for word processing.
  24. Our students are comfortable working with PDAs.
  25. If our students could make a technological recommendation to their teacher/principal, it would be that PDAs continue to be used in our school.
  26. Our students believe that PDAs are most useful for their calculating ability.
  27. Our students enjoy reading for enjoyment on their PDAs.
  28. Our students are more fortunate than their parents in that they have computer technology to assist them in their education.
  29. Our students believe that the best use of a PDA is for research.

Appendix B

Questionnaire for Parents

  1. My son/daughter does his/her schoolwork more effectively when using his/her PDA than without it.
  2. My son/daughter finds his/her PDA preferable to a laptop/notebook computer because it has more portability.
  3. My son/daughter digitally communicates with other people using his/her PDA.
  4. My son/daughter collaborates with other students using his/her PDA.
  5. My son/daughter finds the PDA screens sufficiently large for doing his/her schoolwork.
  6. My son/daughter is a better problem solver when using his/her PDA.
  7. My son/daughter easily access information from the Internet with his/her PDA.
  8. My son/daughter makes multimedia presentations on his/her PDA. (Multimedia - using pictures, and/or animations, and/or sound, and/or music, etc)
  9. My son/daughter keeps written assignments free of spelling errors by using his/her PDA.
  10. My son/daughter uses his/her PDA to send files to other PDAs or computers.
  11. My son/daughter makes a table, chart, or graph on his/her PDA.
  12. My son/daughter works with a spreadsheet program to enter and manipulate data on his/her PDA.
  13. My son/daughter is better organized because of using the calendar/organizer on his/her PDA.
  14. My son/daughter is glad to be part of the PDA program.
  15. My son/daughter believes that a PDA is more useful with a wireless network.
  16. My son/daughter considers a PDA to be a small computer.
  17. My son/daughter knows more about computer technology because of using a PDA.
  18. My son/daughter is less concerned about computer viruses or hackers when using a PDA as compared to when using desktop computers.
  19. My son/daughter thinks a PDA is quite useful for the money it costs.
  20. My son/daughter thinks other schools should use PDAs in their classrooms.
  21. My son/daughter's PDA is the only type of computer technology we have at home.
  22. My son/daughter has lost work because of a low battery or a technical problem with his/her PDA.
  23. My son/daughter believes that the best use of a PDA is for word processing.
  24. My son/daughter is comfortable working with a PDA.
  25. If my son/daughter could make a technological recommendation to his/her teacher/principal, it would be that PDAs continue to be used in his/her school.
  26. My son/daughter believes that PDAs are most useful for their calculating ability.
  27. My son/daughter read books for enjoyment on his/her PDA.
  28. My son/daughter is more fortunate than I was in that he/she has computer technology to assist him/her in his/her education.
  29. My son/daughter is able to sync data between his/her PDA and a desktop computer.

Appendix C

Questionnaire for Students

  1. Please check the appropriate box. I am male or female.
  2. I can do my schoolwork more effectively when using my PDA than without it.
  3. My PDA is preferable to a laptop/notebook computer because it has more portability.
  4. I digitally communicate with other students using my PDA.
  5. I collaborate with other students while using my PDA.
  6. Even though my PDA screen is small, it is sufficiently large for doing my schoolwork.
  7. I am a better problem solver using my PDA than without it.
  8. I easily access information from the Internet with my PDA.
  9. I make multimedia presentations on my PDA. (Multimedia - using pictures, and/or animations, and/or sound, and/or music, etc)
  10. I keep written assignments free of spelling errors by using my PDA.
  11. I use my PDA to send files to other PDAs or computers, and to teachers and other students.
  12. I make a table, chart, or graph on my PDA.
  13. I use a spreadsheet program to enter and manipulate data on my PDA.
  14. I am better organized because of the calendar/organizer on my PDA.
  15. I am glad to be part of the PDA program.
  16. PDAs are good substitutes for laptops/notebooks.
  17. My PDA is more useful with a wireless network.
  18. PDAs have helped me learn about computer technology.
  19. I am not as concerned about computer viruses or hackers when I use a PDA as compared to when I use a desktop computer.
  20. I believe that my parents think PDAs are quite useful for the money they cost.
  21. I think other schools should use PDAs in their classrooms.
  22. My PDA is the only kind of computer technology I have at home.
  23. I have lost work because of a low battery or a technical problem with my PDA.
  24. The best use of a PDA is for word processing.
  25. I am comfortable working with a PDA.
  26. If I could make a technological recommendation to my principal, it would be that PDAs continue to be used in our school.
  27. My PDA is most useful for its calculating ability.
  28. I read books for enjoyment on my PDA.
  29. We are more fortunate than our parents in that we have computer technology to assist us in our education.
  30. My PDA is preferable to a laptop/notebook computer because I seldom have to charge it during the school day.
  31. I have more frequent access to Internet research because of my PDA.
  32. I became very confident in using my PDA within two months of receiving it.

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Meridian: A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal
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Volume 9, Issue 2, 2006
ISSN 1097-9778
URL: http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/sum2006/
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