Premium
Questioning teachers about their use of portable computers
Author(s) -
Phillips R.,
Bailey M.,
Fisher T.,
Harrison C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of computer assisted learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.583
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2729
pISSN - 0266-4909
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2729.1999.152087.x
Subject(s) - software portability , competence (human resources) , mathematics education , psychology , sample (material) , school teachers , multimedia , computer science , pedagogy , social psychology , chemistry , chromatography , programming language
This paper analyses case studies from the ‘Multimedia Portables for Teachers’ pilot project where two teachers in more than 500 English schools received portable computers to use at home and at school for one year to develop confidence and competence. In‐depth interviews with a representative sample of 60 of the teachers revealed a disparate range of uses that reflected teachers’ needs and interests, and often were imaginative and innovative. For nearly all the teachers the project was successful on a number of criteria: they gave time and commitment, they gained confidence, they increased their number of IT (information technology) skills, and certain IT activities became a natural and regular part of their work. Gains were evident regardless of the baseline from which they were starting. Issues discussed include the use of email and WWW, prior access to computers, use by the teacher's family, the value of portability, and the relationship with colleagues. Some practical recommendations are made for future schemes of this kind.