Learning with handheld technologies

This is a handbook from FutureLab technologies.


Introduction and context

Wolverhampton Local Authority wants to improve ICT skills across the city and believes that the personal ownership of handhelds could contribute positively to this by increasing collaborative learning and consequently raising standards (as measured in SATs scores). Additionally, the LA aims to reduce the digital divide, foster links between home and school and enable student enthusiasm to lead innovations in learning and teaching, thus helping to embed ICT within the curriculum.

Main aims of the project

The overarching aim of the Learning2Go project was to explore the pedagogical aspects of implementing handheld technologies as collaborative tools, leading to ubiquitous computing. The participant schools (both primary and secondary institutions) aimed to discover the potential of handhelds when distributed as a personal, owned resource. The learners had total ownership of the devices for use both at school, and at home. Schools had diverse aims which included: to discover the potential of the handheld as a ubiquitous tool for Year 6 pupils and to increase parental involvement with school-based learning as a result; to allow children to share and have the opportunity to use the handheld whenever they deemed it appropriate; the provision of 24/7 access to technology via handhelds to encourage student independence and motivation; to raise standards in mathematics and impact positively on attendance, punctuality and behaviour; to increase access to ICT, develop a positive attitude to learning by the students and raise SATs results; to widen access to ICT; to increase ICT in the curriculum with a view to raising standards in KS3 science SATs; to allow for collaborative learning and provide fun, thus encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their own learning.




Source: http://www.futurelab.org.uk/research/handbooks/05_05.htm