A Systematic Review of One-to-One Access to Laptop Computing in K-12 Classrooms: An Investigation of Factors that Influence Program Impact

In 2005, Nicholas Negroponte stepped onto the stage at TED and challenged the audience: “What would happen if we gave every student a laptop computer?” Ten years later, and twenty-five years after the first laptop program, this dissertation attempts to answer that question using two systematic review procedures, case survey analysis and mixed effects meta-analysis. Literature searches and review resulted in 162 primary studies being included in the case survey of which 88 studies yielding 231 effect sizes and representing approximately 116,150 participants, were selected for the meta-analysis. The case survey analysis revealed that typically, programs were co-educational, involving public middle schools, and conducted at the board or district levels. Program theories, whether stated or inferred clustered around three main themes: technology-enhanced environments, technology-enhanced instruction, and computers as mind tools or learning tools. Program goals were numerous and varied, but centered on technology use and proficiency, achievement, questions of technology equity, and improved instruction. The meta-analysis revealed that one-to-one computing had an impact on five of the six outcomes tested: technology use (mean effect size 0.53), technology proficiency (0.29), student achievement (0.23), student engagement (0.15), and student satisfaction (0.26). Attendance was not significant (0.00). The general effects were moderated in expected and unexpected ways – technology use was moderated by program theory and year, technology proficiency was moderated by technology use and duration, and achievement was moderated by program size, participant age, program year, technology integration, duration, and teacher-centered instruction. Explanations were proposed for these findings, and new directions for future research outlined

Design for Accessible Collaborative Engagement: Making online synchronous collaborative learning more accessible for students with sensory impairments.

This thesis looks at the accessibility of collaborative learning and the barriers to engagement experienced by blind/visually impaired (BVI) students and deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) students. It focuses specifically on online synchronous collaborative learning after establishing that this format presented the greatest barriers, and that these student groups were not engaging. Taking a design-based research (DBR) approach, five studies were undertaken to identify these barriers and determine potential interventions. The product of the research, a result of collaborative design by the participants in the study, is a framework for accessible collaborative engagement represented in the form of an interactive website model, the Model for Accessible Collaborative Engagement (MACE). The studies involved representatives of all stakeholders in the collaborative learning process at the institution (the Open University): students, tutors, modules teams, academics, support staff, and the student union Disabled Students Group. These studies took the form of an online survey of 327 students, 10 interviews with staff and students, 6 staff workshops and a collaborative design focus group. With significant representation of the target groups (BVI and DHH) in all studies, and taking an iterative approach to the design, evaluation and construction of the framework model, the studies established that barriers existed in four main categories covering different themes: 1. Communications: aural, visual, screen reading and navigation, text and captioning, lip reading and non-verbal communications, interpretation and third-party communications, mode control, and synchronisation. 2. Emotional and Social Factors: familiarisation, support networks, self-advocacy, opting out, cognitive load, and stress and anxiety. 3. Provisioning and Technical Factors: dissemination, speed and pacing of sessions, staff training, participation control, group size, technical provisioning, and recordings. 4. Activity and Session Design: Volume of materials, advance materials, accessible materials, accessible activities, and session formats. Interventions were designed that could reduce the barriers in each of these categories and themes by adjustments and changes from both the student and institutional standpoints. MACE is designed to be utilised by both students and staff to provide guidance and suggestions on how to identify and acknowledge these barriers and implement interventions to reduce them. This research represents an original and essential contribution to the field of investigation. As well as informing future research inquiry, the model can be used by all participants and stakeholders in online collaborative learning to help reduce barriers for BVI and DHH students and improve inclusivity in synchronous online events