Guest Commentary: What Do We Know About the Impact of One-to-One Computing?

James Rosso, writing for K-12 computing Blueprint, took a look at a recent report "Laptop Initiatives: Summary of Research Across Six States." This is a white paper issued by North Carolina State University’s Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and it takes a close look at how well such one-to-one computing initiatives goals are being met in Florida, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia's Henrico County.
Some of the findings include:
-- Teachers and students generally agree that laptops increase student engagement.
-- Teachers and students in some states concur that laptops increase student motivation, but results are mixed.
-- Students and teachers in some of the states thought that the use of laptops had a positive impact on student achievement, although this was not always supported by the test scores.
-- Students not only were participating more in group work but also were engaging in self-directed learning.
Click here to read a closer look at the white paper's findings and a link to the report.