How does technology-based instruction actually impact students? Do they learn faster, delve deeper, and enhance critical thinking abilities?

To answer these questions and more, Dell is participating in a number of pilot programs, one of which recently wrapped up at Union County Public Schools in Monroe, N.C. Susie Austin, the Lead Instructional Technology Specialist and a doctoral student who is focusing on the program as the subject of her thesis, recently shared with us some of her observations and key insights.

The pilot program deployed about 30 Dell tablets, enough for a 1:1 initiative in one eighth-grade science class. In March, three classes (a total of 68 students) began using the devices to prepare for the state-mandated end-of-year exam. Over the course of eight weeks, students used the Streak 7 to participate in various interactive sessions, submitting assignments via a drop-box. Austin gauged the students’ opinions and gathered feedback via periodic surveys that addressed challenges, advantages and disadvantages of using the devices.

Like many educators face, the initial response to technology in the classroom can go multiple ways. At Union County, some students felt the device wouldn’t provide the benefits over traditional tools such as textbooks. The

By the end of the program, however, the students acknowledged that the devices facilitated more individualized learning. Slowly, as students and teachers became comfortable with the technology, they started looking at how to integrate it into their curriculum. Over the 8 week timeframe, the learning model went from consumption to production, Austin says. Teachers tailored their techniques, resulting in a more student-centered learning and an integrated classroom environment.

“She took her classroom to a higher level,” Austin says. Ninety-two percent of students who participated in the program passed the end-of-year test, compared with 84% school-wide.

Austin’s verdict? While academic results may be more difficult to discern, classroom devices undoubtedly alter the rules of engagement.