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Handbook on Digital Learning for K-12 Schools pp 115–128Cite as

Tablet Use in Schools: Impact, Affordances and Considerations

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Abstract

The increased popularity of tablets in general has led to uptake in education. This chapter builds upon the past research and experience of the authors, in particular the findings of a critical systematic literature review that reports on the use of tablets in schools (see Haßler, Major & Hennessy, 2015). The aim of that review is to determine if, when and how using tablets impacts on learning outcomes: Do the knowledge and skills of students increase following the use of tablets for particular purposes, and, if so, what factors contribute to successful or unsuccessful use? Outcomes of the review enable us to reflect on the impact and affordances of using tablets educationally, and allow us to consider factors related to the successful integration of tablets in schools. This chapter provides information and advice for educators (including initial teacher educators) and school policy makers interested in the educational use of tablets. Overall, tablets have significant potential for enhancing learning—but, as with all technology—the most important element remains the teacher, and their classroom practice.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www.raspberrypi.org.

  2. 2.

    Forecast: PCs, Ultramobiles, and Mobile Phones, Worldwide, 2011–2018, 2014 Update Retrieved October 09, 2015, from http://www.gartner.com/document/2780117.

  3. 3.

    Tablet Users to Surpass 1 Billion Worldwide in 2015. Retrieved October 09, 2015, from http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablet-Users-Surpass-1-Billion-Worldwide-2015/1011806.

  4. 4.

    Why one New Jersey school district killed its student laptop program. Retrieved October 09, 2015, from http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/07/why-one-new-jersey-school-district-killed-its-student-laptop-program.

  5. 5.

    US schools seek refund over $1.3bn iPad project. Retrieved October 09, 2015, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-32347651.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge support from ARM Holdings Ltd that partially supported our original literature review (Haßler et al., 2015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Louis Major, Bjoern Haßler & Sara Hennessy

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  1. Louis Major
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  2. Bjoern Haßler
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  3. Sara Hennessy
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Correspondence to Louis Major .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Ann Marcus-Quinn

  2. Department of Education and Skills, Limerick, Ireland

    Tríona Hourigan

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Major, L., Haßler, B., Hennessy, S. (2017). Tablet Use in Schools: Impact, Affordances and Considerations. In: Marcus-Quinn, A., Hourigan, T. (eds) Handbook on Digital Learning for K-12 Schools. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33808-8_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33808-8_8

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