Passey, Don (2018) Case study:Building understanding through an ecology of technologies. Lancaster University, Lancaster.
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Abstract
This case study is one of a number of research reports investigating uses of digital technologies in schools. A case study has been selected for this element of the wider research study, as it provides evidence about uses and outcomes with a single class of pupils in one school, in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. An ecology of technologies (a SMART interactive flat panel, a SMART interactive whiteboard, twelve Samsung Galaxy Tab A tablets, and an associated VLE) were linked and used with a class of 17-18-year-old final year Abitur pupils in an English major course. The technologies supported a number of learning activities that were designed by the teacher to help pupils develop more effective answering of test and examination questions, analysing text and structuring answers in English. The technologies were shown to support individual and small group work, class discussions, collating detail, structuring writing and answers, reviewing notes that were saved online, and accessing notes for revision for tests and examinations. The teacher reported that the technologies supported these activities, and that they had a positive influence on some pupils in test and final Abitur examination results. Those pupils not influenced to the same extent were not negatively affected; their scores remained more constant. Statistical tests showed that for ‘influenced’ pupils, their increased results were statistically significantly different from those pupils ‘not influenced’, both at p<0.05 and p<0.01 levels.