What Do We Know About Ubiquitous Computing?

Conceptualizations

	We use the term "conceptualizations" to refer to the unique ways in which knowledge is represented and organized, processed, and manipulated internally in individuals' minds. Digital technologies can make some of this thinking visible as well as support new kinds of thinking.
To begin with, researchers are documenting the positive effects of ubiquitous computing on students'
motivation:
Apple Computer, 1995	http://images.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/acot/pdf/10yr.pdf
Vahey & Crawford, 2002	http://www.palmgrants.sri.com/PEP_Final_Report.pdf
Zucker & McGhee, 2005	http://ubiqcomputing.org/Apple_1-to-1_Research.pdf
engagement:
Silvernail & Lane, 2004	http://ubiqcomputing.org/Apple_1-to-1_Research.pdf http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/PolicyBriefs/5042PI_PBLaptopInitiative.pdf
Zucker & McGhee, 2005	http://ubiqcomputing.org/Apple_1-to-1_Research.pdf
behavior:
Apple Computer, 1995	http://images.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/acot/pdf/10yr.pdf
and school attendance:
Apple Computer, 1995	http://images.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/acot/pdf/10yr.pdf
Stevenson, 1998	http://www.beaufort.k12.sc.us/district/ltopeval.html
Research also shows such students are
better organized:
Zucker & McGhee, 2005	http://ubiqcomputing.org/Apple_1-to-1_Research.pdf
and more independent learners:
Apple Computer, 1995	http://images.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/acot/pdf/10yr.pdf
Zucker & McGhee, 2005	http://ubiqcomputing.org/Apple_1-to-1_Research.pdf
It can be argued that all these positive behavior changes are related to changing conceptualizations of knowledge. In any case, they all support learning.
Indeed, research also shows that ubiquitous access to computing devices can affect student learning. Researchers have documented
increased media literacy:
Hill, Reeves, Grant, Wang & Han, 2002	http://lpsl.coe.uga.edu/Projects/aalaptop/pdf/aa3rd/Year3ReportFinalVersion.pdf
Rockman, 2003	http://rockman.com/articles/LearningFromLaptops.pdf
improved writing:
Apple Computer, 1995	http://images.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/acot/pdf/10yr.pdf
Rockman, 2003	http://rockman.com/articles/LearningFromLaptops.pdf
Vahey & Crawford, 2002	http://www.palmgrants.sri.com/PEP_Final_Report.pdf
and increased scores on standardized tests
Honey & Henriquez, 2000	http://www.aypf.org/publications/compendium/comp01.pdf
Stevenson, 1998	http://www.beaufort.k12.sc.us/district/ltopeval.html
In RCET's AT&T Classroom we are exploring ways in which ready access to digital technologies affects students' conceptual understanding by examining a variety of evidence. Data sources include pre to post test gains on important concepts, work samples from selected students, quasi-clinical interviews with students, and interviews with teachers. The evidence suggests that students in the ubiquitous computing classroom learn to use a variety of digital technologies as thinking and learning tools, and that such usage supports their subject area and conceptual learning at high levels (Swan, Kratcoski, Lin, Schenker, & van 't Hooft, 2006b).
For example, we examined work samples from high, medium, and low achieving and special needs students in all classes. In most of these, there was good evidence that students had developed a deep understanding of key concepts, as they were able to elaborate on specific concepts and make connections between concepts. In addition, the majority of the work samples encompassed details and examples that demonstrated students' ability to communicate their learning.

Indeed, teachers uniformly tell us that ubiquitous access to digital technologies positively affects the quality of their students' work. They attribute at least some of this increase to the kinds of supports differing technologies give to particular kinds of learning.
More importantly, perhaps, we found that special needs students were working at the same high levels as students identified as average achievers. Other researchers are similarly finding that ubiquitous computing "levels the playing field" for special needs and lower ability students:

Last updated on 05/12/2006