Chapter 5-Implications of the Study
My study on The Effects of 1:1 iPad Use on the Academic Achievement among 7th Grade Students in Science showed that academic achievement was increased through iPad use. My study also revealed that students felt that the Quizizz, Kahoot, and Nearpod reviews that I provided them for review on their iPads all helped them better understand the science content. One area where I feel that my study would add to research literature on 1:1 iPad use is how beneficial my students felt gaming apps were to them learning science content. I have not seen any studies done specifically on Quizizz or Kahoot, but it is apparent through my research that a vast majority of students find these gaming apps particularly helpful in learning science content. Science class has very complicated vocabulary associated with it and the platform of gaming apps which provides multiple choice questions and the ability to add pictures lends itself to mastering this vocabulary.
Another area where my study would add to research literature on the effectiveness of 1:1 iPad use is by presenting data that implies Level 2 students benefit more from iPad review apps than Level 1 students do. One of our biggest challenges as teachers is to make sure our lowest level students are achieving academically. Many times these students have experienced failure in school and may easily give up. Science is a fast-paced class with complicated reading and vocabulary. By providing students with games and presentations on their iPad the science curriculum becomes more accessible and therefore easier to understand for many struggling students. The iPad will even read the game questions and answers for my students who read below grade level making science class a place where they can feel confident and achieve academic success.
A research question that may arise from my study is whether students using 1:1 Chromebooks or other laptops would show the same increase in academic successes as students who were issued 1:1 iPads. While many of the science review apps I provide are also available as websites, the laptops are not as portable as the iPad. Does the portability of the iPad lead to more use? Would students play the review game apps the same amount of times on a laptop as they did on an iPad? iPads feel as though they were designed for gaming. The touchscreen is less cumbersome than a keyboard. I used to wish our students got Chromebooks instead of iPads when they were first issued 4 years ago because I felt my students had difficulty typing on the iPad and I thought they were playing too many games. My school thankfully adjusted to the student’s misuse of the iPad and put blocks on many gaming websites and we now have Apple Classroom to supervise all of our students screens. Our administration has also encouraged us to write referrals for any student who misuses their iPad during class and they are disciplined accordingly, usually a detention but multiple violations by a student can lead to a teacher having to put a code into the iPad in order for the student to use it. These changes my school has made in regards to the iPad have really contributed to me embracing the iPad as an invaluable educational tool. I would now prefer 1:1 iPads versus 1:1 Chromebooks but would be very interested in seeing if there are any differences in students success if they used a Chromebook instead of an iPad.
Some other research questions that my study may raise are what other apps are out there that can improve student’s success in school. Technology is ever changing and we need to keep up to date with the latest innovations. I would love to see an app that would allow questions from the students to pop up on my screen while I am giving a lesson. I know many students are too shy or may feel too embarrassed by their question to raise their hand and ask out loud and I could clear up any misunderstanding about the science content quickly and efficiently during the presentation of the lesson if a program such as this existed.
Some benefits for me from this research are that I now feel confident adding gaming to my Science curriculum. I always felt gaming had a place in the classroom, but now my research backs up that gaming actually leads to higher test scores. Through my research and data collection it is now clear to me that gaming increases student engagement, as well as overall academic success. I always write my agenda and homework for the day on the board and usually I include a closure iPad game or a practice game for homework and the student’s always comment how excited they are to play. School should not be boring for students and it is our responsibility as teachers to come up with ways to engage and excite our students about learning science.
Through my research my students have had the benefit of being provided with an abundant amount of supplemental science practice posted to them on their Google Classroom. Not only are they provided with my Nearpod Presentations, Quizizz games, and Kahoot games, but they are also provided with other practice such as Quizlet and I provide answer keys to study guides and assessments as well. They can practice the content learned in class as much as they would like to until they master it. My students also have the benefit of getting instant feedback when they play practice games on their iPad. These games will give them their score as soon as they finish as well as what the correct answer was. The students immediately know if they should play again or if they have sufficiently learned the science content.
My next step is to further personalize the learning experience for my students. I plan on making a list of activities for each content unit taught that my students can pick their assignments from. I envision there being more difficult assignments that have a higher point value and maybe some smaller assignments that have a lower point value. The student would be able to choose which assignments interest them the most. I can see my more artistic students making a poster to show the landforms that are created on the different types of plate boundaries, while maybe a more tech savvy student would be more interested in putting together an online science presentation complete with videos and questions that they can present to the class. I can even have some assignments worth extra points that involve advanced material beyond the 7th grade science curriculum to appeal to my highest achieving students. While I have spent a great deal of time personalizing instruction for my lower level students through providing supplemental science materials on Google Classroom, I have yet to cater to my highest achievers. Some of my students are interested in pursuing science careers and my next goal is to provide them with supplemental advance material just like I provide supplemental review for my lower level students.