Tablets and Laptops in Schools: Overview

Introduction

Since small, relatively low-cost personal computers were first developed, such devices have been important educational tools in US schools, enabling students from kindergarten to the twelfth grade to complete assignments, research school-related topics, and learn new technological skills. At the same time, educators have heavily debated what role such devices should play in education and how much access students should have to computer technology, particularly as schools began to experiment with providing laptop computers or tablets to individual students for use during the school day and at home. Outreach by technology companies such as Apple and Google during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries made products such as Google’s Chromebook laptops and Apple’s iPad tablets ubiquitous in many classrooms in the United States, prompting further debate about whether such devices are appropriate in an educational setting and to what extent.

Proponents of tablet and laptop use in schools have argued that those devices allow students to learn in new ways and teach them skills that will enable them to compete in an increasingly technology-heavy economy. Opponents, on the other hand, have countered that such programs not only have little effect on academic achievement but also inappropriately prioritize screen-based learning over interpersonal communication and increase the digital divide in education, the gap between students with access to computing technology and the internet and those without. The debate continued into the 2020s as technology and educational software companies competed to win over school districts and introduce their products to students nationwide, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased reliance on technology during remote learning.

Understanding the Discussion

Bring your own device (BYOD) program: A school policy allowing students to use their personal laptops or tablets in the classroom.

Chromebook: A laptop introduced by Google in 2011 that offers a suite of primarily internet-based applications.

Digital divide: The divide between individuals with and without access to computing technology such as computers, tablets, and the internet.

iPad: A tablet computer introduced by Apple in 2010 that offers both educational and noneducational applications.

Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI): A statewide initiative launched in 2002 that provides all seventh- and eighth-grade public school students in Maine with laptop computers.

One-to-one program: A program that provides each student in a classroom with a laptop or tablet for individual use.

History

Since the 1960s, computers have been used increasingly for educational purposes as devices have become smaller, simpler to use, and more affordable. Initially a feature of university technology programs, computers soon found their way into elementary, middle, and high school classrooms throughout the US public school system. That trend accelerated in the 1980s, as personal computers became prevalent. During that period, the technology company Apple sought to position itself as the go-to computer manufacturer for educational institutions by reaching out to educators at tradeshows and conferences. One primary benefit of Apple computers at the time was their pioneering use of graphical user interfaces (GUI)—that is, human-computer interactions controlled via graphical elements such as icons and windows rather than through lines of text or code. The relatively simple nature of such interfaces suited them not only to people generally unfamiliar with computers but also to schoolchildren, providing educators with a host of new educational activities and methods. Over the following decades, numerous other computer companies established themselves as major contenders in educational computing, including Microsoft, which became a force in the educational hardware market and made programs such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint fixtures in many schools.

Even as more and more K–12 public schools adopted the use of computers, the computers themselves—initially desktop models—were typically few in number and often confined to labs shared by all the students. As portable computers, which came to be known as laptops, began to be released in the 1980s and more widely in the 1990s, new opportunities for school computer use arose, as laptops were smaller and more mobile than their desktop counterparts. In the early 1990s, some schools in the United States and beyond began to experiment with one-to-one laptop programs, in which each student used a laptop in the classroom. The first such program, launched at the Methodist Ladies’ College in Melbourne, Australia, in 1990, provided each fifth grader with a laptop, paid for by their parents.

Over the following decades, schools in the United States began to experiment with similar one-to-one programs. In later variants, some schools allowed or required students to bring their own devices for use in the classroom, programs known as “bring your own device” (BYOD). Such programs were limited to individual schools or districts until 2002, when the state of Maine launched the first statewide one-to-one laptop program. Known as the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), the program, implemented under the direction of governor Angus King, provided laptops to all seventh and eighth graders attending public schools in Maine. The program first issued devices to high school students in 2009 and later provided tablets in addition to laptops in 2012. While the MLTI proved an intriguing case study for education researchers, it remained the only statewide one-to-one laptop policy for several years.

As far back as the mid-1990s, educators, policymakers, and parents debated the role of computers in the classroom and whether their widespread use in education is appropriate. Among the early points of contention were concerns that teachers lacked training in the effective use of computers and could not plan lessons around the technology. Critics likewise noted that many schools lacked the infrastructure necessary to use numerous computers, including electrical capabilities and, later, adequate internet service. Early proponents of computers in the classroom asserted, however, that improving infrastructure and training educators would ultimately lead to major progress in the use of computers by teachers and administrators as well as students.

Indeed, the use of mobile computing devices in schools became increasingly relevant in the 2010s as some of the United States’ most prominent technology companies introduced smaller, lighter, and more school-friendly devices. Among the most significant of those devices was the Google Chromebook, a lightweight laptop running the Chrome operating system, introduced in 2011. Unlike traditional laptops, which typically require schools to purchase or license software, Chromebooks integrate Google’s host of free, web-based applications, such as the email service Gmail and the word processor Google Docs. Chromebooks proved very popular with school districts because of their relatively low cost and particular array of functions. By 2016, 58 percent of all mobile computing devices shipped to K–12 schools that year ran Chrome, according to Futuresource Consulting.

Another major development was the emergence of the tablet as a competitor to the laptop. Although tablets had existed in various forms since the 1980s, they became increasingly viable as educational tools in the 2010s as manufacturers released multifunctional devices that sometimes rivaled laptops in functionality and ease of use. Among the most popular tablets used in schools was the Apple iPad, introduced in 2010, which runs the iOS operating system. Devices running iOS made up 14 percent of mobile computing devices shipped to schools in 2016. Microsoft likewise remained a major player in the education market, with its Windows operating system running on 22 percent of mobile computing devices shipped in 2016.

Tablets and Laptops in Schools Today

By late 2019, 28 percent of school districts reported instituting a one-to-one laptop or tablet policy at all grade levels, with 17 percent of schools using Apple devices and 13 percent using Microsoft devices, according to research by Education Week. Those rates would soon skyrocket as schools experienced a massive shift in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools began closing from the pandemic in March 2020, districts shifted to remote learning, necessitating the use of technology for all students. School districts that did not already provide devices rushed to fulfill those needs, often spending millions of dollars and straining budgets. Just two months after the pandemic broke out, nearly 60 percent of school districts reported providing at least one device for every student. Even after many classrooms returned to in-person learning, the trend to provide devices for all students continued. By March 2021, some 90 percent of school district leaders reported providing a laptop or tablet for all middle and high school students, and 84 percent reported providing a device for every elementary school student, according to Education Week.

While teachers and students were using more sophisticated and effective learning management systems and digital learning tools, many parents and educators continued to cite concerns over the increased use of technology. Concerns included the negative effects of too much screen time, the loss of basic communication skills, and the lack of internet access in students' homes. Meanwhile, supporters of one-to-one technology initiatives focused on the importance of developing everyday technology skills in students and helping students prepare for standardized tests, which are often administered in digital formats.

The proliferation of accessible generative artificial intelligence (AI) software following the late 2022 release of the AI chatbot ChatGPT added another layer to the debate. Administrators, teachers, and parents faced concerns about safety, privacy, and academic integrity related to students' use of AI on devices at school. Over the following years, approaches ranged from providing policy, guidance, and training on responsible use of AI to attempts to ban or limit access to generative AI on school-issued devices.

These essays and any opinions, information, or representations contained therein are the creation of the particular author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of EBSCO Information Services.

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