High school teachers: Handhelds, laptops improved grades in Yankton, S. D.

Two pilot programs that gave hand-held computers and laptops to students at Yankton High School resulted in higher grades, teachers at the school say.

Yankton High School Principal Mary Ticknor told the school board at its Monday meeting that the trial programs were intended to incorporate technology into classroom learning.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-06-16-laptops-education_x.htm

The school gave 75 randomly selected students and four teachers handheld computers called M130s last October. In addition, school officials used grant money to purchase 30 laptop computers, which were given to 25 students and four teachers.

Teacher Carrie Hales told board members that students who used hand-held computers had on average better grades and attendance during the last school term than other students.

Five students transferred before the term ended, leaving 70 students in the pilot program. Those students had 97.47% attendance compared to 96.34% for 41 other students, Hales said. Grade point average was 3.08 for students with hand-held computers and 2.79 for the others.

Teacher Jill Mikkelson said students used the computers for tasks such as graphing, taking multiple-choice quizzes, concept mapping, animation and writing. They also used the computers for beaming, or transferring files wirelessly from one hand-held computer to another.

Teachers said cheating was not a problem with the hand-held computers because they had to be held in full view for beaming and they were not allowed during tests.

The students using laptop computers also posted higher grades. Of the 25 students who received laptops, one student had the laptop taken away because of disciplinary problems, the teachers said. The remaining 24 students maintained a grade point average of 3.26, while 21 students without laptops had a GPA of 2.82.

Instructor had the students make Web sites and PowerPoint presentations and use discussion boards, Internet searches, CD-ROM textbooks and e-mail.

Teacher Angie Hejl said those with laptops may have simply been better students. But she said she noticed that their test average rose 5.7 percentage points from the first quarter to the fourth quarter. Among students without laptops, it rose 3.2 percentage points, she said.

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