Impact Of Devices On Computer-Based Testing...And On Learning In General

Yesterday in the library, I was talking to a student about his experience with the 11th grade math testing that our students are currently in the middle of. He explained that he is taking the test online using a Chromebook, but it is sometimes frustrating due to the device itself. He explained, for instance, how the trackpad is not always the most responsive, and so it can be difficult to complete tasks such as accurately plotting a point on a graph.

I can relate to what the student was saying, because I know that for me personally, my work productivity is definitely affected by the device that I am using. Below is a picture of my command station desk setup. At my last job, I had a laptop that docked with two additional monitors, as well as a standard keyboard and mouse. What I loved most of all was having the extra screens. For instance, I could read a document on one screen while composing an email related to it on another monitor. It wasn't just a matter of convenience, either; I believe I did better quality work this way.

After arriving at West Hills, I was able to get a dual 22" monitor setup, and I am grateful for it on a daily basis. In contrast, the standard student Chromebook, an Acer C720, has a single 11" display. Curious about what research exists regarding the impact of device setup on learning, I did some poking around and found work that supports my personal inclinations.

Here is an excerpt from a peer-reviewed article "Three Ways Larger Monitors Can Improve Productivity" published through Pepperdine Univeristy's Graziadio School of Business and Management:

The article breaks an increase in productivity into three categories:

1. Increased Insight into Data - Most compelling for our schools is the idea that "seeing more text at a time can help with reading comprehension, even for text-only tasks."
2. More Time on Primary Tasks - When less time is wasted on "secondary tasks" such as "window management," more time can be spent on learning.
3. Decreased Stress Levels and Better Solutions - When less cognitive energy is wasted on stress, more energy can be devoted to learning: "The ability to see more of one’s data reduces user stress as this utilizes more external memory (the monitor) and less cognitive memory. Just as writing a list down on paper can relieve the burden of remembering the information—which frees the mind up to perform the task at hand—having a larger monitor enables people to access more information at once and thus to focus more energy on solving the problem as opposed to remembering facts."

As our schools determine what learning technologies to invest in, it is important to consider some of these ideas in our planning efforts. I know that a lot of decisions come down to cost and our limited budgets. At the same time, I also know that we all want to maximize learning for our students, and I am confident that we can come up with thoughtful solutions. For instance, even if students are mostly using smaller screened Chromebooks in class, can the library offer services for students such as docking stations that not only allow them to charge devices, but also provide them with extended display to a larger monitor? Can we build into our cost estimates affordance for a standard mouse to go along with every Chromebook a student uses? Or, short of that, how can we update recommended back-to-school shopping lists to include these types of items?

Along these lines are questions related to adoption of etextbooks and other ebooks, the role of printing and implications of going paperless, and more. In each case, I hope that rather than giving a blanket yes or no answer, we look at what is best given the research, the situation, the individual, and the outcomes. If you have more ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Reference

Ball, R. (2010). Three ways larger monitors can improve productivity. Graziadio Business Review, 13(1). Retrieved from http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2010/08/three-ways-larger-monitors-can-improve-productivity/