Research

Proposal for the

use of iPads in
Algebra II
David Bennett
Liberty University
EDUC 518 D13
Dr. Judy Sandlin

Abstract
Recent developments in technology requires inquiry
into its use in education. Apples announcements
concerning their collaboration with textbook
companies has opened new doors to the uses of the
iPad in the classroom (Associate Press, 2012). The
research will determine if the use of the iPad in an
Algebra II class will demonstrate a significant
improvement in student academic performance.

Purpose
To determine if the use of the iPad in an Algebra II
classroom yields significant improvement in
academic performance.
This study builds off research performed by:
Hrepic, Z.; Moran, M., Hawkes, M., & El Gayar, O.;
Al-Zoubi, A., Samour, G., & Al-Zoubi, Q.
This study will build upon the concept of testing
student performance when specifically using the
iPad in the classroom.
This study will contribute to education by
exploring the value of the iPad in the classroom
and testing its ability to improve student
academic achievement.

Research Questions
Do students who use the iPad show a significant
improvement in academic performance compared
to students who do not use the iPad?
Did the teacher use the iPad as a greater medium
than a text book?
In what areas do students show the most
improvement with the inclusion of an iPad?

Hypothesis
The tests in this study will determine if there is
no difference when the iPad is used in the
classroom. The goal of the study is to prove the
null hypothesis and all tests will be designed with
this in mind.

Definition of Variables
Student achievement with presence of an iPad.
This is a dependent variable upon the presence of
the iPad.
This variable will be will be measured by recording
student achievement throughout the study.

Prior student experience with an iPad.

This is an independent variable that cannot be
controlled by researchers
This will be recorded during the initial interview
process of the sample.
It will be considered at the end of the study to
understand any influence it may have on student
achievement with the presence of an iPad.

Definition of Variables
contd
Teacher use of the iPad as a greater medium than
a textbook.
This is an independent variable because the actions
of the teacher are self induced.
Researchers will observe the teacher to conclude if
the iPad was used as a greater medium as test of
internal validity.

Students who do not use an iPad.

This is an independent variable because this group
will not be exposed to the use of the iPad in the
classroom.

Key Terms
iPad
A tablet computer device developed by Apple Inc.

Ebook
A text that exists only on an electronic device.

Hyperlink
A link to an outside website.

iTunes University or iTunes U.

A website developed by Apple Inc. used by several
major textbook publishing companies for the
electronic dissemination of textbooks and
educational material.

Review of Literature
A review of literature was conducted concerning
the use of iPads and iPad like devices in the
classroom before this proposal. The primary
medium used for collection of professional journals
was EBSCOhost. The keywords used for the search
were: Tablet PC, iPad, Education, Research. The
review focused on teacher application of the
technology, student achievement, and student
motivation.

Review of Literature:
Teacher Application
While all articles reviewed applied their Tablets
to a greater extent than they would a textbook, the
amount of usage differed from study to study.
Hrepic (2011) noted his use in the classroom while
taking advantage of the DyKnow software in college
physics and science classes. Research in a K-12
setting found educators used Tablets in a similar
manor to overhead projectors (Steinweg, Williams,
& Stapleton, 2010). The Princess Sumaya University
did a study that saw the greatest utilization by
educators (Al-Zoubi, Sammour, & Al-Zoubi, 2007).
The primary area of utilization was visualization
software, which gave students the opportunity to
visualize the concepts being taught (Al-Zoubi et al.,
2007).

Review of Literature:
Student Achievement
The second area discussed in the review was the
effects of Tablets on student achievement. While
all researchers agreed upon an increase in
achievement, the conclusions on the degree of
improvement was mixed. Couse and Chen (2010)
felt students improved on self-portraits due to the
tablets superiority over traditional writing mediums.
A pilot study in Chicago schools also discovered
improvement in student achievement in younger
children as well (Mulholland, 2011). Hrepic (2011)
actually discovered decreases in student
achievement in one of his studies. He attributed
the decrease to an unanticipated variable of class
participation (Hrepic, 2011).

Review of Literature:
Student Motivation
The greatest synthesis among the articles
reviewed was the influence of student motivation
due to the use of Tablets. Couse and Chens (2010)
study found children in preschool had a desire just
to use the device. The Chicago pilot study also
found an increase in student interest as a result of
using iPads in classrooms (Mulholland, 2011).
Susan Amirian believed student motivation might
have stemmed from their familiarity with
technology (2004). Hrepic (2011) found Motivation
to be present, but questioned its affect on students.
Hrepic (2011) concluded the group who only used
the Tablet for entertainment purposes rather than
educational received a lower grade point average.

Summary of Literature
Review
The literature reviewed discovered the Tablet
influenced the classroom in each respect postulated
by the initial questions in the review. Teachers used
the Tablet to various degrees, but always in an
aspect to compiled several tasks or invigorated the
classroom. Student achievement rose in most
studies, though the reasons for improvement
differed among researchers. The strongest
influence the Tablet played in the classroom was
motivation. According to most studies, students
showed a renewed vigor when given the
opportunity to use the Tablet in class.

Research Design
The research design for this project will be an
experimental study
The control group will consist of students who do not use the
iPad in a traditional Algebra II class.
The experimental group will give each student and the
teacher access to an iPad.

Data will be collected continually throughout the study.

The study will compare each group as they progress through
the course.
The classes will be taught by the same teacher to reduce
internal validity issues do to teaching styles.

The data collected can be generalized to High School

math classes that focus on Algebraic studies.
The textbook used will also be available on iTunes U for the
iPad so that the curriculum will be the same for both classes.

Sampling
The sample will consists of four Algebra II classes.
The sample will consist of 120 students, or roughly
10% of the student population
Two classes will function as the control, the other
two as the experimental group.

The sample will be taken from a local High School

of 1200 multinational students.
As each Algebra II class is on an equal track, all
students have an equal opportunity to be in both
the control and experimental group.
Each sample will receive a questionnaire to
determine their previous experience with the iPad
or a similar device.

Methods of Data
Collection
Data will be collected by reviewing homework,
quizzes, tests, and submitted by each student as
well as the final grade.
Homework will be compared between the two
classes.
Homework will be analyzed according to what
mistakes are made, and with what frequency in
relation to the assigned groups.
Overall achievement on homework assignments will
also be compared between the control and
experimental group.
Time needed to review homework assignments will
also be recorded

Methods of Data
Collection
Weekly quizzes will be administered and
compared between each group.
The quizzes will provide information concerning what
has been retained by students at the end of the
week.

Unit tests will be administered and compared

between each group.
At the end of each unit, test scores will be compared
between each group.

The final performance of each class will be

compared at the end of the study
The final grades of each class will be compared to
discover overall effects of the use of the iPad.

Data Analysis
Data Analysis will consist of comparing the two
groups academically.
The students will be compared at the end of the
term to calculate which class had the highest
retention rate.
Study of Homework will be compared to analyze the
average students ability to understand concepts
when the iPad is present.
Quizzes will be compared to gather information on
which group had the best retention rate at the end
of the week.
Tests will be analyzed to understand how each group
understood information assimilated during each unit.

Data Analysis:
Homework
Errors made on homework assignments will be
calculated to find any difference between the two
groups.
Errors will be tabulated to understand how often
errors occurred.
The top three most common errors will be correlated
to each group.
The results of the two groups will be compared to
identify if there is a difference between iPad use and
mean of each error.
A significance of .05 or lower will signify a significant
impact between the errors and groups.
If no significance is present then it will be assumed
the iPad had no effect on performance.

Data Analysis:
Tests and Quizzes
The results of tests and quizzes will be compared to
understand how students progress with the introduction
of the iPad.
The mean of quiz scores will be compared between each
group weekly.
The mean of test scores will be compared at the end of each
unit.
Quiz and test scores will be tabulated to determine if there
is a difference between the mean of the control group and
mean of the experimental group.
If there is a significance of .05 or less it will signify a
significant impact between the to groups.
If a difference is not present the iPad will be considered to
have no effect.
These scores will be used to determine if the iPad helps in
specific areas of course content.

Data Analysis:
End of Term Results
The mean scores of each group will be calculated
at the end of the term.
The mean final scores of each class will be compared
to determine if there is a difference.
If there is a statistical significance of .05 or less then
it will be determined that there was a significant
impact.
If there is no difference the iPad will be considered to
have no effect.
This test will determine the overall effect the iPad
has on student achievement.

Ethics and Human

Relations
The study will first be presented to the school
review board to be approved for use in the
classroom.
Parents will be notified about the study and
permission will be asked to use their children in
the research.
Personal information in the initial questionnaire will
be public, though students will remain anonymous.
The participating school will be made public, making
it possible for the students identities to be
discovered.
Parents will have the option to have their child not
participate in the study.

Students will not be made aware they are in they

are in the study to prevent threats to validity.

Ethics and Human

Relations contd
Students private information will be collected
during the study.
Grades will be anonymous, only means for each
class will be published.
Students will remain anonymous.
Information collected during the questionnaire will
be represented as a mean, not specific for each
student.
Personal information collected during the study will
not be published to protect the privacy of the parties
involved.

This proposal will be presented to the board by a

current educator in the school.
As a current educator, the study will be conducted
upon receiving approval from the school board.

Time Line
The total time of the study will be conducted over
a 22 week period.
At the beginning of the new term students will fill out
the initial questionnaire.
Quizzes will be administered weekly except for the
week of school breaks.
Quiz scores will be tabulated at the end of each week.

Test will be given ever 4 weeks at the end of each

unit.
Test scores will be tabulated at the end of each unit.

At the end of the 22nd week final scores will be

tabulated.
Final presentation of the data will be made available
30 days after the study is complete.

References
Al-Zoubi, A., Samour, G., & Al-Zoubi, Q. (2007).
Utilization of
Tablet PCs in Electromagnetics
Education. International Journal of Emerging
Technologies Learning, 2(2),42-46.
Amirian, S. (2004). Putting Tablet PCs to the Test. T H E
Journal, 32(4), 28-30.
Associate Press (2012, January 19). Apple reinvents
textbooks
with new publishing platform. Retrieved
from (http:// www.foxnews.com
/scitech/2012/01/19/apple-expected-to- unveil-digitaltextbook-platform/
Couse, L. & Chen, D. (2010). A Tablet Computer for
Young
Children? Exploring Its Viability for Early
Childhood
Education. Journal of Research on
Technology in Education, 43(1), 75-98.

References contd
Dickerson, J., Williams, S., & Browning, J. (2009).
Scaffolding Equals Success in Teaching Tablet
PCs. Technology
Teacher, 68(5), 16-20.
Foote, C. (2010). Checking Out the iPad.
Multimedia &
Internet@Schools, 17(6), 17-19.
Hrepic, Z. (2011). Wireless Computers in
Classrooms: Enhancing Interactive Physics
Instruction with Tablet PCs
and DyKnow
Software. Latin-American Journal of Physics
Education, 5(2), 392-401.
Manuguerra, M. & Petocz, P. (2011). Promoting
Student Engagement by Integrating New
Technology into Tertiary Education: The Role of
the iPad. Asian Social Science, 7(11), 61-65.

References contd
Moran, M., Hawkes, M., & El Gayar, O. (2010).
Tablet Personal Computer Integration in Higher
Education: Applying the Unified Theory of
Acceptance and Use Technology Model
to
Understand Supporting Factors. Journal of
Educational Computer Research, 42(1), 79-101.
Mulholland, J. (2011). iPads Strengthen Education.
Government Technology, 24(4), 20-24.
Steinweg, S., Williams, S., & Stapleton, J. (2010).
Faculty Use of Tablet PCs in Teacher Education
and K-12 Settings. TechTrends, 54(3), 54-60.