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Heading: Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity: Research Proposal

Shane Turner
University of British Columbia
April 2014

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

Introduction
Research Problem
Todays school systems are facing many changes, as potential employers require a
multitude of different skills than in the past. Students graduating high school in the near
future are required to be Engaged Thinkers, Ethical Citizens and have Entrepreneurial
Spirit (Alberta Education, 2010). Effective development of these three skills relies on
collaboration between a variety of students in both the same class and across different
schools. To accomplish this level of collaboration, there become a reliance on
technology in general and especially personal technology and devices. Many districts
and school have promoted technology integration through Bring You Own Device
programs. This study will look at the effect socio-economics plays in students developing
future skills due to economic discrepancies across schools.

Rationale for the Study

The rationale for this study has emerged from my own experiences with Bring Your Own
Devise policies within the school system. After implementing this policy within an
inquiry based science school, I have seen first hand the positive effects that personal
devices have on student learning. Even within all the engagement and collaboration
between students that utilize their own devices, there is often the lingering questions of
what do those without them lose in the classroom setting. Do all the gains of the majority
really stand out against those students that are unable to bring in their own technology?

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

With the push to 21st century learner and varying methods to engage thinkers, students
require access to technology on a continued basis. Effective teaching frameworks have
changed in recent years and placed a very strong emphasis how students undertake their
work and the transition of teachers to the Designers of Learning (Friesen, 2009). This
forms a great pedagogical shift that increases the importance of the use of technology in
the daily classroom to assist learners in developing and exploring their true potential.
This shift has many costs associated with it, namely the financial impact of providing and
maintaining the tools necessary to facilitate learning at this level. While Bring You Own
Device strategies provide a necessary way to bridge these costs and allow students to
fully develop their thinking, consideration must still be given to the impact such policies
have on communities with lower economic standing in the school system.

Research Question
This qualitative research study will use a narrative approach to explore the effect of
socio-economic status on students ability to collaborate in a Bring Your Own Device
(BYOD) school setting. This research conducted in this project will address the
following questions:
1. Is collaboration between students improved using personal devices rather than
school owned computers?
2. Are students with lower socio-economic backgrounds able to foster collaboration
to the same extent as those with higher ones?
In this study, the term Bring Your Own Device will be referenced as BYOD and refers to
any device that a student owns that can connect to the school wireless system. In this

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

type of school setting, the operating system on the device has no impact on the level of
collaboration.

Review of Literature
This literature review will consist of four main considerations and concerns when
selecting BYOD policies within schools and school boards. It will consider the current
work around the philosophical and pedagogical underpinnings of a BYOD policy. This
review will reference some of the current work around the 21st century learner and vision
todays learner. The second focus will be around the justification a mobile device
program within the school system. The third focus will be around some of the current
policies and considerations taken when implementing a BYOD strategy. The final focus
will be on the equity of mobile learning and technology access for students that assist in
the development of todays learner. Literature containing current practices of addressing
equity within the classroom will be examined to provide a base that this research study
will extend.

Philosophical & Pedagogical Underpinnings BYOD

The vision of the future or 21st century learner is vastly different than the learner even a
short while ago. To achieve this vision there must be a shift in the way classrooms
function to create engaged, learner centered and flexible learning communities (Alberta
Education, 2010; Costa, 2013; Bestwick, 2010). To achieve this end, students require the
development of strategies and skills that will assist them in todays society, which is full
of collaboration within small groups and across colleagues (Prensky, 2010). Through

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

collaborative environments, students are able to work better in groups than individually
on computers (Hattie, 2012). Creating collaborative environments can be firmly
grounded in inquiry-based learning through constructivist approaches that support the
strengths and needs of diverse learners (Hattie, 2012). While creating a constructivist
learning environment can be achieved without additional technology in the classroom,
presenting the teacher as the partner for learning is easier to achieve through the use of
mobile technology; allowing students to increase their engagement (Bestwick, 2010;
Prensky, 2010).

BYOD Justification within Schools

The focus of 21st century learning is to provide instructions and student development in
an individualized setting that allows the learner access to what they need, when they need
it (Bestwick, 2010). While this can often be a daunting task with traditional technologies,
mobile devices encourage and assist this. While the traditional laptop format can provide
learners with the ability to access information when they need it, because of the small
size, handheld computing devices no longer constrain users in the way desktop
computers or even laptops do (Swan et. al., 2005, p. 100). The value of the mobile
device within in the school setting for access and easy of availability has been proven
through various studies in recent years.
In-order to fully justify the use of these devices, an increase in student motivation must
also be considered. Swan (2005) concluded that when interviewing teachers about the
students use, their motivation to complete student work improved when allowed to use
mobile computing to that of the same class prior to its implementation. However, it was

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

also noted that motivation decreased at times due to technology failures and equipment
problems (Swan, 2005). This study shows that when implemented correctly a mobile
devise strategy can improve student engagement in a school setting. While these studies
primarily focused around mobile computing rather than BYOD policies, the conclusions
can be transferred to newer technologies. To implement a BYOD policy, it was found
that existing technology management systems needed to be adapted to benefit students
and provide open access (McPhail, 2011). This approach is being reinforced by the
increasing number of students that have access to mobile phones (Nykvist, 2012). Within
this increase of available technology at school, an greater number of apps that are
beneficial for learning become available. Nykvist (2012) surmises that these apps could
be set for a class in a similar way that textbooks have been set in the past. While there is
increasing justification for the use of BYOD in the classroom, educators need to be aware
of some of the limitations that still exist.

Current BYOD Policies

Effective BYOD programs in schools require not only the right pedagogy to succeed, but
also must be housed in good policy within the school or board (Alberta Education, 2012).
Within this policy, there are some generally accepted models that range from limiting the
student in terms of type and brand of accepted devices to a very open model of accepting
all devices in the classroom setting (Alberta Education, 2012). To encourage safe and
responsible use as well as providing districts ways to enforce standards, strict BYOD
policies have been set up in many districts to control and guide learners access to

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

personal devices. This has had a negative connotation in some as the policy became
more important than the intent of the policy (McPhail, 2011, p.27).

Equity access has always been a part of BYOD policies, but seems to have lost
importance compared to district ensuring learners use their devices responsibly and
safety. Alberta Educations (2012) BYOD Guidelines do not set out policies for school
districts, but encourage consideration of responsible use far beyond equity for all
learners. While this is not boldly stated, it is a topic that is glossed over in many reports,
articles and procedures. When developing BYOD policies, Alberta Learning (2012)
states that:
If technology is considered an asset in the teaching and learning of the
curriculum, then all students will need to have access to devices, as well as the
opportunity to engage in educationally sound uses of the devices. (p.20)
While the discussion of equity is in guiding documents, it appears to often take a lower
role than other considerations for school districts.
Addressing Equity Current practices
As school districts open up the ability for students to bring their own devices to the
classroom, the issue of equity has arisen in many occasions. How will it be ensured that
all students have a similar access to technology that is not constrained to income or
economic status? Through the early days of BYOD, is was predicted that these plans
would institutionalize inequities of access to technology in schools (Johnson, 2012,
p.3). While this thought may have been seen as true in early days, it appears to have been
addressed in some manner. To address this issue, some school districts have leveraged
the students ability to BYOD with the school owned technology to improve access for

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

all students (Johnson, 2012). In this approach, student owned devices seem to increase
the total available technology within the school. This has also seemed to have a further
side effect being that as parents perceive the value of device, they attempt to obtain them
for their student (McPhail, 2011). Further approaches include increasing the grant
funding available to families with lower income that will assist them in purchasing their
own devises (Baule, 2012). While others place the emphasis on the school library to
assist in provided access to technology to those unable to bring their own (Adam, 2012).
While all of these approached to providing equity have merit within the school system,
the question still exist to whether BYOD limits to ability of students collaboration based
upon economic status within the school.

Methodology
This section outlines the methods and techniques that will be employed in this study.
They will be used to choose the initial participants and collect data relevant to the
correlation of BYOD with economic status of students within and inquiry school. To
answer the question of the effect of socio-economic status on students ability to
collaborate in a Bring Your Own Device, the following sub questions will also need to be
answered.
1. Is collaboration between students improved using personal devices rather than
school owned computers?
2. Are students with lower socio-economic backgrounds able to foster collaboration
to the same extent as those with higher ones?

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

As the intent of this study is not to generalize the results to the entire school population,
but rather to develop an understanding of the participants perspectives a qualitative
research approach will be taken (Gay et al., 2009). Data will be collected through an
online survey and from this survey, participants will be selected for interviews.
Sampling
Individuals will be selected based on a their use of their own devices in the classroom.
The intention is to select students from within the same school, one whose mandate
values inquiry-based learning. To this end, the assumption is made that all teachers value
and implement the use of personal devices in the classroom to facilitate student work and
as a potential method of differentiation in their classrooms. As this is a comparative
study, students with only access to school owned devices needs to be also considered and
will be selected. This will assist in attaining feedback on the effectiveness of personal
devices.

I intend to select ten students between grades 6 and 9 at Langevin Science School. As I
am currently a teacher and technology Learning Leader at this school, I understand the
technology that exists and the level of access that the students have. I will not be
selecting students that I have directly worked with, as to limit bias within the sampling.
As a teacher at this school, I am aware that the students come form a variety of economic
backgrounds and while some have access to a personal devise, others do not. Due to my
familiarity with teachers, staff, students, and the parent community, ease of determining
suitability of students with current teachers, negotiating access to these students and
classrooms, as well as obtaining informed consent will be improved (Cohen et al., 2009).

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

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As the purpose of this research is to consider the potential benefits to the use of personal
devices in an inquiry-focussed school, a small number of students could be used,
however a wide sampling of student backgrounds is required to complete a successful
study.

Instrumentation & Data Collection

Initially, informed consent will be obtained from the classroom teachers of students who
meet the criteria for study. Students will be selected based on fitness of purpose,
conversations regarding student suitability will occur and students will be selected with
attention paid to ensuring an equitable mix of genders and age ranges (Cohen et al.,
2009). Informed consent will be obtained from parents and guardians by means of formal
letter, CBE consent form and follow up conversations as required (Cohen et al., 2009).
Ethical considerations will be stringently adhered to, particularly the right to withdraw at
any time will be ensured to both parents and students as well as confidentiality will be
ensured by use of a pseudonym in reporting.

Interviews
Interviews will be approximately an hour in duration with breaks, as appropriate, so as to
be sensitive to attention and focus, and other difficulties that potentially arise when
interviewing children (Cohen et al., 2009). A standardized open-ended interview format
will be utilized, as predetermined wording and sequence of questions will increase the
comparability of responses, while minimizing interviewer bias or the presence of leading
questions (Cohen et al., 2009). However, as this approach limits flexibility and may

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constrain the natural flow of conversation, process questions that allow for probing for
further information or response and follow up will be used. Unstructured responses will
be encouraged and documented to assist in developing a greater picture. Field notes will
be collected in order to enhance and complete the documentation of the interview.

Data Analysis
As the protocol for conducting interviews will consist of administering open-ended
questions, they will subsequently be recorded, transcribed, to identify emergent themes.
Analysis will follow the three iterative steps of identifying potential themes, looking at
the data in depth and categorizing and coding the data (Gay et al., 2009).
Additionally, as the intention is to compare the effectiveness of personal devices in the
classroom, a narrative approach will further be employed in data analysis. A narrative
approach will assist in contextualizing a experiences and perspectives regarding the
degree of intellectual engagement through the use of personal devices in the classroom.
(Cohen et al., 2009). Once common themes are identified, interpretation that involves
identifying and abstracting important understandings from the detail and complexity of
the data (Gay et al., 2009, p.456) will take place. The timeline of the proposed research
will require approximately two weeks of time to conduct interviews and collect field
notes within the school environment.

Limitations
This study has several limitations, the first being that sample cohort. As the sample of
students is being taken from and inquiry based science focussed school, there will be

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natural bias towards the accessibility of technology to students. Also, this program is an
application based program, so the majority of students have parental support towards
success regardless of economical status.
Another limitation is that this study is being conducted with Canadian students, in an
Alberta school setting. In this setting, there is potentially a greater or lower access to
technology within schools than other provinces or countries.
Finally, as I am the technology leader in the school, participants may be tempted to couch
their answers to those that they think that I may want to hear. This can present some bias
in the findings that will need to be considered in the final research report.

Summary
This proposed research will endeavour to explore the degree to which level of economic
status affect student collaboration in a BYOD setting. As the vision for education is
moving to value the 21st century learner, technology has a large impact on the classroom
through the shift in the way classrooms function to create engaged, learner centered and
flexible learning communities (Alberta Education, 2010; Costa, 2013; Bestwick, 2010).
The literature shows the value and justification of a BYOD policy in school districts, as it
allows learners access to technology at lower costs, increases student engagement and if
implemented with due consideration, provides a general increase in access across the
school. While the benefits are clearly shown, the issues of equity are only addressed in
terms of justification and not how this may affect student learning through collaboration.

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Resources
Adams, H. (2010). Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Equitable Access to
Technology. School Library Monthly, 28(8), 25-26.
Alberta Education. (2010). Inspiring Education: A Dialogue with Albertans. Retrieved
from: http://www.inspringeducation.alberta.ca
Alberta Education. (2012). Bring Your Own Device: A Guide For Schools. Retrieved
from: education.alberta.ca/media/6749210/byod%20guide%20revised%20201209-05.pdf
Baule, S. (2012). Equity Issues and BYOD. Technology & Learning, 32(9), 35.
Bestwick, A. & Campbell, J. (2010). Mobile Learning for All. The Exceptional Parent,
40(9), 18-20.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research methods in education (7th ed.).
London: Routledge-Falmer.
Costa Sr., J.P., (2013). Digital Learning for All, Now. Education Digest, 78(8), 4-9.
Friesen, S. (2009). What did you do in school today? Teaching Effectiveness: A
Framework and Rubric. Toronto, Canadian Education Association.
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. New
York: Routledge.
Johnson, D. (2012). On Board with BYOD. Educational Leadership, 70(2), 84.
McPhail, J. & Paredes, J. (2011). One urban districts digital learning revolution.
Leadership. 41(1), 24-36.
Nykvist, Shaun S. (2012) The trials and tribulations of a BYOD science classroom.
In Yu, Shengquan (Ed.) Proceedings of the 2nd International STEM in Education
Conference, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, pp. 331-334.
Prensky, M. (2010). Teaching Digital Natives: Partnering for Real Learning.
California: Corwin.
Swan, K., Van t Hooft, M., Kratcoski, A., & Unger, D. (2005). Uses and Effects of
Mobile Computing Devices in K-8 Classrooms. Journal of Research on
Technology in Education (International Society for Technology in Education),
38(1), 99-112.

Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

Appendixes

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Appendix A Sample Consent Form

Request for Informed Consent

Researcher identity:
Shane Turner
Learning Leader
Research Through University of British Columbia

Title of the Research Project:

Insert here
Sponsor: University of British Columbia
This consent form, a copy of which has been given to you, is only part of the process of
informed consent. Please take the time to read this carefully in order to understand any
accompanying information. If you would like more details about this project or anything
not mentioned here, please feel free to ask.
The Calgary Board of Education has approved this research study.

Purpose and Use of the Research:

Describe the purpose of this study and what the study hopes to establish.
Indicate the function of the research (University degree, institutionally funded
project, etc.).
Explain why/how individuals/groups were selected as possible participants.
Include a statement outlining any potential publication or commercialization of
the research findings.

What will I be asked to do?

Students will be selected based upon a short online questionnaire.

After completing this questionnaire, students will be selected to participate in a
follow-up interview.
Interviews will take approximately 1 hour and will be recorded.

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Is my participation voluntary?
Participation is completely voluntary. Parents may withdraw their consent at any time.
Once consent is removed, survey data collected will remain, however interview data will
be destroyed. All data will be reported anonymously and students will not be identified
in the final report.
What type of personal information will be collected?
Should you agree to participate, you will be asked to provide your gender, age and the
grade you are in. Parents will be requested to fill in a short survey regarding economic
background.
If you decide to take part in this research there are a number options for you to consider.
You can choose all, some or none of them. Please put a check mark on the
corresponding line(s) that grants me your permission to:
I grant permission to be audio taped:

Yes: ___ No: ___

I grant permission to be videotaped:

Yes: ___ No: ___

I wish to remain anonymous:

Yes: ___ No: ___

I wish to remain anonymous, but you may refer to me by a pseudonym:

Yes: ___ No: ___

The pseudonym I choose for myself is: ______________________________

You may quote me and use my name:

Yes: ___ No: ___

Are there any potential risks or discomforts as a result of participating in this

study?

While there are no risks to students as a result of participating, students will miss
approximately 1 hour of instructional time while being interviewed.

How do I benefit from this study?

There are no benefits to individual students, however this research will support
the ability for students to access their personal devices in school and will assist in
analysing limiting factors to personal devices across economic areas.

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What happens to the information I provide?

Participation is completely voluntary, anonymous and confidential. You are free to
discontinue participation at any time during the study. No one except the researcher and
her supervisor will be allowed to see or hear any of the answers to the questionnaire or
the interview tape. There are no names on the questionnaire. Only group information
will be summarized for any presentation or publication of results. The questionnaires are
kept in a locked cabinet only accessible by the researcher and her supervisor. The
anonymous data will be stored for three years on a computer disk, at which time, it will
be permanently erased.
Written consent and signatures:
Your signature on this form indicates that you 1) understand to your satisfaction the
information provided to you about your participation in this research project, and 2) agree
to participate as a research subject.
In no way does this waive your legal rights nor release the investigators, sponsors, or
involved institutions from their legal and professional responsibilities. You are free to
withdraw from this research project at any time. You should feel free to ask for
clarification or new information throughout your participation.
Participants Name: (please print) ____________________________
Participants Signature _____________________________________ Date:
_______________
Name of the parent/guardian for students under the age of
18__________________________
Signature of parent/guardian __________________________
Date___________________
Researchers Name: (please print) ____________________________
Researchers Signature: ____________________________________ Date:
____________
Contact Information:
If you have any questions or concerns about this research and/or your participation,
please contact (include your contact information and, if applicable, contact information
for your advisor/supervisor):
Name(s): Shane Turner

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Organization: Calgary Board of Education

Phone number: 403-777-7350
Email address: saturner@cbe.ab.ca
Thank you for considering participating in this research. Please return forms to
Shane Turner.

If you have any concerns about the way youve been treated as a participant, please
contact:
Superintendent,
Learning Innovation,
Calgary Board of Education
1221 8th Street, S.W.
Calgary, Alberta, T2R 0L4
Researchapplications@cbe.ab.ca
A copy of this consent form has been given to you to keep for your records and reference.
The researcher has kept a copy of the consent form.

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Appendix B Sample Personal Agreement

USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES

APPLICATION AND AGREEMENT
This agreement is consistent with the provisions of the Alberta Freedom of Information
and Protection of Privacy Act, referred to as the Act. Once the Researcher has signed
this form and the terms and conditions of access to records have been approved by the
CBE, it becomes a legal agreement between the Researcher and the CBE. Once The
Application to Conduct Research (Form 1) has been approved, it is appended to this
agreement as Appendix A and forms part of the legal agreement.
This agreement is made between _______Shane Turner
__________, referred to
below as
(name of researcher)
the researcher and _____Langevin School _____________, referred to below as
(name of institution)
the institution regarding_______________________________
(Title of Study)

The researcher has requested access to the following records that contain personal
information and are in the custody or under the control of the institution: (Describe the
records below.)
Student information including Names, Community lived in and Grade

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The researcher understands and promises to abide by the following terms and conditions:
1. The researcher will not use the information in the records for any purpose other than
the following research purpose unless the researcher has the institutions written
authorization to do so: (Describe the research purpose below.)

2. The researcher will give access to personal information in a form in which the
individual to whom it relates can be identified only to the following persons: (Name
the persons below.)
Shane Turner - researcher

3. Before disclosing personal information to persons mentioned above, the researcher

will enter into an agreement with those persons to ensure that they will not disclose it
to any other person.
4. The researcher will keep the information in a physically secure location to which
access is given only to the researcher and to the persons mentioned above.
5. The researcher will destroy all individual identifiers in the information by __June 30,
2016_.
(date)
6. The researcher will not contact any individual to whom personal information relates
directly or indirectly without the prior written authority of the Calgary Board of
Education
7. The researcher will ensure that no personal information will be used or disclosed in a
form in which the individual to whom it relates can be identified without the written
authority of the institution.
8. The researcher will notify the institution in writing immediately upon becoming
aware that any of the conditions set out in this agreement have been breached.

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Bring Your Own Device The Challenge of Equity

Signed on this ______________ day of ________________, 2____.

Researcher

Representative of Institution

Name: _______________________________

Name:

Signature: ____________________________

Signature:

Address: _____________________________

Position: