Article Critique 1: Computers on wheels: an alternative to ‘each one has one’

Katie Cowart

Georgia Southern University

FRIT 2137

Dr. Hodges

September 12, 2021

Grant, M.M., Ross, S.M., Wang, W., & Potter, A. (2005). Computers on wheels (COWS): An

alternative to ‘each one has one’. British Journal of Educational Technology, 36(6), 1017-

1034. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2005.00571.x

Summary

As the one-to-one technology initiative increases, schools are trying to find ways to keep

up with purchasing technology as well as training teachers. This study describes and evaluates

the experience of one school which decided to compromise and purchase mobile laptop carts

to influence teaching and learning. Four fifth-grade teachers and their respective students at

Green River Elementary, a pseudonym given to the school, participated in the evaluation. While

the school initially planned to implement a one-to-one technology plan, costs and funding

brought that to a halt. Instead, two computer on wheels (COWs) laptop carts were shared

among the four teachers while the teachers themselves also received a personal laptop.

Evaluation data was collected through three classroom observations, two teacher

surveys, and four interviews. Researchers went into classrooms to observe teaching methods,

specifically with the use of technology and how the lesson is student-centered. During these

one-hour classroom visits, the Survey of Computer Use was also conducted by researchers to

examine the availability of technology and student use of the computers and software included

on them. The Rubric for Student-Centered Activities was also used to rate the degree of student

engagement as well as evaluate the higher-level instructional strategies used. Along with these

three classroom observation measures, two survey measures were used to assess self-

perceptions of attitudes and skills: the Teacher Technology Questionnaire (TTQ) and the
Technology Skills Assessment (TSA). The TTQ measured the teachers’ opinions of technology,

and the TSA assessed the technological abilities of the teachers. Interviews were also

conducted, including the four content teachers and eight to ten fifth -grade students. Each was

questioned over the use of the computers, expectations for the program, and reservations

regarding the program.

The findings of this study reported that cooperative/collaborative learning heavily

increased within the classrooms of all content areas. Computers were being used purposefully

and the extensive use of technology tools were reported to meaningfully integrate technology

while enhancing student engagement. Observers reported high percentages of witnessing

critical thinking, teachers as facilitators, cooperative/collaborative learning, and project-based

learning, which indicates the implementation of non-traditional, student-centered instructional

strategies. Though the funding for professional learning with the laptops fell through, the four

teachers attended district-led workshops as well as relied on each other and created a

professional community to share ideas. Through their interviews and surveys, the teachers

reported their excitement about the program and the positive impact it had in the classrooms

so much so that they felt ready to integrate technology in their instruction even further.

Difficulties were reported with unreliable network access, planning ahead for the coming school

year, and maintenance/upkeep/technical support for the computers. However, the positive

effects far outweighed the strains. Overall, this study identified three indicators for change

within impacting technology integration: teacher ability and efficacy, pedagogical knowledge,

and community support.

 Analysis

This article was an easy and relatable read. There has been a big push for technology for

quite some time now. However, not all school systems are able to keep up with the expectation

and demand for a one-to-one approach. Although my current school district is fortunate

enough to have a one-to-one student-to-tech ratio, I may not always be in this position. This

article opened my eyes to the realities that some schools face as well as how too much of a

“good thing” may not always be a good thing. When participating in the interviews, students

spoke of how engaged they were using technology but also talked about how it could be boring

if used all day every day, which happens quite frequently at my school.

The article is very well written. The authors wrote in such a way that this evaluation could

be interpreted easily by all stakeholders in education – administrators, parents, teachers,

students, researchers, etc. Not only did they include tables within the article that made the

results easy to interpret, but the authors were also very thorough in explaining the results and

what each of their findings entailed. This was very helpful in understanding the results as a

couple of recent studies I have been assigned to read failed at being as thorough. The authors

also addressed reliability throughout the article. Several times they supported their methods,

especially in the data collection sections, by stating how they knew their observation measures,

surveys, etc. were reliable. I also thought the researchers picked a very relatable and valuable

topic. As I stated earlier, the push for integrating technology is only getting stronger but to keep

up, it requires appropriate funding to purchase the original technology as well as the

maintenance, replacements, and other upkeep. Having a one-to-one technology plan simply
isn’t feasible for some school districts, but this research found that mobile computers shared

between teachers made a great impact on student learning and engagement.

Though this article was well worth the read, it does have a few limitations. As I was reading,

I wondered how the four fifth grade teachers instructed their students before becoming a part

of this program. The article does address this, which gives them credit for reliability, but they

state that they don’t have any research before the program began. This severely limits the

study as it would provide a baseline for the researchers to compare their findings to. The fifth-

grade teachers could have been implementing cooperative/collaborative learning all along

despite not having access to individual laptops. This study also cannot make generalizations

regarding the concepts discussed in the article as they examined only a small population.

Though these issues present as weaknesses in the article, the authors do make the audience

aware of both concerns.

This article applied directly to my current career as well as one that I hope to have in the

future. As a middle school teacher who has access to technology for every student daily, I

should be taking advantage of the opportunities I have to create a cooperative and

collaborative learning environment. I should not pass up on the chance to take part in project-

based learning and become a facilitator in my student-centered classroom. In the future, I

would like to hold an Instructional Technology Coach position. When that happens, I can apply

the topics discussed in this article and also come up with strategies – such as computers on

wheels – to accommodate teachers and students who may lack sufficient devices for everyone.