למידה, אינטרנט ... ומה שביניהם

Students randomly selected for the program will receive iPads loaded with digital versions of their textbooks for the coming school year. Their progress will be tracked and compared against that of their classmates using traditional textbooks to determine the potential benefit of a switch to digital technology.

Students with iPads will have instant access to more than 400 videos from teaching experts walking them through the concepts and assignments, rather than having to rely on the teacher's explanation in class. There is also a homework coach and animated instructions on how to complete assignments.

Cathie: So, when the iPad class shows higher test scores, there is no way to tell if it was the iPad per se or the 400 videos or the coach or the myriad of other elements that caused the gain in test scores. In fact, it is probably all the factors and given the confounds...
Elliot:... academics talk funny.
Cathie:... oh hush... there is no way to even correlate an increase in test scores with the use of the iPads.
Elliot: This situation points out the absurdity of traditional physics-style experiments in social contexts. There is simply no way to hold everything constant except one variable!
Cathie: The crazy thing is: what if the iPad class does worse than the traditional algebra classes? Does that mean that iPad is bad?
Elliot: No! To do a real educational experiment is expensive, time consuming, and requires considerable planning. The “experiment” organized by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and the California Secretary of Education in several districts in California does not sound carefully conceived.

in the future all classes will be using iPad-like, mobile learning devices – not paper-based textbooks – for learning.

תוויות: למידה, ספרי לימוד