One-To-One Programs means providing every student with their own laptop, netbook, tablet computer, or other mobile-computing device.
Reasons for Implementing One-To-One Programs
- Today’s students need consistent, at-the-ready access to computing devices throughout the day and, ideally, at home.
- Teachers can only take full benefits of new learning technologies and online educational resources if every student is equipped with a computing device.
- Teaching technological literacy and computing skills needs to be a priority in today’s schools.
- Providing all students with computing devices and incorporating technology into every course is the surest way to take full advantage of new learning technologies and produce students who are technologically skilled and literate.
Purposes of One-To-One Programs:
- Allow all students to work online concurrently in a class or to work collaboratively on a project that is hosted in the cloud.
- Permit teachers to use interactive, technology-assisted teaching strategies that require students to have a computing device. For example, teachers can pose questions to a class, and all students can respond using an online survey system. Instead of asking a question and picking one student to give an answer, teachers can get answers from all students in real time to see who has understood the material, who hasn’t, and who made need extra help.
- Make it easier for students to save work on their own computer or for teachers to load specialized software programs on every computer used by students in a particular class.
- Allow teachers to use “course-management software” to organize a class or assign long-term projects or homework that require students to use a computer. Otherwise, if some students do not have computers at home, teachers would have to give homework that does not require computers, or they would have to change expectations for students without access to a computer.
- Provides ease in finding cheaper or more up-to-date learning materials for students (for example, textbooks can be expensive and can quickly become outdated) and to diversify the types of learning tools, materials, and readings teachers make available to students, such as interactive e-textbooks, digital simulations, self-paced online tests, video-editing applications, or multimedia software, for example.
- Make it easier—or possible—to use new or more innovative teaching strategies such as blended learningand “flipped classrooms” or to incorporate online courses into the learning options schools make available to students.
Arguments supporting one-to-one programs:
- One-to-one programs are a long-term investment. While the up-front costs may be significant, the long-term benefits overshadow the costs.
- Computers allow teachers and students to work more efficiently, more effectively, or in more innovative ways. Technology can also increase student motivation, engagement, and interest in learning, and that students will be able to learn more and in more exciting ways.
- One-to-one programs provide more equitable accessto technology. Students from lower-income families can have the chance to use computers for they are unable to acquire their own computers.
- Students can benefit from the increasing conversion of learning materials to digital formats, which is cheaper and provides numerous free and open-source educational resources.
- Students will be expert in using computers and this is significant because more standardized tests are being administered online
Arguments Against One-To-One Programs:
- Computing devices are undeniably costly. Purchasing devices and the long-term maintenance, which is from technical-support specialists to device repairs to software and network upgrades, can be significantly expensive.
- Insufficient technical support can lead to various problems. If several computers are broken or malfunctioning, it can disrupt, delay, or derail classroom lessons and student projects. A poorly supported one-to-one program could become a major source of irritation and frustration in a school.
- Such devices are not for students because they are not responsible enough. Portable devices are likely to be dropped or broken, especially by younger children. Students may also access inappropriate websites when unsupervised.
- The computers may not be used effectively, or they may not produce the desired results or benefits. For example, the computers may end up being used as expensive word processors, not as the transformative learning tools they were advertised to be. If teachers do not embrace the new technology, if they are not provided with adequate training, or if they use computers to teach in the same traditional ways, then one-to-one programs are unlikely to produce the desired benefits to or changes in teaching methods.
- The computers will consume instructional time. Teachers may need to spend more time managing online behaviors and distractions, while technical glitches, broken machines, and other problems can eat up valuable classroom time.