Advantages Of Using Tablets In Primary Schools

The current government of Trinidad and Tobago has embarked on a drive to improve the quality of education the nation’s students receive. One of the services they provided was the Laptop Initiative programme. This programme which commenced in 2010 saw that all Secondary Entrance Assessment (S.E.A.) students received laptops as they entered Form One to assist them with their education. Information from the Ministry of Education’s website showed that the Ministry of Education distributed fifty-four thousand, three hundred and twenty-nine (54, 329) laptops during the period 2010-2013. During this period, the ministry provided training for teachers, included technology in the curriculum, purchased educational content software, installed wireless

Tablets can be used for work or pleasure. Examples of its uses are for viewing presentations, creating and editing documents, taking and sharing pictures, playing games, listening to music, communicating with others on social networking sites, sending and receiving email, watching movies, reading e-books, and videoconferencing. Some common tablets are the Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Google Nexus 9, and Amazon Fire HDX 8.9. With this in mind the advantages of using tablets in primary schools will now be addressed.

Through various studies done, it was found that students learn more of the content at a faster pace. Teaching with technology causes a reduction rate in the time it takes for them to reach a learning objective by thirty to eighty percent (National Training and Simulation Association). When surveyed by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on the use of technology in the classroom, seventy-seven percent of teachers agreed that tablets increased student motivation to learn while eighty-one percent of K-12 teachers found that tablets enrich classroom education. There is also no limitation on physical storage of books and classroom

It contributes to Computer Vision Syndrome which causes eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes. Users may also have a higher incidence of musculoskeletal disorders associated with repetitive strain on muscles, “text neck”, shoulder pain, and fibromyalgia (American Optometric Association). They are also seen as being more expensive than printed textbooks. Since the Ministry of Education cannot simply buy the hardware alone, investment must also be made in the software, ensuring that the Wi-Fi infrastructure is up and running, and the training teachers and administrators on how to use the technology as they did with the laptops. Another disadvantage is that it causes too many distractions in the class especially at the crucial levels of Standards Four and Five. Students can shift the attention from the teacher to apps, email, games and websites because of the distraction and their short attention span. This can cause students focus of learning to shift from the teacher to the technology. It may also increase the brain’s cognitive load. Studies have shown that the brain processes printed and digital text in different ways, and digital text is read 20-30% slower than printed text. This is especially seen when reading hyperlinked text. Carr (20??) stated that reading digital texts lowers the ability to process, store and retain information. So students will take longer to read, understand and interpret