1. 1 to 1 Programs:
Pedagogy, Stakeholders
& Learning Spaces.
Mark Richardson, ICTeD Services

2. The Issues in Device
Selection
For many schools, notebook, netbook or iPad
programs which give students high levels of
access to connected learning environments are
now nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, many
schools have or are now in the process of
replacing their initial fleets of devices. These are
either now out of lease or past their use by date.
Schools going through this rollover process, or
those implementing such programs for the first
time, need to make device selection a significant
teaching and learning decision.

3. The Issues in Device
Selection
Device rollouts are about more than just
providing shiny new devices for students. If
device usage doesn’t engage students, improve
learning and enhance the delivery curriculum
through systemic and school pedagogies, they
are simply not being used in a useful capacity.
If device usage doesn’t engage students,
improve learning and enhance the delivery
curriculum through systemic and school
pedagogies, they are simply not being used
in a useful capacity.

4. Three Critical Factors in
Device Selection
Pedagogy
Stakeholder Views
Learning Spaces [Physical and
Virtual]

5. Pedagogy
So where does a school start? Well, answer these questions about pedagogy
and programs first.
• What are your school's values and beliefs? What does it believe about
teaching and learning?
• •What is the role of teacher in the learning process? How much responsibility
does the student have for their learning? How much trust does the school
have in its students?
• What physical spaces are provided by your school for student learning? How
much access do students get to those spaces?
• What virtual spaces can students access at school and at home?
• What digital citizenship programs does your school have in place?
• Honest answers to these questions will provide a starting point as to the type
of device that will best suit a school's needs.

6. The worst thing for a school to do is
to pick a device first, based on a
reason such unit price,
or what the school down the road
has, or what one person in the
school thinks is the best solution and
then trying to shoe-horn it into what
that school believes and
demonstrates about teaching and
learning.

7. Pedagogy
• In pedagogical terms, all schools will be somewhere of
a continuum from Traditional Teaching and Learning to
Flexible / Personalized Learning.
• The place on that continuum may be flexible within
a school, depending upon the learning activity, the
year level, the subject being taught and the
relationships between individual teachers and
learners. However, it should be possible to place
those classes involved in a device rollout
somewhere on that continuum in a general sense.

8. Pedagogy
Traditional learning is ... Implications for devices in
traditional learning is ...
• Teacher centred • Quick internet access
• Individual learning • A range of software / apps,
• More summative particularly for desktop
assessment publishing
• Less formative • Desktops but also
assessment notebooks / netbooks
• Traditional classroom • Wireless internet access
set up important but more for safety
• Content driven reasons, [i.e. no cords], than
• Teacher directed for portability / mobile learning
activities •Speedy, reliable
• About school learning, • Cost effective
rather than 24/7 learning • Light and easy to carry

9. Pedagogy
Flexible or personalised Implications for devices in flexible or
learning is..... personalised learning is......
• Student centred • Quick internet access
• Individual & group •A wider range of software / apps,
learning including multimedia
• More formative •Access to a school or system
assessment Learning Management System
• Less summative •Access to a wide variety of
assessment collaborative Web 2.0 tools
• Student directed •Notebooks / netbooks, but could
• Teacher scaffolded also be a tablets / iPads
• 24/7 learning •Wireless internet access is critical
• Collaborative for mobile learning and collaboration
• Global •Usability in school and out of
• Occurring in a variety of school, 24/7
learning spaces [both in and • Good battery life
out of school] •Light and easy to carry
•Speedy, reliable
• Cost effective

10. Stakeholders
Now it’s time to get the views of all the stakeholders
involved. They won’t necessarily all think in the same
way!
What device do administrators think best suits there
school's needs? What about teachers? What about
technicians? What about students? What about
parents and carers [especially if they are contributing
to the cost of the device]? Does your school system /
authority have preferences about devices?
• It is important that you find out what the answers might be at your school. This
can easily be done by having stakeholders complete online surveys. These
results can be unpacked by setting up some focus groups of stakeholders.

11. Stakeholders
Stakeholder Key Needs
Administrators / Pricing - the device, technical support,
Principals warranty, insurance, physical security and
cyber security.
Teachers Reliable, speedy and secure. Easily updated /
customized for curriculum needs.
Technicians Ease of networking, troubleshooting, re-
imaging, synching and security.
Students Customized to their needs, ability to add their
own software and apps. Portable and light to
carry. Meets their needs at school and at home
[if they use the device 24/7]
Parents / Carers Pricing - the device, technical support,
warranty, insurance, physical security and
cyber security.

12. Learning Spaces
But what about the relationship between your learning spaces and the devices?
So, some more questions to ask.
• What are the physical spaces that students learn in at your school?
• • Where do students currently use internet connected devices in your school?
• •Are there internet connected learning spaces in your school that are not used or under
utilized? These could be break out rooms, specialist teaching spaces, outdoor areas etc.
• •Investigate the usage patterns of your school’s learning spaces. What factors are
involved in this selection and use of these spaces? e.g. teacher preferences, supervision,
connectivity, timetables etc.
• Are there projects in place to build or modify physical and virtual learning spaces at the
school in the near future?
• What virtual learning spaces are available to your students, e.g. Learning Management
Systems, Web 2.0 tools / spaces? Are these available to students 24/7.
• Is online teaching and learning supported by teachers at your school?

13. Three data sets.
Pedagogy and programs in your school that
require or are enhanced by device rollouts.
What different stakeholders think about the
important features of devices.
What learning spaces, [physical and virtual],
are used in the school and what potential is
there to develop spaces that will enhance
the 21st century skills and attitudes that are
required for a worthwhile device rollout.

14. Put the data sets together.
Be open about your decision making. Share the data with
all stakeholders. Look at your pedagogy and programs,
what will be enhanced by the rollout? What will be the
quick successes? What will take longer to achieve? How
will teachers, students and parents need to be supported in
this process of curriculum and organizational change?
Look at your current and potential learning spaces. Are
there learning spaces that could be better used for 21st
century teaching and learning, using the soon to be
purchased / leased devices? What actions need to be put in
place to change the learning space usage? Is wireless
connectivity robust enough for all these new devices?
Consider those stakeholder views on the device rollout.
Often the technical opinions and budget allocations will
have as big an impact on the final decision as the
pedagogical ones do!

15. Put the data sets together.
• • Virtual learning space access, such as a Learning
Management System, is essential for any device rollout to
be successful. There needs to be online spaces where
teachers can post resources for students, where students
can respond to tasks and set up reflective digital portfolios.
Students and teachers need to be able to access these
24/7, from school or from home. If your school does not
have any access to school operated, or school system
operated, virtual learning spaces, there are many Web 2.0
tools and a number of commercial solutions available.
• If you are placing devices in the hands of students, then
have your cyber safety programs in place. Support your
students in being great digital citizens from the start!

16. Conclusion
The best thing for a school to do is to pick the
actual device last.
Make this decision by matching the device to
what that school believes and demonstrates
about teaching and learning, after input from all
stakeholders.
A good decision will make the best match
between teacher needs, student needs,
pedagogy, and the resourcing available. It’s an
important decision!