Implementation of a One-to-One iPod Touch Program in a Middle School

Helen Crompton
UNC Chapel Hill

Julie Keane
National Research Center for Rural Education Support, UNC Chapel Hill

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the implementation of a whole school one-to-one iPod Touch project in a middle school in the southeastern United States. While some focused studies have been undertaken in this new field of learning, there has been little research to date that documents activity within a whole school implementation (Chen, Kao, & Sheu, 2003; Conti-Ramsden, Durkin, & Simkin, 2010). Using Rogers’ (1963, 2003) theory of diffusion of innovation as a lens for this research, we gathered data from observations, focus groups, and interviews. Our findings indicated that teachers focused on internet-based research activities, formative assessment, innovative practices, and remediation, but they often had difficulty finding appropriate applications. Teachers and students were both positive and critical regarding efficacy of this device in middle schools.


About the Author(s)...

Helen Crompton is a PhD student in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with research and teaching interests in technology to support teaching and learning in elementary schools. She may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Julie Keane, Ph.D. is a researcher at the William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University and the National Research Center on Rural Education Support at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Julie may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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