A Longitudinal Journey with BYOD Classrooms: Issues of Access, Capability and Outcome Divides

Abstract

Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) classrooms is the latest addition to the ongoing quest for transforming pedagogical practices and driving educational development outcomes. Governments and policymakers around the world are embracing the idea of integrating digital learning technologies into educational settings backed by research on the benefits offered like the lifelong development of individual learners. While technological interventions open up unlimited possibilities for accessing information and improving collaboration, thereby engaging learners with more interactive learning activities, a new type of gap between individuals could also take shape as the penetration of technologies and adoption stages advance. Results from past projects of similar nature within educational settings have indicated the possible rise in the gap among individuals based on digital access (i.e., equity in access/ownership of digital learning technologies), digital capability (i.e., equity in digital/information literacy skills and usage) and digital outcome (i.e., equity in knowledge acquisition and progression).Therefore, we have conducted a longitudinal study to investigate a BYOD initiative by a New Zealand School. This study shares rich insights in the context of technology-mediated pedagogies and specifically BYOD classroom, as to how digital divides moved beyond access and skills to ensure inclusive learning outcomes. As a part of the five-year study of the technology-mediated teaching and learning initiative, we have been able to explain some of the unanswered questions around the issue of digital divides in the learning process. We investigated issues pertaining to digital divide in the context of BYOD classrooms to make the following revelations. First, the BYOD classroom initiative did not end up accentuating existing gaps in access to digital tools and technologies, despite earlier studies indicating towards increase in gaps. Second, our analysis strongly indicated the changing nature of digital divides with the presence of gaps in terms of information literacy and critical thinking ability, as the BYOD classroom progressed to mature stage. This was eventually bridged in the later stage, as students slowly adjusted to the classroom curricular structures in the BYOD classroom. Third, learner self-efficacy has been identified as a determinant of learning outcomes. In the earlier phase of ICT adoption, learner self-efficacy is influenced by a combination of information literacy, critical thinking ability, and positive motivation; however subsequently, self-efficacy influences affordances in various aspects of social cognitive abilities related to individual's learning activities affecting how learners engage and apply technology to achieve learning outcomes.

Digital Learning Quality: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and 4C Skills at Higher Education

“…These skills provide students with the ability to learn and adapt to the digital era and have the confidence to face the future (Haug & Mork, 2021). Learning outcomes and efficacy (Adhikari et al, 2017). Teachers are more creative in finding learning strategies (Prafitasari et al, 2021) In the aspect of creativity, 23 students got very good scores.…”

Digital divide framework: online learning in developing countries during the COVID-19 lockdown

“…Therefore, learning is a function of both the context and the culture, in which it occurs. By properly engaging with ICTs in both spaces, the habitus of learning evolves, as learners enhance their agency to achieve desired learning outcomes (Adhikari, Mathrani, and Scogings 2017). Learning is thus a social phenomenon 'that does not take place in one location but also across communities, locations, time, social context and sites of practice' (Bannan, Cook, and Pachler 2016, 941).…”

The missing link: The parental voice in Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs

“…The key stakeholders in any 1:1 Program in schools are teachers, students, and parents Adhikari et al, 2017;Liao et al, 2017). While in highly regulated programs, parents are not generally provided a voice, in a BYOD Program, parents along with the student, make an informed decision about the device they will be using.…”