The implementation of a one-to-one iPAD program in an urban high school

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to apply the lessons learned from the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow studies, the SAMR model, and Diffusion of Innovations theory to explore stakeholder perceptions of iPad integration at an urban high school in Massachusetts. The implementation was viewed through the lenses of the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) studies (Baker, Gearhart, & Herman, 1990; Dwyer, Ringstaff, & Haymore Sandholtz, 1990a; Dwyer, Ringstaff, & Haymore Sandholtz, 1990b), Rogers’ (2003) Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Model, and Puentedura’s (2012) Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) Model. The researcher used qualitative analysis to code the data. Through data analysis, five themes emerged: communication, control, division, distraction, and workflow. The iPads changed how and when students and teachers communicated. Teachers sought more control over the iPads in the classroom. Control over learning shifted toward the students with the introduction of the iPads. Divisions became apparent with iPad use: new teachers versus veteran teachers and upperclassman versus underclassman. Distractions were rampant. The iPads influenced the workflow of how teachers taught and how students accessed the curriculum.