Use of Tablets among

the Secondary School

Children

Dr. Jyoti Bhabal

Asst. Professor

SHPT School of Library Science

SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai, India

jyotibhabal@gmail.com

Digital India Programme

Project E-Kranti

1) All schools connected with broadband

2) Free Wi-Fi in all schools

3) Digital Literacy Programmes

4) Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC)

• Time Management

• Uniqueness of learning

• Fun learning

• Cost effectiveness

• Eco-friendly Equality of Education

Literature ReviewThe positive and negative

dimensions of tablet PCs in school education

Discussed issues like lack of

knowledge of technology, users’

attitudes and behavior were the major concern in

these studies

No difference between the

attitudes of male and female

students toward tablet PCs

Teachers’ resistance to change in their teaching

strategies and methods to utilize this educational

technology in an effective manner

The limited access of internet, insufficient e-content

Objectives of the study

• To identify the different purposes of use of

tablet among school students

• To find gender disparity among the school

children while using tablets

• To understand the students’ experiences on

incorporation of tablet technology in the

curriculum.

Research Methodology

• Population

– 8th Standard Students- Vidya Vikas Mandal Vidyalaya, Mumbai

– Marathi Medium School

• Tool

– Structured Questionnaire & Discussion

• Analysis

– Percentages, Mann-Whitney U Test

8th Standard Students of

VVMV School

Data Analysis and Findings

Study includes 42 Boys & 41 Girls as respondents

• Training to use the New Technology

The training on how to use Tablet was given to the

students who ranked in the first ten in their Seventh Std.

annual examination. These students learnt themselves

and then they taught other students about operations and

use of tablet.

Calculated Ranks for the Different Purposes of Use of Tablet

236

137

96

129

113

125

0

50

100

150

200

250

To Read e-Textbooks

To Read Stories

To Find OnlineInformation

To Play Games

To Use Apps

For Entertainment

To Read

e-Textbooks

To Read

Stories

To find Online

Information

To Play

Games To Use Apps

For

Entertainment

Always 72 9 1 5 3 1

Sometimes 9 36 11 36 24 40

Never 2 38 71 42 56 42

Total 83 83 83 83 83 83

Calculated Ranks for Time Spend on the Use of Tablets for

the Different Purposes

293

140

97

137

115127

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

To Read e-Textbooks

To Read Stories

To Find OnlineInformation

To Play Games

To Use Apps

To Read

e-Textbooks

To Read

Stories

To Find Online

Information

To Play

Games

To Use

Apps

For

Entertainment

More than one hour 60 5 1 3 2 0

About an hour 7 8 3 6 0 3

About half an hour 16 26 5 33 26 38

lesss than 15 mintues 0 44 74 41 55 42

Total 83 83 83 83 83 83

Mann-Whitney U Test for Different Purposes of Tablet Use

Purposes of Tablet Use Z value U Value P Value Level of

Significance

Significances

Read e-Textbooks 0.6239 792 0.53526 p≤ 0.05 Not

Significant

Read Stories 1.0429 746 0.29834 p≤ 0.05 Not

Significant

Find Online Information 0.0501 855 0.96012 p≤ 0.05 Not

Significant

Play Games 0.0046 860 1 p≤ 0.05 Not

Significant

Use Apps 0.9063 761 0.36282. p≤ 0.05 Not

Significant

Other Entertainment -1.8626 656 0.06288 p≤ 0.05 Not

Significant

Users’ Experiences

Interesting device Easy to useThe subject content became easy to understand

Study habit cultivated and has shown improvements in the examination result

Students had shown interest and developed vocabulary, communication skills,

Wanted to use tablet in the next years also

The teachers gave mixed opinions

Some teachers appreciated the use of technology in study and teaching.

Some teachers complained that students waste their time in playing games on tablets

Family members used tablets for non-academic purposes.

Students changed the school codes

Distracted from the study

Students demanded Wi-Fi connection to use online information.

The weight of school bag is not much reduced

Teachers need to explore this technology and the effective use it in teaching-learning.

Conclusion

• IT literacy as well as literacy on online information isneeded for students as well as for teachers.

• Students need to be monitored to make good use to tablet.

• Restrictions on use of technology might keep us outdatedand behind.

• The Wi-Fi provisions might be introduced for a limitedperiod and the results may be measured.

• The school will definitely evaluate the effectiveness oftablet use and will take necessary actions to make ‘DigitalIndia’.