HANDHELD COMPUTERS IN EDUCATION
In the past, education has been confined primarily to the classroom. Now, with the use of current
technology, education can take place in a student‟s home, walking down the street or out in the field,
where hands-on training can occur. Students have access to computers, the World Wide Web, video
conferencing, assistive technology and more. One item worthy of discussion, is the personal digital
assistant (PDA) or handheld computers. What once was a tool for people in the business world is
now being placed in the hands of students and teachers. Technology is on the fast track of constant
change. In order to turn students into future leaders of our society, they have to be given the
appropriate skills, knowledge and technological tools to do so.
PDA‟s are relatively small devices. These handheld computers were developed just about ten
years ago to keep track of one‟s schedule, addresses and phone numbers. “Personal digitall
assistants were, “Originally marketed as a personal on-the-go business executives and ardent
technophiles, personal digital assistants (PDAs) have evolved into handheld computer devices and
have become one of the most ubiquitous electronic devices in both the consumer and business
worlds. (Retrieved 11-24-02, from www.seirtec.org) The current PDA‟s offer wireless Internet access,
word processing, games, spell check, graphing calculator, books, and more. The most modern PDA
includes a cell phone. “Handheld computers, those note card-sized devices also known as personal
digital assistants (PDAs), are appealing to a growing number of administrators, teachers, and
students for their portability, affordability, and increasing versatility. (Curtis, 2002, p. 31) Handheld
computers are also very lightweight. It may be more feasible to outfit an entire classroom with a class
set of handheld computers than an entire set of laptops.
School Use
Students can use PDAs for school and personal use. Class notes can be instantly typed up,
create reminders, conduct science experiments, complete assignments, share documents with other
students, edit work, work on the Internet, use the calculator, and the possibilities are currently, never
ending. One of the best aspects of PDAs is the ability to “beam” assignments to and from the teacher
and/or to and from the students. “Most handhelds have an infrared port that allows users to “beam”
or wirelessly transfer programs and data between handheld devices. The infrared port is considered
by many to be a major advantage in educational use.” (Retrieved 11-24-02, from www.seirtec.org)
Students are able to constantly edit one another‟s work, which allows for easy and quick group
collaboration. Other benefits to using PDA‟s:
Store information
Reduce the size of storage media
Higher capacity than a floppy disk
Less expensive than a zip drive
At Carl Sandburg High School, Laurie Ritchey, a biology teacher, uses handheld computers in
her classroom to “beam” assignments to the students, administer exams, and conduct science
experiments using probes. “Probes were dropped into various areas and depths of the water to
measure the effect of sunlight on plant growth. That information was instantly graphed, using special
software.” (Curtis, 2002, p. 33) Also, Ritchey‟s students beam their assignments back to her and
work together on exams.
Not only are handheld computers being used in the classroom but teachers can use the
devices to put together lesson plans, take notes, keep track of their schedules and grade books,
beam lessoon plans to one another for critique and assistance. “…PDA has special software
designed for teachers to input grading, attendance, and contact data, grades and other information
can be easily retained and then moved to a desktop.” (McFadden, Price, Marsh, 2002, p. 223)
Teachers can have access to class information with out carrying around a bag full of paper work and
student assignments.
Assistive Technology
PDAs are also helpful as an assistive technology device. Marysville High School in Marysville,
Kansas, gave nine special needs students handheld computers to assist them with their daily routine.
“…Student have trouble keeping their schedules in their heads, they can‟t reliably remember a locker
combination or a social security number, and many of them have difficulty writing legibly.” (Retrieved
11-24-02, from www.ca-magazine.com)
Student are able to input future task reminders instantly, keep track of important information and gain
self-confidence through the process of completing and remembering tasks.
There are a couple success stories in classrooms across the United States that have
integrated the use of handheld computers with in the class lessons. One research study regarding
handheld computers is implemented through the program Palm Education Pioneers. The study
consists of 28 students; each received a Palm Pilot and six weeks of instruction and training. On the
second day of training, “…students were already mastering aspects of technology that we had not
presented.” (Retrieved 11-25-02, from http://proquest.umi.com) The program facilitators, Bauer and
Ulrich 2002), explain that the students remained excited through out the six weeks of training and
they quickly picked up on the given technology.
Elementary Middle School High School Community University
School Teachers Teachers College Professors
Teachers Instructors
1% 3% 7% 8% 11%
The second successs story takes place in the North Lebanon School District near Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. “According to Technology Facilitator Sally Bair, “We believe the use of handheld
technology will help us organize our paperwork electronically, enhance our record keeping and
technical support capabilities and improve our reporting and forecasting abilities.” (Retrieved 11-24-
02, from www.k12handhelds.com/casestudy) Once the district has grasped this new concept they
will implement classroom instruction using handheld computers.
Other Advantages
There are many advantages to using handheld computers but there are also some drawbacks
to this small device with big capabilities. The main concerns are the lack of training for educators,
battery systems dying quickly, small memory capacity, screens may be difficult to look at for a long
period of time, theft, ability to play games, and access inappropriate web sites.
One main concern, which accompanies most newly instated technology, is the lack of training
and know how of the teachers. Many educators receive new technology or new computers in their
classroom and do not know how to use the technology to its fullest potential. “The lack of tech
support I schools is widespread, but the problem can be particularly acute when you‟re dealing with a
ubiquitous computing environment
using “new” technology.” (Retrieved 11-25-02, from www.teachermagazine.org) Some schools have
the ability to have classroom sets of handheld computers because students forget to charge or
change the battery, leave the device at home or forget to free up memory space.
The next probblem is a current issue with desktop computers on school campuses. Where
there is Internet access there is trouble. Many schools put in place filtering programs on desktop
computers to prohibit access to inappropriate sites. Handheld devices are relatively new in the
educational system, but similar to desktops, filtering systems can be put into place on the handhelds.
Also, teachers may be able to supervise use while at school but what happens when the students
take them home? There are ways to get around filtering systems and many students have the ability
to do so.
There is also a possibility of theft problems as well and because of this some schools have
strictly enforced check procedures and kept the handhelds with in the confines of the classroom. The
articles reviewed for this paper addressed the problem of theft, yet had not heard of theft problems
but it is a possibility.
The last problem that is going to be discussed is the availability to play games on the handheld
computers. Mr. Barron of Stagg High School explains, “…students often use them to play computer
games rather than to do schoolwork.” (Retrieved 11-25-02, from www.teachermagazine.org) Patrick
Phillips of Colchester Middle School in Vermont, said, “The first question to come out of [student‟s]
mouth was, „Can it play games?‟” At first glance a handheld may look similar to a Game Boy and
students may be distracted because of the handheld‟s many abilities.
Technology changes quickly and their may be another tool introduced that is better than a
handheld computer but handhelds is a great place to start. Educators need to provide students with
the skills, knowledge and technology to succeed in the real world. Students need to gain life skills
such as scheduling, multi-tasking and hands-on experience. Computers big and small give students
access to the world, handhelds do it wirelessly and less expensively. More possibilities will open up
for education but the main point is to not let technlogy pass us by. Funding may be difficult to receive
but through grants such as the Palm Education Pioneers, technology accessible to everyone.
References
Bauer, A. M., & Ulrich, M. E. (2002). “I‟ve got a palm in my pocket.” Teaching
Exceptional Children, 35, 18-22. Retrieved November 25, 2002, from ProQuest
database.
Crane, E. (n.d.). Independence in the Palms of Their Hands. Retrieved November 24, 2002, from
http://www.ca-magazine.com
Handhelds in Education Case Studies. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2002, from
http://www.k12handhelds.com/casestudy
McCain, T. & Jukes, I. (2001). Windows in the Future: Education in the Age of
Technology. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press, Inc.
The George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2002). Edutopia: Success Stories for
Learning in the Digital Age. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Trotter, A. (2001). Handheld Computing: New Best Tech Tool Or Just a Fad? Retrieved
November 25, 2002, from http://www.teachermagazine.org
(2002). Using Handheld Technologies in Schools. Retrieved November 24, 2002, from
www.seirtec.org.