Pearson Canada. School Division. A snapshot of K 12 BYOD program implementation in 14 publicly funded school districts across Canada

Transcription

1 Pearson Canada School Division Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Survey A snapshot of K 12 BYOD program implementation in 14 publicly funded school districts across Canada Dr. Tania Sterling Research & Communications Manager Digital Pearson Canada February 2013

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3 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report Executive Summary ii Executive Summary Pearson Canada School Division Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Survey Report A snapshot of the K 12 BYOD program implementation in 14 publicly funded school districts across Canada Purpose At Pearson Canada School Division, our goal is to help students of all ages live and learn by enhancing their reading, learning, and work-life experiences. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs in K 12 education present exciting opportunities as well as challenges. As an educational publisher that produces engaging digital content, platforms, solutions, and services to improve teaching and learning, the BYOD phenomenon is worth close examination. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to gather research regarding K 12 BYOD program implementation across Canada. Methodology In late fall 2012, account executives invited key district-level chief information officers, curriculum consultants, and administrators with technology decision-making responsibilities to participate in the research study. Altogether, 17 participants from 14 publicly funded school districts in Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan responded to an online survey comprised of 29 multiple-choice and open-ended questions grouped under the following six headings: 1. Purpose 2. Context 3. Rationale, Models, and Participants 4. BYOD Policies and Procedures 5. Digital Content 6. Professional Learning Findings Why BYOD? The findings from this mixed method investigation suggest that current K 12 BYOD programs aim to meet a variety of pedagogical goals. The reasons for adopting and implementing BYOD programs are to 1. Increase equity of access to technology tools and content 2. Differentiate instruction 3. Increase the use of technology in the classroom 4. Improve student learning, engagement, and personalized learning Districts also hope that BYOD will lead to changing teacher practice, including more of a focus on critical thinking and digital citizenship. Range of Implementation Models A wide range of BYOD implementation models and policies are in place across participating districts in Canada. They range from controlled use to moderate control toward full open access. Controlled Use: At one end of the spectrum, BYOD programs are only permitted with approval of the IT Director or is only available for teacher use. In other contexts, students can only use their devices in designated areas of the school as determined by the school principal. Moderate Control: In other cases, BYOD use in schools where it s possible and technologically feasible is encouraged by the central board office, but the decision is left up to the individual school. More often than not, this translates to students using their own devices with a teacher s permission in the context of a lesson. At all other times the devices need to be put away and safely secured.

4 iii Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report Executive Summary Findings (cont d) Open Access: At the other end of the continuum, some districts have adopted a Bring it all! approach where the instructional and non-instructional use of personal electronic devices in schools is permitted on the wireless network in all locations. New Policies & Procedures Required In almost all cases, adopting BYOD policies requires new or modified appropriate use policies with more of a focus on digital citizenship. Infrastructure & Network Requirements To set up BYOD programs for success, technological infrastructure needs to be top priority. Data from this study suggest that districts made bandwidth, networks and wireless, security and Internet filtering, and cloud computing top priorities to set up the BYOD program for success. To ensure equity of access to an online network and electronic devices in BYOD classroom or school settings, some districts have made turn-key solutions for wireless access a priority, but many still have a distance to go to achieve widespread access. Still other districts make additional mobile devices (e.g., ipods, netbooks) available through classroom, school, or board lending libraries to ensure every learner has access to a device. Who s Using BYOD? BYOD is currently not being used with students under the age of 8. Participants in this study reported that BYOD programs mostly involve students aged at the high school level. What About Apps? A few districts provide principals or teachers with budgets to purchase and provide students with online access to applications (apps) to support teaching and learning. More districts and schools have made personalized learning a priority and leave app procurement entirely up to the individual student. As described by one respondent: In my definition, BYOD refers to technology that students bring. The school does not control this at all. To account for a variety of needs across school districts, 14 percent of participants reported using a combination of both strategies for acquiring and using apps on devices. How Is BYOD Being Used? The most popular apps being downloaded or purchased to support BYOD programs are free or low-cost productivity apps that allow students to perform a task. For example, Evernote, Dropbox, Google Docs, Google Drive, MS Office Web Apps, Keynote, etc. What s Still Needed? Participants also see the potential for BYOD to make quality content available to students and teachers. There is a need for more content apps to help teach 21 st century skills, secondary courses like Math, Science, Business/Accounting, and English Language Learner (ELL) and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) students. Professional Learning The quality of learning that is enabled by BYOD will only be as rich as the quality of the teaching. Teachers require professional learning to help them effectively leverage BYOD into their practice. Some districts offer off-site workshops after school hours, whereas others create site-based and/or job-embedded BYOD and technology-related professional learning opportunities to increase teacher capacity. How Is the Impact of BYOD Being Measured? Data from this study confirms that districts are monitoring the impact of BYOD programs in a variety of ways (engagement surveys, student achievement, teacher surveys, etc.). Districts are interested in and could benefit from close collaboration with other school boards to share effective BYOD practices and strategies. Conclusions and Recommendations The trend toward mobile learning will continue to accelerate as the devices students, teachers, and leaders carry become ever more capable, accessible, and affordable. While it is clear that K 12 BYOD program implementation is at different stages depending on the local context, this report recommends that Pearson Canada School Division continues to work with school districts across the country as they implement BYOD strategies. Future collaborative research efforts will put districts and Pearson Canada School Division in a position to realize the potential that BYOD has to offer. By working together, we can help ensure that educational models like BYOD, and quality resources, solutions and services meet the needs of educators and support successful student learning.

5 Table of Contents Introduction... 2 Research Questions... 3 Data Collection Strategy... 3 Data Analysis... 4 Research Sample and Setting... 4 Research Findings... 4 Purpose... 4 Context... 4 Rationale, Models, and Participants... 6 BYOD Policy and Procedures Digital Content Professional Learning Implications of Findings Question Question Question Question Question Disseminating Results Conclusion References Appendix A... 19

6 2 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report Introduction Undoubtedly, the trend towards mobile learning is accelerating as the devices we carry become ever more capable, accessible, and affordable. This year, mobile devices and apps have jumped to the top spot as one of the six technologies to watch, according to Johnson, Adams, and Cummins (2012): Mobile devices and apps are increasingly valued as important learning tools in K 12. Once banned from the classroom, mobile devices and apps have become such compelling tools that schools are beginning to rethink standing policies, and some are even beginning to implement bring your own device (BYOD) programs. The potential applications of mobiles are vast, and range from graphing complex mathematical equations to storing and sharing notes and e-book annotations. Apps in particular are the fastest growing dimension of the mobile space in the K 12 sector right now, with impacts on virtually every aspect of informal life, and increasingly, potential in almost every academic discipline. Always-connected Internet devices using 3G, 4G, and similar cellular networks, imbedded sensors, cameras and GPS have inspired hundreds of thousands of applications. With a steady flow of new apps that take advantage of the continual stream of enhancements to these tools, as well as key advances in electronic publishing, and the convergence of search technology and location awareness, mobile devices & apps grow more and more interesting with each passing month. (p. 4) At Pearson Canada, our goal is to help students of all ages live and learn by enhancing their reading, learning, and work-life experiences. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs in K 12 education present exciting opportunities as well as challenges. As an educational publisher that produces engaging digital content, platforms, solutions, and services to improve teaching and learning, the BYOD phenomenon is worth close examination. We need to ask ourselves two critical questions: What do we know about the BYOD trend? How is Pearson Canada School Division responding to this trend? If properly researched and responded to the BYOD challenge represents dynamic opportunity for educators and the School publishing industry. To gather market research regarding K 12 BYOD programs, Pearson Canada School Division conducted an online survey involving educational decision makers across the country in November For the purposes of this investigation, BYOD programs referred to implementation models in Canadian K 12 school districts where students are permitted to bring personally owned mobile technology devices to school to support their learning.

7 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 3 Data have been interpreted and assembled in this report. Disseminating results in this way will help to mobilize effective practice across Canada as well as position Pearson Canada School Division as a thought leader in the field. Moreover, once acted upon, this BYOD research has the potential to inform future product development and help position Pearson Canada as part of a larger efficacy company concerned with improving learning. Research Questions Five main research questions guided this mixed methods inquiry: 1. What and how are BYOD programs being implemented in Canada? 2. What digital content are students accessing on personally owned devices? 3. What content is still needed for mobile devices? 4. What supports are in place to ensure BYOD programs are successful? 5. How is the impact of BYOD being measured? Data Collection Strategy A mixed methods approach was used to investigate K 12 BYOD program implementation in Canada. As such, the online questionnaire (Appendix A) was built using Survey Gizmo ( and comprised 29 multiple choice and open-ended questions grouped under six headings: 1. Purpose 2. Context 3. Rationale, Models, and Participants 4. BYOD Policies and Procedures 5. Digital Content 6. Professional Learning Permission was granted by the Government of Alberta to reproduce sections of its recent report, Bring Your Own Device: A Guide for Schools, Copyright 2012 Crown in the Right of the Province of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education. The survey took approximately 15 minutes to complete. Three reminders were sent to prospective participants throughout the three-week data collection period. As a token of Pearson Canada School Division s appreciation, respondents were invited to provide contact information to be eligible to win the latest ipad model. Data collection for the survey officially closed November 10, 2012.

8 4 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report Data Analysis Descriptive statistics were generated from the quantitative questions on the survey and are interpreted here using charts and graphs. Qualitative data from open-ended questions revealed themes and trends. After an initial coding, findings were synthesized, summarized, ranked, compared, weighed, and combined. The last stage of data analysis involved integrating, checking, and modifying the data to ensure they accurately reflected the themes that arose and the amount of importance placed on each item (Rubin & Rubin, 2005). An analysis of all research data occurred following qualitative data analysis during the final interpretation. Research Sample and Setting Account Executives and Connected Sales Representatives were asked to put forth the names of key district-level contacts with instructional technology responsibilities from within their territories. This generated a list of 41 potential respondents who were then invited to participate via . Research Findings Purpose The first section of the survey outlined the purpose of the online survey and referenced the permission that was granted by the Government of Alberta to reproduce sections of its BYOD Guide (2012). The Purpose section informed participants of the approximate amount of time required to complete the questionnaire and invited them to consider entering the draw for the ipad. Pearson s privacy statement was also referenced in the Purpose section of the survey. Context The Context section intended to gather data regarding the size and nature of the context for each respondent. Survey respondents comprised 17 educational decision makers with district-level instructional technology responsibilities from 14 publically funded school boards in 5 provinces across Canada (see Figure 1).

9 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 5 BYOD Survey Respondents by Province 6% 18% 58% 12% 6% Alberta Manitoba Nova Scotia Ontario Saskatchewan Figure 1. In which province or territory is your school district located? (multiple choice) When asked to characterize their districts, 10 participants identified their districts as urban, one identified his or her district as rural, and six referred to their districts as both urban and rural. The distance between schools was a challenge in four districts, whereas school-toschool proximity was not identified as problematic in the other districts. Data related to the full-time student enrolment within the districts where respondents worked are presented in Figure 2. Full Time Student Enrolment Per District More than % % % % % % % More than Figure 2. What is your current full-time student enrolment? (multiple choice)

10 6 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report Rationale, Models, and Participants The questions in the next section of the survey pertained to factors that led to and informed the development and implementation of BYOD in each district. The top pedagogical goals of K 12 BYOD are depicted in Figure 3. Pedagogical Goals of BYOD Programs Equity of access and availability Differentiated instruction Increase use of IT in classrooms Student engagement Personalized learning Anywhere, anytime learning 44Cs C's Authentic learning Prepare students for future Free up other school-owned devices Innovation Offset technology costs Digital citizenship/media Citizenship/Media Literacy literacy Number of Respondents Figure 3. What pedagogical goal or need does your district hope to meet with its BYOD model? (open ended)

11 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 7 Displayed as a word cloud, these open-ended responses from Figure 3 reveal a rationale and focus on increased use and access to familiar digital devices and resources, student learning and engagement, and differentiation. In addition to pedagogical goals, participants reported that districts look to BYOD programs to increase teacher access and change teacher practice to involve more critical thinking and inquiry-based approaches (Figure 4).

12 8 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report Other Goals of BYOD Programs Equity of access to technology and resources Change teacher practice Critical thinking & Digital citizenship Re-allocate infrastructure, spending, resources Support research & inquiry Student improvement Student engagement Self-regulation Connect with parents Increase social media Teacher innovation Increased collaboration Personalized learning Increase teacher satisfaction Number of Respondents Figure 4. What other goals does your district hope to achieve with your BYOD program? (open-ended) Data from the survey suggest there are a wide range of BYOD implementation models and policies in place across participating districts in Canada, ranging from controlled use to moderate control toward full open-access. Controlled Use Moderate Control Open Access Controlled Use: In some cases, BYOD is only permitted with approval of IT Director or is only available for teacher use. In several other contexts, students can only use their devices in designated areas of the school as determined by the school Principal. Moderate Control: Further along the continuum, BYOD use in schools where it's possible and technologically feasible is encouraged by the central board office, but the decision is left up to the individual school. In other words, schools are left on their own to develop, support, enable, and carefully approach/monitor BYOD. Students are allowed to bring devices, but some schools make the choice of which types and how the devices are permitted/used. More often than not, this translates to students using their own devices

13 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 9 with a teacher s permission in the context of a lesson. At all other times the devices need to be put away and safely secured. Open-access: At the other end of the spectrum, some districts allow for instructional and non-instructional use of personal electronic devices in schools ; in fact, guest wireless is available in all locations and students are encouraged to bring their own devices at all grade levels. As one participant mentioned, his or her district abides by the Bring it all! approach. Figure 5 depicts the range of specific BYOD models currently in use in the 14 participating school districts. BYOD Models 70% 60% 50% Percentage 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Students use specific brand of personally owned devices Students use personally owned devices that meet specific technical specifications Students use personally owned devices with specific functionality Students bring any personally owned devices provided they are Internetready Hybrids or combinations of the four models listed Left to school to decide Figure 5. What BYOD models are being adopting in the school district? (list adapted from Alberta Government) (multiple choice) Prior to implementing BYOD, respondents identified that surveys were typically used to predetermine the number of students with access to personal devices at each school (see Figure 6). In some cases, this information was not gathered prior to moving towards BYOD.

14 10 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report Strategies for Surveying Access to Own Devices Number of IP addresses used in each school Network reports We haven't as far as I know Through IBM consulting Some areas/schools conduct their own surveys Monitoring of use centrally Anecdotal. We did not conduct a formal survey District-wide survey Teacher survey Parent survey Student survey 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Percentage Figure 6. How did you determine the number of students with access to personal devices at each school? (multiple choice) As one might expect, a lower percentage of elementary schools participate in BYOD programs compared with secondary schools (Figure 7). Percentage of BYOD Schools across Districts 12 Number of Schools Elementary Secondary Percentage Figure 7. What percentage of elementary and secondary schools participate in BYOD programs across your district? (open ended) Findings suggested that the vast majority (95%) of the students engaging in BYOD programs are 8 years of age or older. Right now, most BYOD students are in high school (ages 14 18).

15 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 11 BYOD Policy and Procedures More than three quarters (76%) of participants reported that their district had to develop new Appropriate Use Policies to support new BYOD programs, whereas new policies were only somewhat required in 12 percent of respondents boards, and not required in 12 percent of participating districts. Additions or changes to Appropriate Use Policies that were required centred on making specific reference to and allowing access to personal devices during classroom instruction, including digital citizenship and norms of using social media, and developing new Appropriate Use Policies for teachers personal devices. Districts reported that the monitoring of the appropriate use of BYOD is handled differently depending on the context. For example, some districts use centrally controlled active directory firewalls, Kace software, and network monitoring tools, while, in other districts, the supervision of BYOD use is the responsibility of the individual school. Internet filters are either controlled at a board level or managed by the school Principal. In other cases, teachers are responsible for monitoring student Internet and device use in the classroom and infractions are dealt with via school codes of conduct. To ensure equity of access to an online network and electronic devices in BYOD classroom or school settings, some districts have made turn-key solutions for wireless access a priority, but many still have a distance to go to achieve ubiquitous access. Still other districts make extra mobile devices (e.g., ipods, netbooks) available through classroom, school, or board lending libraries to ensure every learner has access to a device. In line with the findings of the Alberta Government s BYOD Guide (2012), participants confirmed that bandwidth, networks and wireless connections, security and Internet filtering, and cloud computing were the top priorities for technological infrastructure to set up the BYOD program for success (Figure 8).

16 12 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report Technological Infrastructure Priorities 100% 90% 80% 70% Percentage 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Bandwidth Networks and wireless technology Security and Internet filtering Cloud computing Strategic technology plan that sets implementation expectations Policy or Program Student access to the network and Internet before and after school Printing Partnering with the home and community agencies to ensure access to the Internet Figure 8. To set up the BYOD program for success, technological infrastructure needs to be top priority. Which of the following policies and procedures did your district consider or put into place to support the BYOD program? (list adapted with permission from Alberta Government) (multiple choice) Digital Content This section of the survey focused on how districts purchase and students access digital content on their personal devices. Gaining access to applications (apps) for use on personal devices occurs in a variety of ways (Figure 9). As one respondent noted, In my definition, BYOD refers to technology that students bring. The school does not control this at all. To allow for complete personalization, in 36 percent of participating districts, students pay for, download, and monitor their own apps of choice. By contrast, 29 percent of districts have established school-based budgets and allow the Principal to manage the purchase and monitoring of apps for personal devices. District-level budgets for purchasing and monitoring apps have been established in 14 percent of districts. Only 7 percent of districts have gone with classroom budgets for teachers to purchase and manage apps procurement on students personal devices. To account for a variety of needs across the system, 14 percent of districts use a combination of all of these strategies for purchasing apps for BYOD programs.

17 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 13 Procedure for Purchasing BYOD Apps 14% 14% 36% 29% District-level budget; district-level purchase and monitoring School-based budget; Principal purchases and monitors Classroom-based budget; Teacher purchases and monitors Students download and monitor own apps of their choice Combination of all of the above 7% Figure 9. How are apps for the BYOD program purchased currently? (multiple choice) The next two survey questions gauged the types of apps being purchased as well as participants tolerance for app pricing. The most popular apps that have been downloaded/purchased for BYOD programs include DropBox Evernote FirstClass Google Docs Google Drive GoodReader Keynote MarkBook MS Office Web Apps OneNote Numbers Pages Science apps Suite programs (e.g., word processing, spreadsheet, and some specialty apps) With the exception of Science apps, most apps that are being downloaded classify as productivity apps as opposed to content apps. Insight can be gleaned from participants suggested app pricing. Just under one third of respondents (29%) expressed that apps for BYOD programs should be free, whereas over half (57%) of respondents agreed that apps should cost no more than $1 $2 each. Outlier data indicated that districts would consider it acceptable to pay $5 or $20. In terms of content gaps, participants expressed the greatest need for apps related to teaching the 4Cs (Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication) on mobile devices. Given the predominance of BYOD programs at the secondary level, it is not

18 14 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report surprising that participants identified other curriculum gaps for grades 9 12 content (e.g., Secondary Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, Business/Accounting). At the elementary level, districts perceived the greatest need for BYOD content related to English Language Learners (ELL); Language; First, Nations, Inuit and Métis; Mathematics; and The Arts. A visual summary of the content priorities to support BYOD is provided below (Figure 10). Content Priorities for Mobile Devices 4Cs Secondary Mathematics Secondary Biology, Physics, Chemistry Secondary Business/Accounting English Language Learner Resources Secondary English Curriculum Area Elementary Language Arts First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Resources Secondary Foreign Languages Secondary Law Elementary Mathematics Secondary The Arts Religion K 12 Elementary The Arts Elementary French as a 2nd Language Elementary Social Studies Elementary Science Not Sure Weighted Priority* Figure 10. Please rank what content (apps) are still needed to support the BYOD program in your district? (The lower the number, the lower the priority or need in your district.) *Score is a weighted calculation. Items ranked first are valued higher than the following ranks; the score is the sum of all weighted rank counts (multiple choice, ranking order) Additional teaching and learning resources that are required to support BYOD include Assessment support for teachers Digital citizenship and anti-bullying Interactive modules to support text materials, useable on all platforms Real world problem-solving tools

19 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 15 Professional Learning The final section of the survey asked how districts are ensuring that teachers have the skills they need to purposefully integrate BYOD into their practice. Data showed that 76 percent of districts offer after-school teacher professional learning workshops at off-site locations, while 71 percent make technology mentors or coaches available in the classroom to co-learn with teachers. Many districts are creating opportunities for teachers to collaborate with other teachers involved in the BYOD program (71%). Opportunities for BYOD teachers to attend two types of job-embedded professional learning during the work day were referenced by participants: on-site (65%) and off-site (59%). The specific focus of BYOD professional learning programs varies. In most cases, the professional development focus is pre-determined by the district, however 47 percent of districts allow teachers to inform and choose the focus of their personal BYOD professional learning. Site-based technical support is offered in 41 percent of participating districts. Technology inquiry learning centre classrooms that model the use of personal devices that teachers can visit are available in 35 percent of districts. Finally, 29 percent of districts conduct teacher readiness surveys to ensure that teachers have the skills they need to purposefully integrate BYOD into their practice. This report concludes with a review of the research questions that guided this inquiry and a discussion of the implication of these findings on digital sales, marketing, services, and publishing activities for Pearson Canada School Division. Implications of Findings Many of the findings from this small scale investigation confirm that BYOD programs are opening new markets for School digital content and solutions. They also reveal that districts are interested in and could benefit from close collaboration with other school boards to share effective practice and strategies. Question 1: What and how are BYOD programs being implemented in Canada? This investigation uncovered that the 14 participating school districts are at the beginning stages of implementing BYOD at the elementary level and further ahead with BYOD at the secondary level. No one particular implementation model emerged from the findings; rather, data suggest that different boards handle BYOD implementation differently. Some control or manage BYOD program implementation centrally, whereas others allow for site-based

20 16 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report management and monitoring of BYOD programs. Infrastructure costs and network security are typically handled centrally and some schools have on-site technical support available for troubleshooting BYOD related issues. Question 2: What digital content are students accessing on personally owned devices? Participants identified a range of strategies for accessing content and apps on mobile devices. Some districts promote personalized learning where the student selects the appropriate app for the task; others make the decision centrally about what type of content or programs students will download and use. In the latter, the school Principal or classroom teacher usually manages and monitors app downloads. A small percentage of the most popular downloaded apps only work on ios devices which suggests that students are bringing a range of Android and ios devices in the 14 participating districts. Question 3: What content is still needed for mobile devices? Participants indicated that having more access to mobile apps that support the teaching and learning of the 4Cs are top priority in districts. Then, given that greatest uptake of BYOD programs is at the secondary school level, it is not surprising that respondents identified the largest app and content gaps for high schools. Apps to support English Language Learners (ELL) and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit are also required. Question 4: What supports are in place to ensure BYOD programs are successful? The quality of learning that is enabled by BYOD will only be as rich as the quality of the teaching. It appears that many districts are managing the teacher professional learning and technical aspects of BYOD program centrally. In cases where districts need assistance, Pearson Learning Services could help by offering to develop and train teachers to use BYOD approaches in classroom. Question 5: How is the impact of BYOD being measured? Data from this study confirm that districts are monitoring the impact of BYOD program in a variety of ways. Pearson Learning Services could help design and gather research to measure the impact/success of BYOD on student achievement and engagement. Such findings have the potential to mobilize 21 st century skills and bring about necessary instructional change across districts.

21 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 17 Disseminating Results An executive summary and report for public consumption will be prepared and ed to all parties who were invited to participate. A version of the public report will be web-enabled and posted on the Pearson Canada School website. Conclusion The trend toward mobile learning will continue to accelerate as the devices students, teachers, and leaders carry become ever more capable, accessible, and affordable. While it is clear that K 12 BYOD program implementation is at different stages depending on the local context, this report recommends that Pearson Canada School Division continues to work with school districts across the country as they implement BYOD strategies. Overall, findings this small scale study revealed current BYOD programs aim to increase equity of student access to resources and change teacher practice require new Appropriate Use Policies primarily involve secondary school students are controlled or managed at both the district and school level indicate a preference for FREE or low-cost productivity apps versus content-based apps reveal the need for additional content to support teaching 21 st century skills, secondary school courses, and ELL and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students require specific teacher professional learning need to be monitored to measure the impact on student learning and engagement However, these data stem from a sub-sample of Canada s public education system. Therefore, bias, reliability, validity, and the small sample size represent major limitations to generalizing these findings across all large and small, urban and rural school markets. Should future research be deemed a priority, the confidence level of the data needs to be improved. A more representative research sample, more extensive literature review, and a validated survey instrument are suggested. Future collaborative research efforts will put districts and Pearson Canada School Division in a position to realize the potential that BYOD has to offer. By working together, we can help ensure that educational models like BYOD, and quality resources, solutions, and services meet the needs of educators and support successful student learning.

22 18 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report References Alberta Education. (2012). Bring your own device: A guide for schools. Crown in the Right of the Province of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education. Retrieved from: Johnson, L., Adams, S., & Cummins, M. (2012). NMC Horizon Report: 2012 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from: Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. S. (2005). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

23 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 19 Appendix A Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Survey Purpose The purpose of this survey is to gather information about BYOD programs being implemented in K 12 school districts across Canada. Findings will be assembled in a report and shared with participants at the conclusion of data collection November 10, Special thanks to the Government of Alberta for granting permission to reproduce sections of its publications, Bring Your Own Device: A Guide for Schools available online, Copyright 2012 Crown in the Right of the Province of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education. This survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. As a token of our appreciation for your participation, and upon receipt of your contact information, each respondent will be entered into a draw for a FREE ipad. Thank you for your time and cooperation. Pearson Canada respects your privacy. Please view our Privacy Statement for more information. Context Please provide us with some information regarding your district. 1) In which province or territory is your school district located? Northwest Territories British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Nunavut Ontario Quebec Newfoundland Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island New Brunswick

24 20 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 2) What is the name of your school board? 3) Please characterize your school district: Rural Urban Both rural and Urban 4) Regarding school-to-school proximity: Is the distance between schools a challenge in your district? Yes No 5) What is your current full-time student enrolment? More than ) How many elementary schools do you have? 7) How many secondary schools do you have? Rationale, Models, and Participants The questions in this section of the survey pertain to factors that lead to and inform the development and implementation of BYOD in your district. 8) What is your board BYOD policy? 9) What pedagogical goal or need does your district hope to meet with its BYOD model? 10) What other goals does your district hope to achieve with your BYOD program?

25 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 21 11) What BYOD models are being adopting in the school district? (List adapted from Alberta Government) Students use specific brand/model of personally owned devices. Students use personally owned devices to those that meet specific technical specifications (e.g., specific versions of operating systems, minimum amount of storage space, Internet ready, etc.). Students use personally owned devices with specific functionality (e.g., compatibility with software, compatibility with online testing requirements, etc.). Students bring any personally owned devices provided they are Internet-ready. Hybrids or combinations of the four models listed above. Other: 12) How did you determine the number of students with access to their own personal device at each school? N/A Student Survey Parent Survey Teacher Survey District-wide Survey Other: 13) What percentage of elementary schools run a BYOD program in your district? 14) What percentage of secondary schools run a BYOD program in your district? 15) What are the ages of the students in the elementary schools who participate in BYOD programs? N/A 3-4 years old (K) 3-8 years old (K-Grade 3) 8-11 years old (Grades 4-6) years old (Grades 7-8)

26 22 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 16) What are the ages of the secondary school students participating in BYOD programs? N/A (Grade 9) (Grade 10) (Grade 11) (Grade 12) 18+ BYOD Policy and Procedures This section of the survey focuses on the considerations that were made by various stakeholder groups regarding BYOD policies and procedures. 17) Did the BYOD program require your district to develop new Appropriate Use Policies? Yes No Somewhat 18) What additions or changes had to be made to your existing Appropriate Use Policy to address the BYOD program? 19) How does your district monitor the appropriate use of personally owned devices? 20) How does your district ensure equity of access to electronic devices in BYOD classroom or school settings? 21) To set up the BYOD program for success, technological infrastructure needs to be top priority. Which of the following policies and procedures did your district consider or put into place to support the BYOD program? (list adapted with permission from Alberta Government) Security and Internet filtering Bandwidth Networks and wireless technology Cloud computing Printing Strategic technology plan that sets implementation expectations. Student access to the network and Internet before and after school. Partnering with the home and community agencies to ensure access to the Internet. Other:

27 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 23 Digital Content This section of the survey focuses on how students access digital content on their personally owned devices. 22) How are apps for the BYOD program purchased currently? District-level budget; district-level purchase and monitoring School-based budget; Principal purchases and monitors Classroom-based budget; Teacher purchases and monitors Students download and monitor own apps of their choice Combination of all of the above Other: 23) What are some of the most popular apps being purchased for the BYOD program? 24) On average, how much should an app cost for the BYOD program? 25) Please rank what content (apps) is still needed to support the BYOD program in your district? (The lower the number, the lower the priority or need in your district) Not Sure 4Cs or 21st C Skills (Collaboration, Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking) English Language Learner Resources First Nations Métis and Inuit Resources Elementary-Language Arts/Literacy Elementary-Mathematics Elementary-French as a Second Language Elementary-The Arts Elementary-Science Elementary-Social Studies, History, Geography Secondary-English Secondary-Foreign Languages Secondary-Mathematics Secondary-The Arts Secondary-Biology, Physics, Chemistry Secondary-Business/Accounting Secondary-Law Religion K-12

28 24 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 26) What additional content area/skill apps are required to complement your BYOD program? Professional Learning This final set of questions address ways in which districts are supporting teacher professional learning to effectively implement BYOD. 27) How is your district ensuring teachers have the skills they need to purposefully integrate BYOD into their practice? Not Sure Conducting teacher readiness surveys Having technology mentors or coaches to co-learn with teachers in the classroom Having technology inquiry learning centre classrooms that teachers can visit and learn from fellow teachers Providing coverage for teachers to attend job-embedded professional learning on site Providing coverage for teachers to participate in professional learning during the work day at another location Offering after school workshops at school Offering after school workshops at another location Creating opportunities for teachers to collaborate with other teachers involved in the BYOD program Providing site-based technical support Allowing teachers to inform and choose the particular professional learning required Other: 28) How do you plan to measure the impact and/or success of your BYOD program?

29 Pearson Canada School Division BYOD Survey Report 25 Thank You! This marks the conclusion of the survey. Thank you for taking the time to participate. Your responses are important to us! If you have any questions, please contact To be eligible for the draw for an ipad, kindly provide your name and in the space below. We will not use your contact information for purposes other than the ipad draw, and your name and contact information will be stored separately from your answers. The winner will be announced in December 2012 and the report will be shared via shortly thereafter. Contact Information First Name: Last Name: Address: Phone Number: Thank You! If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact