Impact on student motivation

Impact on student motivation

1. ICTs motivate teachers and studentsThere appears to be general consensus that both teachers and students feel ICT use greatly contributes to student motivation for learning.
2. Access outside of school affects user confidence(Not surprisingly) Students who use a computer at home also use them in school more frequently and with more confidence than pupils who have no home access.
3. Where to place computers has an impactPlacing computers in classrooms enables much greater use of ICTs for ‘higher order’ skills than placing computers in separate computer laboratories (indeed, fewer computers in classrooms may enable even more use than greater numbers of computers located in separate computer labs). Related to this is an increasing attention given to the use of laptops by both teachers and students (and in some places, ‘computers-on-wheels’), as well as, to a much lesser extent, to the use of personal digital assistants and other mobile devices.
4. Models for successfully integrating ICT use in school and after school hours are still emergingThere are few successful models for the integration of student computer use at home or in other 'informal settings' outside of school facilities with use in school.
5. The appropriate ages for introducing computers to students are hotly debatedOn a general level, appropriate ages for student ICT use in general are unclear. However, it is clear that certain uses are more or less appropriate, given student ages and abilities. Emerging research cautions against widespread use at younger ages.
6. ICTs can promote learner autonomyEvidence exists that use of ICTs can increase learner autonomy for certain learners.
7. Gender affects impactUses of ICTs in education in many cases to be affected by the gender of the learner.
8. The ‘pilot effect’ can be an important driver for positive impact Dedicated ICT-related interventions in education that introduce a new tool for teaching and learning may show improvements merely because the efforts surrounding such interventions lead teachers and students to do ‘more’ (potentially diverting energies and resources from other activities).