The following is a research paper I wrote for class regarding an emerging technology. From an instructor-provided list, I chose "Netbooks in Education" as my topic and dug into how and why these are worthwhile educational tools.
Netbooks in Education
Jeremy Arnold
East Tennessee State University
MEDA 5400-802
Over the past several years, netbooks have emerged as a useful, cost effective solution for many consumers’ basic computer needs. Their market share continues to grow, even in light of newer innovations such as improved tablet PCs and more powerful smartphones (Tablet PCs stunting but not slowing netbook growth 2010). These small, economical laptop PCs are trade some of the functionality one normally finds in higher end systems for lower cost, portability, and ease of storage: qualities that make them an especially attractive option for cash-strapped public schools who may struggle to bring computer access to their students: a school can afford to buy and store a larger quantity of netbooks in bulk than higher end laptop or desktop PCs, which may require an entire computer lab to be built just to house the new technology.
So what is a netbook, you may ask? The answer to that question is largely one of semantics. “Netbook” is a marketing term, designed to distinguish these cheap, portable laptops from more fully featured (and more expensive) “notebook” PCs. The main selling points for netbooks are their low cost (some consumer models may be purchased for under $250) and small size, which makes them more portable. In general, a netbook is significantly smaller than a notebook (screens typically average about 10” diagonally, but may be anywhere from 5” to 12”), with no optical drive, a slower processor, less memory and storage space, and only basic audio and visual capabilities. Because of these hardware limitations—the average netbook only has performance benchmarks comparable to a midrange PC from 2001 (Wikipedia)—netbooks typically have a stripped down operating system (the current standard operating system is Windows 7 Basic, designed by Microsoft exclusively for the netbook format) and users may experience problems if they try to run more demanding programs or games on a netbook. This means that netbooks are fine for basic computing skills such as word processing, web browsing, opening common digital media files such as .mp3s and .wmv files, and even most common web-based applications, but anything beyond those basic tasks may require the use of a higher end notebook or desktop PC.
Most major computer manufacturers offer lines of netbooks for sale. These lines are readily available via popular retail channels such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Amazon. School systems may take advantage of buying them in bulk from a number of sources online, which, depending upon the model chosen, may reduce the cost to under $200 per unit (Miller 2008). This makes netbooks a very cost-effective way for schools to stretch limited funding and allow each student in a classroom to have ready access to a computer at his or her desk.
This individual access to a computer has many applications to a classroom setting, yet it doesn’t require that a school purchase a netbook for each student or even for each seat in a classroom. I am currently observing teachers at Unicoi County High School, which has invested several thousand dollars into creating a “mobile computer lab,” which in reality is little more than a mobile cart with shelves full of 10” netbooks, which faculty can check out and bring into their classrooms. Combined with Wi-Fi access, this mobile lab allows teachers to incorporate computer based technology into their lessons and activities, which in turn gives students (some of whom don’t have computers at home) valuable computer training and experience that they will need to succeed in college and in the workforce.
The concept of the mobile lab makes netbooks an even more cost-effective, as well as space-saving, option for schools with tight budgets. In a traditional school setting, a teacher would consider him or herself lucky to have a handful of bulky desktop computers taking up space in the classroom. The only way to incorporate these computers into lessons would be to divide students into groups and have them awkwardly huddle around each screen like vultures fighting over road kill, which means only one student would “drive” the computer while the others merely told this person what to do. The other traditional option would be to take the entire class to a designated computer lab full of desktop PCs. In this lab, the teacher would only have access to whatever classroom resources she could carry with her. Further, because of the costs of constructing and outfitting such a computer lab, as well as the space required for it, there will still be only a very limited number of computers available at any one time and competition among classes for the use of these computers may be fierce.
The mobile netbook lab alleviates this problem. A simple rolling cart may hold 30 or more netbooks. One can easily store several of these carts in a closet when they aren’t in use. The lower cost of netbooks means that the school can purchase several mobile labs for less than the cost of constructing a single conventional computer lab with desktop PCs. By bringing the netbooks into the classroom and distributing one to each student, the teacher has all the typical classroom resources at her fingertips and can ensure that each student is getting direct, individual experience working with a computer. By giving each student the ability to work with his or her individual computer, the teacher’s options for incorporating technology into lessons are increased exponentially: webquests, wikis, discussion boards, collaborative online learning—the possibilities are endless.
The basic advantages for using netbooks in the classroom are the same as what one finds with PCs. Research shows that using technology in the classroom motivates students (Effects of technology on classrooms and students 2000). It also makes it easier for them to find information that would otherwise be difficult to access, or to sort through a large amount of information that students may find unwieldy or confusing. Utilizing a fleet of inexpensive netbooks can even save money in some ways because many educational resources and materials are freely available online, whereas the cost of purchasing multiple hard copies of these materials for entire classes could become expensive over the course of an academic year.
Netbooks may also provide a cost effective way for schools to use their bargaining power to procure bulk discounts and resell computers to the families of students who many not be otherwise able to afford a home computer. By simply getting a computer into the home, a student is more likely to use it and develop his or her computer skills. It is largely for this reason that some other foreign countries, notably those in the European Union, have launched initiatives to require and subsidize the purchase of netbooks for families with school-age children (Balankskat and Garoia 2010).
While I am in a big proponent of using netbooks, especially in the form of mobile labs, to bring PC and internet access into the classroom, I have observed a few pitfalls during my observations. The biggest one is simple: sometimes the technology that the lesson plan is built upon simply may not work as planned. Sometimes the netbooks’ batteries may not be adequately charged, the school Wi-Fi may go down, the computers may be incapable of handling some software, or the network filtering software may unexpectedly block sites that the teacher was counting on students to use for their activities. In these situations, it’s up to the teacher to thoroughly check and test everything beforehand to insure that everything works, while also having contingency plans in place when it doesn’t.
Another problem is more fundamental: the small netbooks may be easily stolen or broken by unruly students. The cheap parts used in their manufacture may also lead to them being less durable over time, so one should expect to have to replace them at a higher rate than desktop PCs.
Furthermore, the lack of optical drives on netbooks also eliminates the possibility of using them to work with media that’s on DVD or CD, and netbooks simply lack the hardware capabilities to be very effective at graphics or audio intensive processes such as video editing, audio production, or simulation gaming. All of this means they cannot fully replace a traditional computer lab with more powerful desktop systems. Still, in the final analysis the many benefits of investing in and using netbooks in a school setting far outweigh these few negatives.
References
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Balanskat, Anja. Garoia, Valentina. (Oct. 2010) Netbooks on the rise: European overview of national laptop and netbook initiatives in schools. European Schoolnet. Brussels, Belgium. 2010.
Effects of technology on classrooms and students. (2000). Technology and Education Reform. U.S. Department of Education. Accessed Oct. 26 2010. http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html
Miller, Paul. (Jul 21, 2008). World’s cheapest laptop may just be the world’s cheapest laptop. Engadget, Retrieved Oct. 26, 2010. Web. http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/21/worlds-cheapest-laptop-may-just-be-the-worlds-cheapest-laptop/
Netbook. (Oct. 26, 2010). Wikipedia. Retrieved Oct. 26, 2010. Web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netbook
Netbooks vs. Mobile Internet Devices. (Oct 20, 2010) v04 i01 p15Digital Directions, 04, 01. p.15. Retrieved Oct. 26, 2010, from General OneFile via Gale:
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Tablet PCs Slowing but Not Stunting Netbook Growth. (Oct 15, 2010). EWeek, p.NA. Retrieved Oct. 26, 2010, from General OneFile via Gale:
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