Research Articles

Research Articles:
On Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) Effectiveness

Amber Gunnin
Elizabeth Lynch

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Selection of Topic-BYOD Effectiveness

Bring Your Own Device effectiveness was chosen as our topic because we would like to
implement this idea into our own classroom. Our school is moving toward fully implementing
technology into the classroom so it was a great topic to research. The research showed on each
article that having technology in the classroom improved the students skills. Our school
currently has classrooms where you can sign up to be a BYOD classroom. Researching about
BYOD in the classroom helped show that students can relate to this type of technology and
therefore, are more motivated to learn. The topic helped us realize we may want to become
BYOD classrooms in the near future.
This research topic was also chosen to understand the benefits of using BYOD in the
classroom. Students are so focused on their phones all the time that using BYOD may help
increase their participation. With both of us being math teachers, we often have trouble finding
ways to engage the students. We wanted to research how we could use BYOD with our
classrooms to introduce some new ways of learning or applying math skills.
Our approach to the research was mainly how the actual use of the technology can help or
hinder the classroom. Because our school has a lot of access to technology, the students wouldnt
have to have their own device. Majority of the students in our school have some type of
technological device so making sure all students have technology isnt an issue. Therefore, our
focus was on how bringing technology in the classroom would be beneficial.
Importance in Educational Technology
Todays society is very reliant on the use of technology, and the students that are going
through the education system have had constant use of technology. Therefore as teachers we
want to be able to incorporate technology with their education process. In the article by Nancy

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Burns-Sardons, she stated [teachers and students] know how to use their smartphones for
personal use, which can influence innovation when designing classroom activities using these
devices (pg 181). Students and Teachers are familiar with so many devices and for them to be
able to use them in a setting that both parties can benefit from.
I know from my own experience (Lynch) having students have access to a device that
does so many things is such a benefit, they can easily research and extend a topic. Those devices
really just make learning an interactive process that engages and excites the students, who in turn
become more involved in their own education.
I have done different activities (Gunnin) involving technology and the students are
always excited to try something new. We did an activity using their cell phones where they could
send in their answer to a survey from a website. They were able to use their technology and
relate to the data collected because it was their class data so they seemed to be more engaged
than doing the usual practices.
Future Research
From personal experiences, students in our classes have become more intrigued when we
involve technology. This could be mainly due to the fact that we do not use them very often. In
the future, it would be good to research the long term effects of BYOD in the classroom. Some
questions to ask would be, will the students get bored with the technology or how long will the
technology last being so expensive to keep running.
Also, we would like to research more on specific programs or apps to use in a
mathematics classroom. Currently, we use graphing or scientific calculators daily in the
classroom, which is considered technology. However, the students do not see a calculator as
technology. Therefore, it can be difficult getting them engaged with just a calculator. It would be

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beneficial for us to research in the future ways to use technology in a math class that goes along
with our curriculum.
Hopefully in the future of the research of BYOD, they are able to get more long term
results of experiences with it in the classroom. The research currently done is not as extended
because technology is new to the classroom. Also, the research should be done on a much larger
scale and have more comparisons. Researchers could focus on having a larger number of
students using technology versus the same number of students doing the same material and not
using technology. BYOD research might get more accurate results having two large groups and
over a longer period of time.

The Effectiveness of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Article #1

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The title of this study is called, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) for Seamless Science
Inquiry in a Primary School by Yanjie Song (2014).This article is about a one-year case study
performed in a primary school in Hong Kong. The study was done to see the effects of Bring
Your Own Device (BYOD), they chose to use incorporate technology for the topic of Fish
Anatomy. So they incorporated BYOD into their existing inquiry-based seamless learning model
and it lead to three implications. One implication is the advancement of content knowledge
students made by using their own mobile device. Another implication is how well the students
advanced their content knowledge. Lastly, the implication is the students perception of their
learning environment using their own mobile device.
Analysis of Methodology
The study focused on how students improved in content knowledge and how the students
perceived their BYOD learning environment. The study focused on three main research
questions.
According to Song (2014) the questions were the following:
(a) What advancement of content knowledge did students make in science inquiry in a
seamless learning environment supported by BYOD? (b) How did students advance their
content knowledge in science inquiry in a seamless learning environment supported by
BYOD? (c) What was students perception of seamless science inquiry experiences
supported by BYOD? (p.52)
Data Collection
To determine the students improvements in their subject knowledge, many different types
of collections were to used to gather data. Song (2014) explains, data collection included pre-

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and post-domain tests, student artifacts (postings on Edmodo, postings on Evernote, captured
photos, captured recordings, captured videos, worksheets), class observations and field notes (p.
53). Also, students completed a questionnaire to determine their perception of learning their
science topic using BYOD. The questionnaire data was analyzed statistically.
Participants.
The participants of this study were twenty-eight students in a 6th grade class at a primary
school in Hong Kong. The students were broken into seven groups of four students randomly.
The twenty-eight students were divided randomly into seven groups of four students. Also, the
teacher involved in the study had around eight years of work experience.
Summary of Results
The study revealed that the students advanced in their content knowledge while using
their own mobile device. The students had positive attitudes towards using BYOD and showed
they were engaged in the process. Because the number of participants was small, the statistical
results are challenged. Also, not all students own a mobile device and may develop issues while
over using a mobile device.
Opinion
Although the participant number was low, the study was able to show improvement in their
content knowledge. Students were able to relate to their science topic because they were using
something they can relate. Also, they used an appropriate amount of ways to collect the data and
questioned the students being studied. However, the students being broken into smaller groups
could have had an impact on their learning. Students generally learn better in smaller groups.
Examining the Influence of Mobile Learning Intervention
Article #2

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The title of this study is Examining the Influence of a Mobile Learning Intervention on
Third Grade Math Achievement by Derick Kiger, Dani Herro and Deb Prunty (2012). This
article discusses how educators are beginning to adjust to the fact that students are going mobile
all across the United States. There are many types of mobile learning being used in classrooms
today. For example, students are often given laptops or computers to complete class work.
Mobile devices are used for playing educational games or educational apps. Also, many classes
are becoming flipped classrooms where technology is used at home to complete some
assignments. In this article, they also discuss a study done on math achievement where they
teach math the traditional way. Students are given instruction as a group and then provided
individual attention, if needed, on assignments.
Analysis of Methodology
This study was completed using a 9- week mobile learning intervention (MLI). Two
classrooms continued with the traditional learning while two classrooms participated in the MLI.
Prior to starting the study data was collected. A pre-intervention survey was conducted along
with using information about each student such as; the students grades, test scores and
attendance. Also, iPods were purchased for the MLI classes and contained math apps used for
daily practice.
Data Collection.
Once the classes completed the 9 weeks, a post-intervention multiplication test was given to
all the students. The students were given 10 minutes to complete as many problems as they
could. Kiger, Herro, and Prunty (2012) explained, We administered a late pretest to students
after MLI students were introduced to the mobile devices and math apps. The timed, paper-andpencil 50-item multiplication test mirrored the posttest in form, content, and standardized

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administration. (p.74). Once tests were graded by hand, a measure of central tendency was used
to evaluate the data.
Participants
The participants were a group of third graders at a Midwestern Elementary School. A
total of eighty-seven students participated in the study. The participation was on a voluntary
basis given by parent consent so 97% of the third graders participated. Also, there were four
participating teachers, who had similar teaching styles.
Summary of Results
The study revealed that the students in the MLI groups performed better than the students in
the traditional classrooms. Kiger, Herro, and Prunty (2012) stated, This finding suggests that
coupling business as usual curriculum with a mobile device may be a cost-effective lever to
improve student achievement. (p. 76). The study suggested for future reference that closer
attention should be paid to the interaction of mobile learning and student demographics, attitude,
and the teachers technology background.
Opinion
The study did a great job with having two different types of classroom settings: traditional
math classroom vs. MLI math classroom. They also developed some great ideas with the MLI
classroom by using the math apps on the iPods. The only downfall is number of participants is a
small number and all teachers teach differently. They did take a survey which showed they taught
fairly similarly, but most teachers are going to have their own style. Also, nine weeks is a short
amount of time to complete a study. Although it was only nine weeks, it still showed that the
students with the mobile learning did better overall.
Teaching and Learning with Mobile Computing Devices: Case Study in K-12 Classrooms

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Article #3
The title of this article is Teaching and Learning with Mobile Computing Devices: Case
Study in K-12 Classrooms it was written by Michael M. Grant in collaboration with Tamim,
Brown, Sweeney, Ferguson, and Jones (2015). The article was to discover the adoption of mobile
computing devices used to support classroom instruction. Research was done to describe the
early uses of mobile devices in K-12 classes. At the conclusion of the research the authors were
able to narrow the themes of their research to five topics, ownership and control of the device,
using the device for student accountability, enhance and motivate students, teachers being able to
seek professional development, and having support for technical issues. The research also
reflects on the implication of these themes.
Analysis of Methodology
Nine purposely selected teachers were chosen to be studied. They were then given a
questionnaire that covered the five themes. The survey included open ended questions, allowing
the interviewers flexibility. The open-ended nature of this type of interview structure gave
participants an open forum for response. (p. 35) The definition of MCD was defined as mobile
computing devices, this is including anything that has a screen and a processor, computers,
smartphones, and tablets.
Data Collection
Teachers were given a questionnaire; this was the primary method for data collection. To
make sure that enough data was collected, each researcher was assigned a certain number of
participants and it was up to them to make sure to get an answered questionnaire, this could be
face-to-face, online format or telephone depending on the interviewer. All answers were
recorded.
Participants

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The participants in this study were nine K-12 teachers who already established a
classroom using mobile devices. Nine teachers agreed to participate. According to Brown, D. et
al, (2015) the characteristics of each of the participants for this study were five were female,
ages ranged from 27 to 53, five were White Caucasian, eight were from public schools, grades
ranged from Pre-K through 12th with four teaching Grades 9-12, states included Kentucky,
Michigan, Mississippi, New York, and Tennessee, and eight participants were using Apple iPads
while one used an Apple iPhone (p. 35).
Summary of Results
The article had a sample size, which the authors find to limits the ability to generalize
these finding to larger populations (p. 42). The authors showed no evidence of combining
formal and informal learning and the authors agree that more research is needed with schools,
teachers, and students who are using MCDs inside and outside of classrooms.
Opinion
This case study was extremely biased, the authors wanted to find information about the
use of mobile computing devices; however they only asked nine teachers who already
implemented the devices during their instruction. The questions also were not specific and left a
lot of room for the topics to vary and the focus of the study to get off topic.
Dialogic understanding of Teachers' Online Transformative Learning
Research Article #4
The title of this article is Dialogic Understanding of Teachers' Online Transformative
Learning: A Qualitative Case Study of Teacher Discussions in a Graduate-Level Online Course
written by Kyungmee Lee and Clare Brett (2015). The authors developed an online course to
facilitate teachers transformative learning in implementing new educational technologies and

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adapting to new teaching environments. This case study examines teachers' perspective
transformation in our course to understand the nature of effective online teacher-to-teacher
discussions(pg 72). According to Lee and Brett (2015), this paper builds on previous literature
on teacher-to-teacher discussions as well as providing a fresh perspective to inform the current
globalized teacher education context. (p 72)
Analysis of Methodology
This study was a qualitative research study that focused on example of teacher-to-teacher
discussions that demonstrate the change in teachers epistemological and pedagogical
perspectives. According to Brett and Lee (2015), the study investigates teachers' discussions in
a single online course through in-depth content analyses. (p 75) The two research questions
focused on in this study are: 1. how are in-service teachers' changed perspectives reflected in
open-ended dialogues in the online course? 2.what are the characteristics of teacher-to-teacher
discussions that facilitate open-ended dialogues in the online course? (p 75)
Data Collection
The course was designed as a 12-week long course that was discussion-based using
online readings and resources. Brett and Lee (2015) stated that the data collected was the course
artifacts such as discussion threads, learning journals, course assignments, and chat records
written by in service teachers throughout the courses are collected. (p 76) This particular case
study was conducted as part of that larger project and the individuals gave informed consent for
all the course artifacts to be used for research purposes.
Participants
Over the years of 2011-2013, 44 in service teachers, who were pursuing graduate studies
for their professional development have participated in the course. The breakdown was as

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follows: 12 teachers in 2011 class, 15 teachers in 2012 class, and 17 teachers in 2013 class.
According to Brett and Lee (2015), the participants come from a wide range of cultural and
disciplinary backgrounds and speak more than one language although the majority live within
about 100 km of the institution. (p 76) The study was conducted at the University of Toronto in
Toronto, Canada.
Summary of Results
Using the class artifacts, which were mostly teacher-to-teacher discussion, the authors
demonstrated that teachers can experience perspective change after have open discussions. In
the open-ended dialogues, teachers were able to share their opinions, which foster heteroglossic
dialogues. The authors state that teachers' perspective changes are more evident across time in
the discussion threads, in which teachers actively interact with various internally persuasive
discourses or challenge authoritative discourses (e.g., teacher educators' instructional goals or
other dominant educational discourses). (p 80) The conclusion of these findings suggests that
teachers need to have a course or a discussion that promotes open discussion, so that teachers can
share opinions or information.
Opinion
I think the study conducted was a study that was needed for the field of education, especially
in terms of using technology in the classroom, because having that open discussion with teachers
in similar situations helps with professional development. I think having the open discussions as
a form of data is a good idea, but it might have been even better to the study to have a
questionnaire at the beginning and end to see if you have definitive change. Overall I think the
study proves what we would assume, the more ideas and opinions you are exposed to shapes
your own ideas.

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Making the Case for BYOD Instruction in Teacher Education

Research Article #5
The title of this article is Making the Case for BYOD Instruction in Teacher Education
written by Nancy Burns-Sardone (2014). The article summarizes the findings about a bring-yourown-device (BYOD) study that was conducted in a teacher education course. The data was for
evidence of preparedness, proficiency, and innovation with smart phones. At the conclusion of
the study they found that the studied were able to use devices for personal use, which can
influence the incorporation of devices in a classroom setting. Overall accepting smart phones in a
classroom environment was positive. The use of technology in the classroom is the way
classroom environments need to be going. Therefore there is a need to prepare teacher candidates
with the skills to incorporate technology in the classroom.
Analysis of Methodology
This study was done in a face-to-face setting to allow researchers the ability to formulate
their own conclusions of what is occurring, not dependent on the participants. The reason of
setting it up this way was to make sure the participants did not limit the research due limited
knowledge about topic. The study was guided by the following research questions: 1.Would
participants want to use their smartphone for learning purposes? 2. Are participants proficient
with smart phones? 3. What types of BYOD-based prototype activities do participants develop?
(p 194)
Data Collection
According to Burns-Sardone (2014), the research consisted of an ethnographic content
analysis was conducted on the homework assignments that participants completed involving QR
codes(p 194). The assignments were then evaluated based on the Substitution, Augmentation,

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Modification, and Redefinition model developed by Pnuentedura in 2013. The model is for
technology, and used to indicate different levels by of technology integration in the classroom.
Participants
The participants included 58 teacher education students, ranging from ages 20- 35, who
were currently enrolled the required course, at a small liberal arts college in New Jersey,
participated in this study. Out of the participants, three were male and fifty-five female.
Summary of Results
The results were that because participants were able to use smartphones for a personal
setting that it was easy to adapt to using smartphones for a professional person. Participants were
adaptable in using their personal devices for professional purposes. This varies from past studies,
and it appears to be because of the constant use of technology people are more proficient with
technology. Also because of the constant use of technology it has expended people's confidence
in technology and that in turn makes them more comfortable using technology for other purposes
beyond just personal.
Opinion
I completely agree that we have a constant use of technology in todays society. That does
make society more technology friendly, and I can see how that would make more people willing
to bring technology into a professional setting. Especially in a classroom, the students and the
teachers are all proficient in technology, so it would not be too much of a challenge to use
technology in the classroom to provide supplement to classroom instruction.
References

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Brett, C. & Lee, K. (2015). Dialogic Understanding of Teachers' Online Transformative

Learning: A Qualitative Case Study of Teacher Discussions in a Graduate-Level Online
Course. Teaching and Teacher Education, 46, 72-83.
Brown, D., Ferguson, F., Grant, M., Sweeney, J., & Tamim, S. (2015). Teaching and Learning
with Mobile Computing Devices: Case Study in K-12 Classrooms. TechTrends, 59, 3245.
Burns-Sardone, N. (2014). Making the Case for BYOD Instruction in Teacher Education. Issues
in Informing Science and Information Technology, 11, 191-201.
Herro, D., Kiger, D & Prunty, D. (2012). Examining the Influence of a Mobile Learning
Intervention on Third Grade Math Achievement. Journal of Research on Technology in
Education, 45, 6182.
Song, Y. (2014). Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) for seamless science inquiry in a primary
school. Computers and Education, 74, 50-60.