A study of a secondary school netbook program: strategies, success factors and futures

This paper explores the implementation of a 1:1 Netbook Program over two consecutive years by the same cohort of students. The purpose of the study was to investigate how the Netbooks were used in the classroom and to evaluate the program after the first year of operation and the continuation of the program in the following year. The experiences of students and parents were obtained through questionnaires and teacher’s reflections were obtained through interviews. The data was triangulated to determine how Netbooks were utilised in the classroom, and if there were any concerns about the use of each device. The findings are presented in a thematic style exploring the usage of Netbooks in learning and teaching, the academic value of Netbooks and the technical issues faced by students particularly in the second year of operation. In the second year of the 1:1 Program, there was a significant reduction of Netbook usage due to staff priorities and the absence of a dedicated curriculum program that required integration of the technology.