The DOI matches its Crossref record; 132 of the 138 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Tablet use in schools: a critical review of the evidence for learning outcomes
Open accessAbstract
The increased popularity of tablets in general has led to uptake in education. We critically review the literature reporting use of tablets by primary and secondary school children across the curriculum, with a particular emphasis on learning outcomes. The systematic review methodology was used, and our literature search resulted in 33 relevant studies meeting the inclusion criteria. A total of 23 met the minimum quality criteria and were examined in detail (16 reporting positive learning outcomes, 5 no difference and 2 negative learning outcomes). Explanations underlying these observations were analysed, and factors contributing to successful uses of tablets are discussed. While we hypothesize how tablets can viably support children in completing a variety of learning tasks (across a range of contexts and academic subjects), the fragmented nature of the current knowledge base, and the scarcity of rigorous studies, makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions. The generalizability of evidence is limited, and detailed explanations as to how, or why, using tablets within certain activities can improve learning remain elusive. We recommend that future research moves beyond exploration towards systematic and in‐depth investigations building on the existing findings documented here.
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“Haßler et al. (2016) found that most interventions that included the use of tablets across the curriculum reported positive learning outcomes.”
From Impacts of digital technologies on education and factors influencing schools' digital capacity and transformation: A literature review (2023) · cites this paper as Haßler et al. (2016)
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Cites
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Flagged first, then by citations
6 of the 138 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 11
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Timotheou, S., Miliou, O., Dimitriadis, Y., Sobrino, S. V., Giannoutsou, N., Cachia, R., Monés, A. M., & Ioannou, A. (2023) · Education and Information Technologies · doi:10.1007/s10639-022-11431-8 · Cited by 816
“…al., 2007; Tamim et al., 2011; Higgins et al., 2012; Chauhan, 2017; Sung et al., 2016; Schmid et al., 2014; Tamim et al., 2015; Zheng et al., 2016; Haßler et al., 2016; Kalati & Kim, 2022; Martinez et al., 2022; Talan et al., 2020; Panet al., 2022; Garzón & Acevedo, 2019; Garzón et al., 2020;…”
BackgroundInfluentialIEA International Computer and Information Literacy Study 2018 Assessment Framework
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“…uses for tablets: for example, keyboards, larger screens and specialized software (perhaps only available for certain operating systems) may be needed to support specialized tasks such as extensive writing, mathematical constructions and computer programming” (Haßler et al. 2016, p. 148).”
InfluentialDigital Transformation in Education: Critical Components for Leaders of System Change
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Young children and tablets: A systematic review of effects on learning and development
Herodotou, C. (2017) · Journal of Computer Assisted Learning · doi:10.1111/jcal.12220 · Cited by 208
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“On the cognitive level, mobile technology can support and enrich learning in various ways (Haßler et al. 2016): (a) flexible and adaptive learning (learners respond and react to the learning environment, which in turn is no longer predetermined); (b) meaningful and situated learning, and (c)…”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Haßler, B., Major, L., & Hennessy, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Haßler, B.
- Venue
- Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2015-12-13
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 139-156
- ISSN
- 0266-4909 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2729
- OpenAlex
- W1041173458
- Cited by
- 372
- References
- 138
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 49 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 63 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 154.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Locations
- Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (publishedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion)
- Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Arm
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Education and Technology Integration
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Mobile Learning in Education
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
- Keywords
- tablets in education, learning outcomes, elementary school students, high school students, educational technology, tablet-based learning, academic disciplines
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