Research | News

Survey: Most Mobile Device Deployments Are Not 1:1

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 04/04/14

Three-quarters of schools and districts implementing mobile devices are doing so in specific grades or content areas rather than as part of 1:1 computing initiatives, according to a new survey from Mimio.

Although 78 percent of respondents told researchers they "anticipate that mobile devices will be useful tools for the Common Core assessments in the 2014-15 school year," most, 74 percent, reported that they use the devices for both instruction and assessment.

Other key findings of the survey include:

• When asked what kind of devices they were considering for future purchases, the majority, 82 percent, said they were looking at iPads. Chromebooks came in second at 35 percent;
• 85 percent of respondents said that mobile devices had "increased engagement" in the classroom;
• Respondents also said that mobile devices had increased participation and creativity, at 78 and 53 percent, respectively; and
• Only 33 percent of those who responded mentioned a negative effect of mobile devices, "and the problem was the management of the devices or their applications, rather than an instruction-driven issue," according to a Mimio news release.

"This latest survey confirms that the use of mobile devices is not a fad," stated Manny Perez, president and chief operating officer, Mimio. "It's a real paradigm shift in the way educational technology supports learning. Right now, we're seeing that mobile devices are being used more as test phases or pilots for certain grades or content areas. However, according to 69 percent of respondents, over the next two years we should see mobile-device use expand across school grades and content areas."