The impact of tablets on students as lifelong learners in relation to bloom’s digital taxonomy

Abstract

Technology has become more pervasive in people’s lives. According to the latest NSO statistics, in 2014, the percentage of families with children having access to the Internet was 97.7% (National Statistics Office, 2015). The same report shows how 60.7% of the total number of people having access to the Internet, do so by means of a mobile device. For this reason, both local (Government of Malta, 2014) and international (Henderson & Yeow, 2012) education stakeholders have started investigating how mobile devices can be used to exploit their educational benefits. The purpose of this qualitative research study is to explore the possible impact of tablets on students as lifelong learners. A ‘Tablet 2.0 Club’ was set up and 9 male primary students attended four sessions during which they explored different applications on a tablet. This impact is observed with particular attention to the demonstration of 21st century skills and the stimulation of the creative cognitive level in Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy. Two questionnaires were distributed to gain more insights into the pre- and post-experience views of the participants. The results from the action research are analysed using SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) for the sessions and rubric scores with the 9 participants. The findings are discussed in light of the literature reviewed, leading to suggestions as well as recommendations for further research in the practical setup as well as at an academic level. This integration has the potential of further enhancing the students’ digital literacy skills; an empowerment that allows their full participation in the 21st century digital society.