Reports and Abstracts
Year 3 Full Evaluation Report
Given the variety of data sources and evaluation results, we are also making the BWLI Year 3 Full Evaluation Report available by individual section. Readers can download the entire 155 page report, or simply select the section they are most interested in. The box below contains all individual sections.
Dec. 2007 Quarterly Evaluation
Year 2 Full Evaluation Report
Gender and Grade Differences in Internet Aggression
Year 1 Evaluation Report
Year 1 Evaluation Report Abstract
Report from the Massachusetts Special Commission on Educational Technology (pdf)
Year 3 Evaluation Report Individual Sections
Executive Summary (4 p.)
1: Introduction (6 p.)
2: Methods (20 p.)
3: Results: Teacher Survey (20 p.)
4: Results: Student Survey (36 p.)
5: Results: Principal/School Leadership
(6 p.)
6: Results: Classroom Observations
(6 p.)
7: Results: Student Drawings (3 p.)
8: Results: Student Achievement
(26 p.)
9: Study Findings (5 p.)
10: Discussion (9 p.)
11: References (4 p.)
12: Appendix A: Construction and Statistical Qualities of the BWLI Student Survey Measurement Scales (6 p.)
Supplemental Materials
2008 Student Survey
2008 Teacher Survey
Directions for Students and Writing Prompts: Paper Students
Directions for Students and Writing Prompts: Laptop Students
Directions for Proctoring Teachers: Paper Students
Directions for Proctoring Teachers: Laptop Students
Transcribing Student Essays
Gallery
See and read about self portraits from the students following a request to "draw a picture of yourself writing in school".
BWLI Student Photo Gallery:
See a slideshow of students with their laptops in the schools.
Links
BWLI Project website
Berkshire Connect, Inc.
John Adams Innovation Institute
News Links
BWLI News
eSchool News article, February 2010
The Boston Globe article, February 2010
Science Daily article, January 2010
The Journal article, July 2009
iBerkshires.com article, February 2009
The Berkshire Eagle article, February 2007
John Kerry lauds 1:1 computing at the Conte School, October 2007
John Adams Innovation Institute newsclip, July 2006
Capital News 9 article,
August 2006
Contact
Damian Bebell at bebell@bc.edu
Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative
The Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative (BWLI) is a pilot program in Berkshire County, Massachusetts which is examining a one-to-one approach of using laptop computers and wireless communication to transform teaching and learning. Through this program 2,700 laptop computers were deployed to students and teachers to be used on a daily basis as a tool to enhance teaching and learning. This pilot program was introduced in the North Adams and Pittsfield (MA) middle schools including Herberg, Reid and St. Mark in Pittsfield and Conte in North Adams.
The Initiative explores how curriculum delivery can be dramatically enhanced to improve student achievement and help students develop higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. This pilot program is being closely evaluated as the Commonwealth considers the introduction of additional funding for other similar initiatives throughout the state.
The Technology and Assessment Study Collaborative is working closely with students, faculty, and school and state educational leaders to evaluate the impacts of the Initiative on teaching and learning across the four middle schools. Specifically, the evaluation team is using a series of teacher surveys, teacher interviews, student surveys, student drawings, and qualitative classroom observations to document and track the impacts of 1:1 computing on teaching and classroom practices. Additionally, a writing assessment (adapted from a publicly released MCAS item) is being used to document the impacts of specific technology use on student learning across the four schools as well as in four comparison sites through a non-equivalent comparison group study.
Student achievement measures are also being examined through the analysis of school records and individual student MCAS performance in the three participating public schools.