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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.

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