Multimedia Research Summary and Analysis

Anna Agirman

Houston Christian University

LTDE 5320
Running Head: Multimedia Summary and Analysis

In the article titled “iPads in 1st Grade Classrooms: Teachers’ Intentions and the Realities

of Use”, the authors explain how this study examines the teachers’ intention of using iPads in

their classrooms versus their actual use noted while conducting observational documentation.

Participants were 1st grade teachers from two different districts, and 6 different schools. Both

districts promoted the use of technology in the classroom. Teachers had a positive attitude

towards using technology. The author noted that “with the increase in technology policies

encouraging technology use in early childhood education settings, educators also need to develop

a level of technological knowledge”. This study used interviews to collect data on intentions for

use of iPads in the classroom and direct classroom observation to record realities of use. During

this study, teachers used apps for differentiated instruction such as ST Math, Raz-Kids, among

others. Teachers noted that many of the apps tracked student progress through in-app progress

and assessment functions. It was noted that when students were using repetitive apps every day,

they were more likely to be off task, and not engaged. Teachers were then having to redirect

students or give consequences to fix the behavior. However, when students were utilizing apps

such as iMovie, or other apps that allowed students to be creative, they were more engaged in

their learning and iPad usage. Students were creating movies using iMovie and writing their own

stories using Pages. Although teachers in the study said that they had discussions with the

students regarding proper usage of iPads, at least one of the teachers said that she did not allow

her students to go into YouTube for concerns of technology misuse.

Due to the pandemic, the authors of this article were not able to go and visit classrooms where

teachers had indicated they would be using apps for projects in the spring when students were

more familiar with their devices and more proficient in their use of technology. There are
Running Head: Multimedia Summary and Analysis

opportunities and challenges for using ipads in the classrooms, especially in the lower grades, in

a way that students can benefit the most from them and not affect their behavior negatively.

Current research in multimedia incorporation in classroom settings applies to my own

instructional practices involving multimedia use because on my current job, I support bilingual

teachers and I am always looking for ways that will provide language supports for their EB

(emergent bilingual) learners. I go to planning sessions with teachers and participate in

professional learning communities to look for ways that we can enhance instruction. Just

recently, our district purchased new SMART boards and I have been trying to encourage

teachers to explore different ways that they can use all the components available to make the

lessons more engaging for their learners. I also try to promote the use of web 2.0 tools in the

classrooms that will allow students to take ownership of their learning by creating products

instead of completing worksheets. This past week, I was showing some of the instructional staff

how to follow the tutorial on Canva.com to create assignments that can be embedded into

Schoology (our LMS) that students can complete and then submit as an assignment. I also shared

how to make engaging presentations using all the tools Canva provides to teachers (my school

district has provided Canva access for all teachers).

Based on my research, using iPads with the same repetitive apps every day, is not an

innovative strategy for incorporating multimedia into the classroom to heighten student

engagement. After reading this article, the way students were engaged and more successful was

when technology or multimedia was used as a tool to help to create something such as a video or

a story book. The chart on the article showed how students were able to use iMovie to create a

video about their family. Other students were using pages to write books. Teachers seeking to

use iPads in their classrooms could benefit from using other applications available that allow
Running Head: Multimedia Summary and Analysis

students to create and display their learning and fun, engaging, and meaningful way. There are

applications such as Flip, where students can record video responses and provide feedback to

each other. Another great tool to use with the ipads is integrating the school’s LMS to promote

blended learning. Students can respond to discussion posts, upload media to albums and even

complete assignments through integration of programs like Canva.

Multimedia instructional tools might be used to enhance authentic assessments by

allowing students to create products. Like I mentioned before, integrating blended learning

would allow for use of multimedia instructional tools to help the students learn the content in

different modalities and help them show what they have learned through different means. I think

a key to promoting multimedia tools to enhance assessments is to provide students with choice.

Maybe for a specific assignment, students can choose to either write and record a song, create a

presentation on Canva, make a video using iMovie or Flip, or uploading their work into their

schools LMS under assignment submissions, or discussion boards.

There is a plethora of possibilities to integrate multimedia into instructional settings to

maximize instruction, create lessons that cater to different learning needs, promote student

creativity, student learning ownership and prepare students with skills for life.
Running Head: Multimedia Summary and Analysis

Article Reference

Lauricella, A. R., & Jacobson, M. (2022). iPads in First Grade Classrooms: Teachers’ Intentions

and the Realities of Use. Computers and Education Open, 3, 100077.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2022.100077

Additional References

Falloon, G., & Khoo, E. (2014). Exploring young students' talk in ipad-supported collaborative

learning environments. Computers & Education, 77, 13–28.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.04.008

Otterborn, A., Schönborn, K., & Hultén, M. (2018). Surveying preschool teachers’ use of digital

tablets: General and Technology Education related findings. International Journal of

Technology and Design Education, 29(4), 717–737. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-018-

9469-9

Schechter, R., Macaruso, P., Kazakoff, E. R., & Brooke, E. (2015). Exploration of a blended

learning approach to reading instruction for low SES students in early elementary grades.

Computers in the Schools, 32(3-4), 183–200.

https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2015.1100652

Zhou, N., & Yadav, A. (2017). Effects of multimedia story reading and questioning on

preschoolers’ vocabulary learning, story comprehension and reading engagement. Educational

Technology Research and Development, 65(6), 1523+. https://link-gale-

com.libproxy.hbu.edu/apps/doc/A713965220/PROF?u=txshracd2511&sid=bookmark-

PROF&xid=af37d670
Running Head: Multimedia Summary and Analysis