They carried out a study that looked at the information technology (IT) skills
of staff and Year 8 students in a secondary school prior to receiving
personal palmtop computers after a short acquaintance with them. Access to
the palmtop increased the staff’s use of generic applications in their work,
particularly for administration (e.g. class registers and assessment scores). A
minority of staff remained unconvinced about the potential of the computer
and many were dissatisfied with the amount and quality of professional
development in the use of the palmtop and in ICT in general. Students
learned about the main content-free applications relatively quickly and used
them frequently. (Content-free software aims to represent flexible tools
which can be shaped by teachers or learners to suit their needs; such as
word processors, desktop publishers and databases.) This study, like many
others, concluded that there is a need for adequate and careful training so
that teachers become aware of the range of uses and possible benefits of
ICT.