The purpose of this study was to determine if Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are being used in the K-8 classrooms and if so to what extent. By way of a stratified random sample, four counties in central and southern New Jersey were selected. A survey was developed and sent to the participating districts. Two hundred seventy-five surveys were mailed to eight districts, with a return rate of sixty-eight percent (68%).
Data was collected from the surveys and calculated into percentages. Although seventy-two percent (72%) of the respondents report using some form of technology on a daily basis, only three percent (3%) report using PDAs. Those who report using PDAs agree with the experts on a number of areas. One hundred percent (100%) of the respondents agree that PDAs can do the following: help children to become more technologically literate; help teachers to differentiate instruction; and help motivate students to want to learn.
This study found that PDAs are being used in the classrooms, but by very few teachers and/or districts. Recommendations for further studies are suggested.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to determine if Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are being used in the K-8 classrooms and if so to what extent. By way of a stratified random sample, four counties in central and southern New Jersey were selected. A survey was developed and sent to the participating districts. Two hundred seventy-five surveys were mailed to eight districts, with a return rate of sixty-eight percent (68%).</p> <p>Data was collected from the surveys and calculated into percentages. Although seventy-two percent (72%) of the respondents report using some form of technology on a daily basis, only three percent (3%) report using PDAs. Those who report using PDAs agree with the experts on a number of areas. One hundred percent (100%) of the respondents agree that PDAs can do the following: help children to become more technologically literate; help teachers to differentiate instruction; and help motivate students to want to learn.</p> <p>This study found that PDAs are being used in the classrooms, but by very few teachers and/or districts. Recommendations for further studies are suggested.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Brosovich, Tracy A."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A. in Educational Technology","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Molinari, Louis"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2006,"date_issued":"2006-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2006-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:13:46Z","subjects":["Education--Effect of technological innovations on--New Jersey; Educational technology--New Jersey","Educational Methods"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/875","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Molinari, Louis"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Brosovich, Tracy A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-03-31T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A. in Educational Technology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Education--Effect of technological innovations on--New Jersey; Educational technology--New Jersey","Educational Methods"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/875"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to determine if Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are being used in the K-8 classrooms and if so to what extent. By way of a stratified random sample, four counties in central and southern New Jersey were selected. A survey was developed and sent to the participating districts. Two hundred seventy-five surveys were mailed to eight districts, with a return rate of sixty-eight percent (68%).
Data was collected from the surveys and calculated into percentages. Although seventy-two percent (72%) of the respondents report using some form of technology on a daily basis, only three percent (3%) report using PDAs. Those who report using PDAs agree with the experts on a number of areas. One hundred percent (100%) of the respondents agree that PDAs can do the following: help children to become more technologically literate; help teachers to differentiate instruction; and help motivate students to want to learn.
This study found that PDAs are being used in the classrooms, but by very few teachers and/or districts. Recommendations for further studies are suggested.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The use of personal digital assistants in the K-8 classrooms"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Molinari, Louis"],"dc:creator":["Brosovich, Tracy A."],"dc:date.available":["2016-03-31T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to determine if Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are being used in the K-8 classrooms and if so to what extent. By way of a stratified random sample, four counties in central and southern New Jersey were selected. A survey was developed and sent to the participating districts. Two hundred seventy-five surveys were mailed to eight districts, with a return rate of sixty-eight percent (68%).
Data was collected from the surveys and calculated into percentages. Although seventy-two percent (72%) of the respondents report using some form of technology on a daily basis, only three percent (3%) report using PDAs. Those who report using PDAs agree with the experts on a number of areas. One hundred percent (100%) of the respondents agree that PDAs can do the following: help children to become more technologically literate; help teachers to differentiate instruction; and help motivate students to want to learn.
This study found that PDAs are being used in the classrooms, but by very few teachers and/or districts. Recommendations for further studies are suggested.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/875"],"dc:subject":["Education--Effect of technological innovations on--New Jersey; Educational technology--New Jersey","Educational Methods"],"dc:title":["The use of personal digital assistants in the K-8 classrooms"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A. in Educational Technology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:13:46Z"}