One-to-One Computing in Primary Schools

The current orthodoxy regarding computer use in schools appears to be that one-to-one (1:1) computing, wherein each child owns or has sole ac-cess to a computing device, is the most efficacious way to achieve a range of desirable educational outcomes, including individualised learning, col-laborative environments, or constructivist pedagogies. This article chal-lenges this notion, suggesting instead that 1:2 computing is an appropriate means of achieving such aims in primary school. It further suggests that 1:2 computing is preferable to 1:1 computing to achieve a balance be-tween productivity, student engagement, social activity, and individual-ised learning. This article draws on data collected during the 2009 school year from four Year 7 classrooms (11- to 13-year-old students) with var-ied patterns of access to netbook computers. The researcher collected de-tailed information from two pieces of software installed in each computer and analysed the data through an Activity Theory conceptual and meth