A publication of the Technology and Media Division of the Council for Exceptional Children
JSET Articles Index
Volume 24 Number 4
Are Handheld Computers Dependable? A New Data Collection System for Classroom-based Observation
Tufan Adiguzel
Bahcesehir University
Kimberly J. Vannest, and Richard I. Parker
Texas A & M University
Very little research exists on the dependability of handheld computers used in public school classrooms. This study addresses four dependability criteria—reliability, maintainability, availability, and safety—to evaluate a data collection tool on a handheld computer. Data were collected from five sources: (1) time-use estimations by 19 special education teachers using handheld computers, (2) observations of time use from eight external data collectors, (3) teacher interviews, (4) technical reports, and (5) teacher satisfaction surveys. Results indicate that this data collection tool satisfied all four dependability criteria. The study also confirms that dependable handheld computers can replace paper-based data collection in educational settings.
