Teachers who took part in a pilot project on the use of tablets in classrooms want students to have the device but they also want control over its use.

The 22 teachers who took part in a project testing the rollout of tablets at schools reported a positive or very positive experience, but they also drew up a list of concerns.

“One of these was to have software that would allow teachers to manage each and every tablet in their classroom,” project leader Martin Debattista said.

This means that teachers would be able to shut down a student’s tablet, see what they are doing and project whatever is on their tablet onto the classroom’s screen.

Mr Debattista said that the report, drafted after a six-month pilot project shared among 22 classes and coordinated by the e-learning department, had 147 recommendations.

One of the recommendations, based on teachers’ and parents’ feedback, is to allow the students to take the tablet home.

This would mean extending content management and blocking at home, Mr Debattista said.

In October, tablets were distributed to 350 pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 as part of this project, which will lead to the full roll-out in 2016.

The teachers, from 14 State and six non-State schools, took part in the project voluntarily, while a third of the parents or guardians provided their feedback.

Would you put upa wall around the sea, so that children do not fall in, or would you teach them how to swim?

The recommendations are still being discussed at ministerial level, but some conclusions have been drawn on the type and size (10 inches) of the tablet. The brand has not yet been decided, as this will be done at tendering level.

The announcement of the national roll-out triggered several concerns over the past couple of years, including worries over pictures taken with the tablet.

Asked whether the students’ tablets will have a camera, Mr Debattista said: “Would you put up a wall around the sea, so that children do not fall in, or would you teach them how to swim?

“They will still be able to take pictures with other devices, including tablets they have at home, so the introduction of the tablets will include lessons on how to take a good photo, whether the picture is taken in a public or a private place, whether you have permission to take it, and whether you would regret uploading it on Facebook in a couple of years.”

Mr Debattista said writing and the digital systems will coexist. The changeover will be gradual and the tablets would have a fine-tip stylus so students can write on the tablet.

Breakages are another worry. Precautions, such as tablet cases and an acceptable use policy, are being recommended, but it has still not yet been decided who will cover the insurance.

During the pilot project, there were eight per cent breakages over six months, and two-thirds of these happened at home or on the way to school.

The project found that the weight of schoolbags, which varied between four and six kilos, could be halved if all printed material was digitised on the tablet.

Mr Debattista noted that all partners and stakeholders – including the teachers’ union, the government’s IT agency, the industry, students, parents and teachers – were brought on board for the pilot project.

Another partner, the University of Malta, carried out qualitative research about operating systems and literacy, among other factors.

What students said

• 58% believed that a tablet increased participation

• One-quarter found lessons to be more interesting

• One-fifth found it easier to do homework

• 14% said a tablet reduced the amount of writing

• 11% used it to check information online