The effectiveness of classroom control systems in a traditional classroom environment

Technological advances related to information and communication technologies are having profound impacts on the education and training industries and learning processes. As technology-mediated learning (TML) becomes commonplace back-dropped against continued primary reliance on the traditional classroom (TC), there are significant implications for TC learning. Moreover, in light of Leidner and Jarvenpaa's (1993) observation that "...interactive student use of computers is a prerequisite for effective computer-based teaching methods. (p.47)," we may infer that examining how students actually use TML applications in a TC environment is critical for understanding the potential effectiveness of computer-based teaching methods. We use a longitudinal quasi-experimental field study to assess students' actual on-task and off-task use levels under unrestricted and restricted conditions. Based on objective data, the findings indicate that students will engage in more off-task than on-task uses by a significant margin. We also conclude that technical solutions alone are not sufficient to restrain off-task use, and that it may be advisable to augment these technical solutions with behavioural modification and reform efforts.