79 Ubiquitous Computing in Education: Invisible Technology, Visible Impact Mark van ‘t Hooft and Karen Swan (Eds.) Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 2007 $55.00, 408 pp. ISBN 0-8058-5736-2 Reviewed by Joni E. Spurlin Ubiquitous computing in education, as defined in this book, is teachers and students having access to technology (computing devices, the Internet, ser- vices) whenever and wherever they need it. In a world of ubiquitous computing, the technology is always accessible and is not the focus of learning. Rather, fac- ulty and students are active partners in the learning process, and they decide not only what technology is needed but also what to learn and how best to create new knowledge. This book brings together much of the available evidence about how com- puting technology has affected student learning, motivation, and engagement in the K–12 environments, with several chapters focusing on higher education. Reading these chapters (and delving into the references) provides an effective way to become knowledgeable about the state of the research that provides this evidence. Although more of the book discusses K–12 environments, the book is ben- eficial to those in higher education who are trying to develop frameworks around which to think about technolo- gy’s impact on students and faculty: ■ Chapter 1 defines ubiquitous c omputing and discusses a four- themed framework when consider- ing the effectiveness of technology: learning environment, teaching, learning, and students (motivation and engagement). ■ The authors of Chapter 2 organize their research into three dimensions of uses of handheld devices in K–12 environments: researching, organiz- ing, and expressing information; capturing and analyzing scientific data; and student communication and collaboration. ■ Chapter 6 gives a framework and guidelines for how to use handheld technology for assessing student learning in K–12 environments. ■ Chapter 8 defines a research framework and application of it for 1:1 computer usage. The framework consists of three categories: critical features of the tech- nology, summative learning outcomes, and intermediate (or formative) teach- ing and learning outcomes. ■ The authors of Chapters 9 and 13 discuss a model developed at the Research Center for Educational Technology, which suggests that technology’s effect on student learn- ing is mediated by three interacting domains: external representations of knowledge, individual internal con- ceptualization of knowledge, and social uses made of knowledge. The book is full of anecdotal and indirect assessment evidence (such as survey results) of the effect technol- ogy has had on students, teachers, and learning environments. This evidence is persuasive, but what is clear is that the state of investigation into this field has yet to find effective and efficient ways of showing (such as through student work products) the direct impact that computing—or improving teaching and learning through use of computing—has on student learning. Chapters 5, 6, and 13 give the best consideration of the use of student work and how to assess the impact on student learning. Many of the examples and evidence presented show that it is how the teach- ers and students use the technology and how it is integrated into the environ- ment, pedagogy, and student activities that make the difference. The author of Chapter 7 clearly illustrates the time it takes and the need for incremental incorporation of mobile technology into the pedagogy of a classroom. The premise of this book is that as computing becomes widely available to teachers and students, education will be transformed. What the authors tried to outline were the ways they think this transformation will happen. As I read this book, I felt the potential for trans- formation of education; it was encour- aging and motivating as an educator to read these chapters. One issue I noted is that each researcher and educator is looking at the impact and potential transformation on differ- ent sets of variables, including student cognitive abilities, engagement with the material, motivation to participate in learning, social development, teaching pedagogy, and others. Lacking is consis- tency in defining these variables or in the research across institutions. It is clear that research is just beginning to define and make direct measures of many of these concepts. However, Section 3 of the book suggests some ways of improving the research, and the reader will come away with many ideas and models. The question left unanswered, espe- cially for IT professionals, is how to make computing available to students and faculty anytime, anywhere. Mobile and handheld devices are discussed most, and Chapter 15 did discuss some of the start-up decisions used in the Handheld Devices for Ubiquitous Learning project at Harvard University. However, even if every faculty member and student had a computing device, IT professionals would still struggle with the question of how to provide software, mobile access to the Internet, and support services to every user. A concluding chapter that addressed some of these issues would have been helpful. Overall, I consider this a “must read” for educators interested in using RECOMMENDED READING Number 2 2007 • EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY The premise of this book is that as computing becomes widely available to teachers and students, education will be transformed