International Journal of Applied Science and Technology Vol. 2 No. 1; January 2012 130 Ups and Downs of Computers Science Projects in Primary and Secondary Canadian Schools Thierry Karsenti Canada Research Chair Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education Université de Montréal, Canada Case postale 6128, succursale Centre--‐ville Montréal (Québec) H3 3J7 Canada Simon Collin Université de Montréal, Canada Case postale 6128, succursale Centre--‐ville Montréal (Québec) H3 3J7 Canada Abstract The overall objective of this research project was to gain a deeper understanding of the benefits and challenges of using laptops in primary and secondary school in 30 Canadian schools. In all, 2,432 students (grades 3 to 11), 272 teachers, 14 education support staff and three school principals participated in the data collection. Three main data collection instruments were used: survey questionnaires, individual semi-directed interviews, and group interviews. Of the students surveyed, 92% had a computer at home, 63.3% had a cell phone and 67.7% used a portable digital reader such as an MP3 device or iPod. On the other hand, 11% of the students did not have an Internet connection at home, whence the importance of the school, which provides their only opportunity for full Internet access. Overall, the data collected highlights 12 main benefits of using laptops. The preliminary results of this study indicate that the „one laptop per child‟ strategy fully contributes to students‟ academic success at the participating schools. The lesson retained is that, despite the technical and pedagogical challenges, this innovative initiative to provide „one laptop per child‟ has produced incontestable gains in both teaching and learning, and for the future social and professional lives of the students involved. 1. Introduction After a number of discussions with the school board administration and school principals, it was decided to launch a study with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the benefits and challenges of using laptops in primary and secondary schools in the Eastern Townships School Board. This school district won the distinction of being the first in Canada to widely distribute laptops to its students. In the last eight years, the board has handed out around 5,600 laptops, mostly to students in grades 3 to 11. It is also noteworthy that all the teachers, technicians, education support staff and students with learning problems were provided with laptops. This study was therefore the product of an exemplary collaboration between a group of primary and secondary schools and the university research community. The Eastern Townships School Board appeared to provide a highly favourable setting for a study on the benefits and challenges of using laptops in primary and secondary school. In fact, when the 5,600 laptops were distributed to the great majority of the students, the school board advanced from 66th position in the province (out of 70 school boards) in 2003 to 23rd in 2010, a remarkable improvement. It was therefore particularly relevant to seek a deeper understanding of the role of the laptops in the significant improvements made on the examinations set by Quebec‟s (Canada‟s) department of education. 2. Objectives To recap, the overall objective of this study was to better understand the benefits and challenges of using laptops in primary and secondary schools in the Eastern Townships School Board. This overall objective may be broken down into four specific objectives: 1. Determine the access to equipment and technologies by teachers and students at the Eastern Townships School Board;