‘It’s a Fairy Tale’ Using Tablets for Creating Composite Texts

Abstract

In this article, we analysed the collaborative use of tablets (iPads) in a third-grade primary classroom in Norway where the pupils created fairy tales. The pupils worked in groups of five and shared an iPad in their group. We observed and recorded the story’s development, which lasted a week, using video recordings and field notes. We explored the issue of role the tablet played in collaborative writing activities. We analysed data from a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) perspective. Our findings suggest that the iPad supplemented the role of regulator for interactions in writing activities and that the mobility of the device contributed to the development of the story. However, it is the teacher’s design of the classroom activity that is key to the role the iPad plays in collaborative writing activities.