This study has used drawings from and interviews with 5–6 year-old Finnish children (N=103) to explore their ideas for the use of digital media in preschool. The main findings, based on data driven analysis, were the following: Playing commercial digital games was the most popular activity followed by media production, mainly photographing. Computers, tablets and cameras were the most popular devices. Digital media was understood to be more about leisure than learning. Pedagogical implementations are discussed.

In the project “Tablets in Practicum Supervision”, the tablet has been tested as a tool for observation and supervision in Norwegian teacher education. The study incorporates 14 practicum supervision groups and focuses on how the use of tablets can influence the quality of the supervision and the coherence between teaching, observation and supervision. Throughout the supervision process, the groups have used tablets to produce and share texts, pictures and video recordings. The use of tablets has resulted in eight aspects of quality improvement: improved observations, stronger motivation, improved feedback, increased sharing of opinions, improved coherence, improved structure, improved preparations, and increased reflection.

Norwegian schools are increasingly implementing tablets in school and there seems to be a need for more research within this area to examine how this implementation affects pupils’ learning processes. This article focuses on the use of tablets in pupils’ learning and the extent to which pupils become more involved in the planning, implementation and assessment of their learning. We used a qualitative research approach and case study to investigate six classes at three different schools: four classes in one primary school and one class each in two secondary schools. Our sample included 134 pupils and 14 teachers. Fieldwork involving observations, interviews and surveys (quasi statistics) was carried out to examine the research questions. The case study shows that tablets play a certain role in pupils’ learning processes, especially in the achievement of learning goals and access to the Internet. However, there is a clear diversity in how the pupils use the tablets in their learning processes, in particular a difference between primary and secondary school. The practical implications of the study indicates that the challenges lie in changing teachers’ practice by implementing a digital didactic method that provides the teacher with a greater understanding of, and better opportunity for, interaction with pupils during the learning process.