With the continuing decline in costs of technology, programs are proliferating worldwide to put networked laptop computers into the hands of millions of students on a routine basis. The reasons policy-makers support these programs are based on economic arguments, equity concerns, and widespread interest in education reform. Studies of laptop programs in schools report that they increase students' engagement in school, improve technology skills, and have positive effects on students' writing. However, evidence of the effectiveness of large-scale laptop programs in other learning domains is scarce. Research in many nations suggests that laptop programs will be most successful as part of balanced, comprehensive initiatives that address changes in education goals, curricula, teacher training, and assessment.

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Increasing numbers of states, districts, and schools provide every student with a computing device; for example, the middle schools in Maine maintain wireless Internet access and the students receive laptops. Research can provide policymakers with better evidence of the benefits and costs of 1:1 computing and establish which factors make 1:1 computing more or less effective. To think about the research that is most needed, a framework is discussed focusing on critical features of 1:1 initiatives (e.g., the technology used), interactions and intermediate outcomes (e.g., impacts on teaching and instruction), and ultimate outcomes (e.g., impacts on students and their learning). Some especially high priorities for research on 1:1 computing are identified and discussed, including: investigating the impacts on student achievement, especially for low-achieving students; understanding better the costs of 1:1 computing; and documenting the implementation and impacts of large-scale 1:1 initiatives.