The Influence of Digital Devices on Learning Interest, Engagement and Academic Performance in Basic Police Training

Experiences and findings

Abstract

The Bavarian Police training aims to equip all 750 police teachers and 4.000 police officer trainees with officially approved police tablet PCs and smartphones by the end of 2025. Following a phased approach, teachers and trainees are being issued with tablet PCs (convertibles) and smartphones. Overall, there is no doubt that the use of digital devices is undoubtedly important and necessary in order a) to prepare the police officer trainees for their future work as police officers and b) to support their learning process. However, the question arises as to how exactly they benefit from using those digital devices. To get a first insight on the impact of digital devices on learning interest and engagement of police officer trainees in the classroom, as well as on their academic performance in general, the Bavarian Police training conducted a digital pilot project with a single unit of 100 police officer trainees and 20 police teachers and trainers for 21 months (December 2019 to August 2021). The findings show that the different digital devices have different impacts on the learning behaviour as well as on the academic performance of the police officer trainees. Above all, tablet PCs and interactive whiteboards have shown to improve learning behaviour. Furthermore, the findings show that digital devices which are not used regularly do not improve the classroom behaviour of the police officer trainees or even worsens things slightly. The study suggests several practical implications for the further implementation of digital devices such as the necessity of training the police personnel, developing new didactic teaching methods as well as new teaching formats.