Teaching Electrical and Computer Engineering with a Tablet PC: A Personal Story
Charles W. Bostian
Alumni Distinguished Professor of ECE
Virginia Tech
As a long time “blackboard and chalk” teacher, I have a strong bias against most instructional technology, feeling that it takes away the spontaneity and human interaction that are so important in creating excitement in the classroom. In my teaching field of circuit analysis and electronic design, the teacher must be doing the thought process that is being taught and actively engaging the students in that process, not just reading to them about it from slides. I was initially opposed to Virginia Tech’s tablet PC initiative but after I saw a colleague demonstrate how a tablet could be used in the classroom, I volunteered to teach the first tablet-based “gateway section” in my department, a 128 student class in introductory circuit analysis. This presentation describes what happened and explains why my teaching will never be the same again. It presents my techniques for using tablets to teach mathematically difficult material that has high visual content. It discusses my equally positive experience with a subsequent tablet based senior/graduate design course. Tablets with the right software are the best tool for engaging students in the engineering analysis and design thought processes, and for showing them how problem solutions evolve in time.
Biographical Sketch
Charles W. Bostian is Alumni Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer
Engineering at Virginia Tech, where he has been a faculty member since 1969. Prior to joining the university, he served as a
U.S. Army officer and worked briefly for Corning Glassworks. He holds B.S. (1963), M.S. (1964), and Ph.D. (1967) degrees from
North Carolina State University. Since 1993, Bostian has served as the Director of the Virginia Tech Center for Wireless
Telecommunications (CWT). He is also an active member of Wireless@Virginia Tech.
In his career at Virginia Tech, Bostian has taught more than 4000 students, and his teaching has been recognized by a number of awards, including ten certificates of teaching excellence and the William E. Wine Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is a four-time winner of the Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Teaching Award and an elected member of the Virginia Tech Academy of Teaching Excellence. In 2008 he received the VT Outstanding Dissertation Advisor Award. Bostian is the co-author of two widely used textbooks, Solid State Radio Engineering and Satellite Communications, now in its second edition. His current teaching interests are in RF design and in undergraduate circuit analysis.
In his off-duty hours, Bostian is a performing folk musician, playing hammered dulcimer and string bass with the band Simple Gifts of the Blue Ridge. They have released four CDs, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Australian Public Radio have featured their music.
Tablet PCs: Impacting Student Learning In Computer Theory Instruction
Holger Mauch
Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida
Lack of student engagement in course work is a concern for college educators. We describe the redesign of the Computer Theory course from a traditional chalkboard and lecture-based course to a tablet-enhanced course with emphasis on in-class problem solving activities whose solutions, captured on tablets, are shared; the full process of solution development is shown and captured in tablet-based class notes; and all in-class notes were shared on a website for later review. Computer Theory is one of four required courses for a BS in computer science at Eckerd College, a 4-year private liberal arts college. The content of the Computer Theory course is abstract and complex, requiring graphical figures and mathematical notation. The comparison between the traditional and the tablet-enhanced course revealed increased student engagement and an increase in student scores for those final exam questions which have a large graphical component.
Seeing the Big Picture: How the Tablet PC Creates an Engaging Classroom Experience
Jennifer Sterling Snodgrass, Ph.D.
Appalachian State University
In the past two years, the faculty at Appalachian State University has integrated the Tablet PC into the music theory classroom. Undergraduate music students now have the ability to create musical analysis files using the Tablet PC. A recent study at ASU examined the benefits of the Tablet PC in regards to collaboration and cognitive learning. A secondary goal of this study was to create an awareness regarding the benefits of the Tablet PC through an open-source website highlighting student musical analysis.
This paper will focus on the results of this study, including the qualitative analysis from student learners and external evaluators. Several topics will be discussed in regards to the efficacy of the tablet PC in the music classroom including: rehearsal markings, personalized and immediate feedback, music theory lecture, and interactions among students. The second goal for this study was to create an open-source Web site highlighting the uses of the Tablet PC in music. The site currently offers other music students and instructors the ability to view sample analyses, to listen to high-quality musical recordings, and to gain helpful information about using the Tablet PC in music.
Successfully Integrating Tablet PC Technology Into The Australian Secondary School Curriculum
Greg Neal
School of Education
Faculty of Arts Education and Human Development
Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
Kristy Davidson
School of Education
Faculty of Arts Education and Human Development
Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
The use of various ICT resources in schools has increased the expectation of improved learning for all students in our knowledge society. This paper describes the emerging use and impact of Tablet PCs (pen-enabled laptops) at two large co-educational secondary schools, in Melbourne, Australia. It specifically examines the manner in which teachers integrated Tablet PCs into their subject domain, and determines the impact of the technology on their teaching practice. Quantitative and qualitative evidence was gathered from teachers and students who were involved in the use of Tablet PCs in the daily school program. The evidence from this in-depth study has identified examples of best practice and highlights recommendations to inform other schools of the implementation process for similar resources.
A Descriptive Study Of Perceived & Actual Tablet Use By Undergraduate Students In A Traditional Lecture-Based Graphical Modeling Class
James M. Kraushaar
Thomas Chittenden
David Novak
School of Business Administration, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
This study investigated the actual and self-reported use of student-owned tablets and laptops in the classroom. Actual use data was collected during each lecture by spyware installed on each student machine while self-reported use was collected at the end of the semester with a questionnaire. The study course was a traditional lecture-based, junior-level, required course in data (entity relationship diagrams) and process (data flow diagrams) modeling taken by 108 businesses, computer science, engineering management, and other liberal arts undergraduate students during the Fall 2008 semester. The results showed that tablets have both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to academic performance, actual use during the lectures, and self-reported use at the end of the semester.
Integrating Tablet PC Technology and Software Into Synchronous Distributed Learning Environments
Elliot Moore II, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Monson Hayes, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Tris Utschig, Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
In this paper, we describe how Tablet PCs are being used at Georgia Tech Savannah (GTS) to improve student learning in a distributed classroom environment. The Tablet PC is an attractive technology for use in synchronous distributed learning (DL) environments because of its mobility, and its ability to not only serve as an effective note taking device but also as a high-resolution course content viewing device. The research questions addressed here are: (1) "What impact does the Tablet PC have on student perceptions of their engagement in a distributed learning environment?'' and (2) "Can the Tablet PC be used to facilitate an improvement in student performance in a distributed learning environment?''. For this project, the instructor and students were given a Tablet PC to use during the semester, and surveys were administered to evaluate student attitudes about the use of Tablet PC technology as a means of receiving, processing, and learning course material. The significance of this work is to serve as a case study on the use of Tablet PCs as an effective technology for implementing established educational practices in distributed education environments.
Deploying Tablet PCs and DyKnow Software In Teaching Inquiry-Based Physical Science Course
Zdeslav Hrepic
Fort Hays State University
Starting in the summer semester of 2006, Tablet PCs and DyKnow software have been utilized in teaching at Fort Hays State University (FHSU), a state supported university in Kansas. In this and following semesters, the technology was consistently used in an inquiry-based physical science course which targets preservice elementary teachers. Student learning in this course was closely monitored during an earlier period (2004-05) when technology was not used because the course was developed through an NSF funded project. The paper compares learning gains obtained when pen-based computing technology was not used with those obtained during deployment of this technology. We also contrast teaching approaches and their variations utilized in the course with and without the technology and report students’ attitudes toward Tablet PCs and DyKnow software.
The 30-Day Challenge: Digital Homework In A High School Mathematics Classroom
Claudia Dicken
Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School
Tablet PCs are integral to both teaching and learning at Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School. As a high school mathematics teacher, I began using Microsoft Journal to replace my traditional handwritten overhead transparencies. These electronic “transparencies” evolved over the years into formal class notes with practice problems that students download from my web page at the start of class each day.
Once students gained proficiency using Journal for in-class work, they naturally asked if they could do their homework in Journal and submit it electronically. As e-homework began trickling in, I sensed that something magical was happening. Beyond the pretty ink colors and highlighting, the exchange of ideas between student and teacher was changing.
Emboldened by my early experiences with electronic homework and eager to encourage more widespread use, I challenged all of my mathematics students to try e-homework for thirty days. This paper describes the transformation of student homework when paper changed to digital ink.
Increasing Learning through Feedback from Tablet PCs: What Features are Needed
This panel will discuss the possibility of enhancing student learning by providing instructors with feedback about student activities during class. This feedback will be structured so as to align with established learning principles and will help teachers adapt lessons extemporaneously in order to support student learning in real time. After an initial presentation, the panel will evolve into a discussion so that participants can share their ideas for advancing this approach. Volunteer WIPTE participants are also invited to serve as a working group which may wish to continue dialog after the conference.
Corporate Panel
Join Hardware and Software vendors in a discussion about trends at their companies, and what they see as the next generation in classroom technologies and deployments. Each corporate panelist will spend a few minutes talking about their company, and the remainder of the session will be a moderated Q&A session.
From the Blogosphere to You: Tablet Bloggers Tell All
There are a number of highly active blogs dealing with topics related to Tablet PCs, Education, and the combination of the two. These blogs often capture the spirit of the Tablet PC community and are leading indicators of up and coming trends. During this panel several prominent Tablet PC bloggers will share their insights about the use of Tablet PCs in education. The bloggers will then take questions from the audience. We would not be surprised if some of these questions even end up in the blogosphere!
Professional Development for Tablet PC Deployments: Multiple Approaches
The success of a Tablet PC deployment often depends as much on support and professional development as it does on the hardware and software being used. Approaches to providing support and training typically vary based on the type of institution (e.g., K12 versus Higher Education, Public versus Private) and other local circumstances. The panelists will share their varied experiences related to providing support, training, and professional development services that can help new Tablet PC deployments get off the ground and can help existing pilot programs become institutionalized. Attendees will learn about best practices that are based on a range of approaches. The panelists will also take questions from the audience.
Measuring The Impact Of Tablet PCs And DyKnow Vision Software On Students’ Note-Taking Strategies: A Cross-Disciplinary Case Study
Julia M. Williams, Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment & Humanities and Social Sciences
Archana Chidanandan, Computer Science and Software Engineering
Peter Coppinger, Applied Biology and Biomedical Engineering
David Fisher, Mechanical Engineering
Maki Hirotani, Humanities and Social Sciences
Renee Rogge, Applied Biology and Biomedical Engineering
Shannon Sexton, Institutional Research, Planning and Assesssment
Mario Simoni, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Kevin Sutterer, Civil Engineering
Deborah Walter, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, IN
At Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (a four-year private college that offers degrees in engineering, math, and science), we have conducted a long-term assessment of the impact of pen-based computing and collaboration-facilitating software on student learning and faculty teaching. This three year assessment has addressed the implementation of the hardware and software in a variety of disciplines. One dimension of this project has been to assess the ways in which the use of tablet PCs, pen slates, and DyKnow Vision software has changed students’ note-taking strategies in class. In this paper we present data regarding students’ note-taking strategies and offer preliminary conclusions. Based on data collected from the project, we conclude that the hardware/software symbiosis changes the ways in which students take course notes and that faculty who teach in this environment should prepare students for this change if the altered class context is to be successful.
How Can Use Of Tablet PCs In Science And Engineering Improve Teaching And Learning?
B. Hojjatie, Associate Professor and Engineering Coordinator
H. Hooshmand, Assistant Professor of Biology
L. Leader, Assistant Professor of Education
E. Brevik, Associate Professor of Geology and Soils
M. Groszos, Associate Professor of Geosciences
Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA
While some of our freshman engineering and science students at Valdosta State University (VSU) have a strong background in fundamentals of math and science courses, many need to be encouraged to work on basic mathematical and technical problems that involve analysis of geometric shapes and angular relations in 2-D and 3-D. Using two grants from HP, we are encouraging transformation of learning and teaching in engineering and science courses through innovative uses of the Tablet PC technology. The technology is being used in the classroom and in the field in engineering graphics, engineering mechanics, physics, geology, and biology courses. We have used the electronic pen option of the Tablet PC in place of the whiteboard and have made the presentations and notes available to the students electronically using the WebCT program. Groups of two or three students have shared a Tablet PC to perform classroom and field activities. Effectiveness of Tablet PC on improvement of teaching and learning has been measured and analyzed using student performance in course grades and responses to survey questions. Our results indicate that the Tablet PC technology has created opportunities for more interaction and mobility, has generated more enthusiasm in students towards learning and appears to have enhanced the learning outcomes. However, additional data and statistical analyses will provide confirmation of these findings.
Using Tablet PCs As Interactive Web-Based Instruction Tools In Freshman Calculus
Marilyn Reba, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Roy Pargas, Department of Computer Science
Clemson University
Too many students in Freshman Calculus are unprepared for the pace at which new concepts are introduced, are unable to implement prerequisite Algebra skills, and are unwilling to seek answers to their questions in front of their classmates. We report on how the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Clemson University has used Tablet PCs and the web-based interactive software, MessageGrid, to address these issues over the past three semesters. Pen-technology in large-enrollment content-heavy Calculus courses provides new ways to communicate with struggling students: projection of anonymous student-inked submissions; "personalized" feedback on group activities; student-generated audio-video podcasts; and, in Fall 2008, quick identification and remediation of weak algebra skills via inking on Mathpad. We report a higher percentage of students able to enroll in second-semester Calculus. Despite this emerging evidence of greater student success and despite very positive faculty and student perceptions, it is not easy to expand the set of math faculty willing to try the technology. Yet, interest in Tablet PCs (and MessageGrid) is flourishing at Clemson, due to our 2007 Hewlett Packard Leadership Grant which placed Tablet PCs into a multidisciplinary technology classroom and attracted faculty from other departments willing to invest time to learn new pedagogical techniques.
Implementing DyKnow For Secondary Mathematics Instruction
Jason Roy
Shabbi Luthra
The American School of Bombay
How can we harness the power of the Tablet PC to engage students, increase their learning, and help them stay organized? That’s the question that the American School of Bombay set out to answer when DyKnow was deployed in the fall of 2007 for teachers and students in the high school. The purpose of the deployment was to support pedagogical practices that would improve student learning – comprehensive note taking and review, interactive classroom presentations that supported higher level of student engagement, and a more complete feedback loop. In this study we assess student attitudes towards learning with DyKnow at the completion of the first year of deployment in a mathematics class. A survey of multiple choice questions was administered to two sections of an IB Math SL class. These students had used DyKnow in their math classes throughout much of the school year. Despite the relatively small sample size, this study provides preliminary evidence that DyKnow is a powerful organizational tool for students and its use improves student learning and engagement.
Tablet PCs: Gateway to Change
Rob Mancabelli
Director of Information Systems
Hunterdon Central Regional High School District
In this era of rapidly accelerating technological change, educators can feel overwhelmed by the landslide of new tools and disconnected from the students who use them. In this talk, Rob discusses how tablet PCs (and similar devices) can serve as a critical gateway for teachers and administrators to plug into an evolving "connected culture" that uses Web 2.0 technologies to weave elaborate webs of people and ideas. Rob also talks about the critical components that schools need to ensure that their technology programs promote and support this kind of deep, meaningful and personal shift that goes far beyond the classroom.
Biographical Sketch
Rob Mancabelli's work explores how schools can use technology as a gateway for producing meaningful pedagogical and personal
change. With over a decade of experience in public and private schools, Rob works with teachers and administrators to develop
innovative models for teaching and learning that use modern tools to achieve timeless educational goals.
Currently, Rob is the Director of Information Systems for the Hunterdon Central School District in Flemington, NJ, an award-winning, Blue Ribbon District that has been recognized for its use of technology by the National Education Commission, Business Week Magazine and the Smithsonian Institution. Recently, Hunterdon Central’s research study on the use of tablet PCs was selected for a book on pen technology published by Purdue University Press. Rob's past presentations have included Princeton University, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, the National Education Computing Conference and the Bill and Melinda Gates Leadership Conference.
A “Teacher’s Dashboard” For A High School Algebra Class
Samuel N. Kamin
Boris Capitanu
Michael Twidale
Chad Peiper
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Networked Tablet PCs have great potential in classroom settings, including use in small group in-class problem-solving activities. As the student uses the tablet PC, we can gather data from her activities – writing, deleting, page navigation, etc. This data can be used, among other ways, to enable a teacher to monitor learning activities as they happen in real-time. We call the display of student activity the teacher’s dashboard. We describe the use of a dashboard in several sections of a high school algebra class. We found that the teacher came increasingly to rely on this display to see how the students were progressing, and the students felt they were getting more timely feedback. We discuss the challenges in making dashboards that can work in a variety of classroom settings.
Tablet PC Use And Impact On Learning In Technology And Engineering Classrooms: A Preliminary Study
Sven G. Bilén,
Dongwon Lee
John I. Messner
Hien T. Nguyen
Timothy W. Simpson
Angsana A. Techatassanasoontorn
Richard F. Devon
The Pennsylvania State University
We report our preliminary findings on the evaluation of Tablet PC technology use and its impact on learning across a variety of undergraduate and graduate classes from four technology and engineering disciplines at The Pennsylvania State University. Our assessment model is grounded in both task–technology fit and social learning theories, allowing us to evaluate the influence of Tablet PC technology characteristics, classroom task characteristics, and the role of social influence (e.g., classmates, team members) on the extent of Tablet PC use and its implications on students’ learning. Preliminary results from one undergraduate engineering course and one graduate technology course show that about 65% of students in a design-oriented course found that Tablet PC use enhanced their learning experience while only 35% of students in a non-design-oriented course thought so. In both courses, nearly 50% of students found their classmates were helpful in their learning to use the Tablet PC. Preliminary regression results show that the level of task–technology fit seems to positively influence students’ use of the Tablet PC and that social influence positively influences students’ learning gain as the result of Tablet PC use.
Using Tablet PCs and DyKnow Vision to Enhance Student Engagement In A Human Anatomy Class
Pascal Lafontant
DePauw University
Keeping students engaged in human anatomy classes is a significant challenge. To increase students’ active learning and facilitate their understanding of the material, I utilized Tablet PCs running DyKnow Vision. I specifically used these tools to create a personal and group virtual blackboard for the identification and discussion of anatomical structures. To assess students’ level of engagement in the class and their attitudes and perceptions of the effectiveness of the Tablet PCs/DyKnow as a pedagogical tool, an anonymous survey of the class was completed using a 5 point Likert scale. Results strongly suggest that the Tablet PCs/DyKnow combination made the class enjoyable, enhanced students’ comprehension of content, and had an overall positive impact on their learning of human anatomy.
Three Is Not A Crowd: The Pedagogical Power Of Tablet Laptops, Digital Organizers, And Digital Textbooks In Middle School Mathematics
Palie Cantu, Middle School Mathematics Teacher,
Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Bellevue, WA
John Phillips, High School Science Teacher, Spring Street International School
(formerly Director of Educational Technology),
Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Friday Harbor, WA
Mike Tholfsen, OneNote Test Manager, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA
In the fall of 2005, an amazing, and somewhat serendipitous, combination of three digital resources came together at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, an all-girls, grade 5-12, 1:1 laptop school. The school introduced tablet laptops to all new students entering the school, and to all school faculty. The power of pen-enabled computing in the classroom was immediately evident, particularly in mathematics and science classes, where laptop use had been previously limited due to keyboard constraints. Simultaneously, a middle school mathematics teacher (Cantu) began to explore laptop-based digital organizer software as a way to help students better manage their digital work. Finally, a new middle school mathematics textbook was adopted by the school that included a digital version. Over three years of exploration, experimentation and evolution, tablet laptops with digital organizers and digital texts have proven to be a potent pedagogical combination for both students and teachers. This combination has completely transformed and revolutionized the teaching of middle school mathematics. Because of its success in the middle school mathematics program, this approach is being implemented and used in other classes at the school.
Evaluating Learning Software In The Classroom: A Continuing Study
Vincent F. DiStasi
William P. Birmingham
Gary L. Welton
Grove City College
This paper reports on student satisfaction with interactive classroom presentation methods, based on 294 student responses. About half of the students are relatively neutral about the technology, a quarter dislike it, and a quarter are very pleased. After reviewing the results of various measures, the authors provide evidence that individual differences in learning styles impact whether a student is satisfied or dissatisfied with programs like DyKnow. The authors then suggest additional research to assess whether individual motivation might be another factor that would impact satisfaction with the use of this technology in the classroom.
Turning The Classroom Upside Down Using Tablet PCs And DyKnow Ink And Audio Tools
Dave Berque
Chad Byers
Ashley Myers
DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
This paper motivates and describes our experimentation with a pedagogical technique that is sometimes referred to as the upside down classroom. This approach requires students to view pre-recorded, instructor-prepared, mini-presentations before coming to class. These mini-presentations use text, ink, and audio to convey basic material which would normally be presented during class. This, in turn, allows some class time to be reallocated to active learning activities that reinforce each student’s understanding of the material. The approach is called “upside down” because the traditional classroom lecture now occurs outside of class, while the active learning that is often associated with completing out of class homework assignments now occurs during the class period while the teacher is present to coach, support, and challenge students as appropriate. This paper presents our motivation for exploring the use of an upside down teaching technique, describes our use of DyKnow software to support initial experiments with the approach, and presents a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of the technique.
Assessing the Impact of a Tablet-PC-based Classroom Interaction System
Kimberle Koile, Center for Educational Computing Initiatives
David Singer, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
This paper describes a strictly controlled study of the impact that Classroom Learning Partner, a Tablet-PC-based classroom interaction system, had on student performance. The goal of the study was to test the hypothesis that the use of such a system improves student learning, especially among the poorest performing students. This paper describes our validation of that hypothesis, and the controls, performance metric, and assessment methodology that we developed in the course of our study.
Hands On Class
Jason Roy, American School of Bombay
Joe Tront, Virginia Tech
Tom Walker, Virginia Tech
Mary Dixon, DePauw University
Sam Kamin, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
This hands-on workshop will provide attendees with the opportunity to experience what it is like to be a "student" in a hands-on Tablet-PC classroom by working through a sample class taught by an accomplished Tablet PC teacher. Participants will have an opportunity to experience how the teacher uses Tablet PCs and appropriate software to engage students. While each class will be drawn from a particular content area, the teaching techniques that are presented will carry across disciplines and grade levels. No prior experience in a particular content area will be needed for participation. At the end of each class the participants will have the opportunity to discuss the teaching and learning approaches which they experienced.