Student misconceptions using replay ink in MessageGrid – Pargas, Clemson University

The challenge with a Tablet PC deployment is about using the Tablet in appropriate ways that are of benefit to the pedagogy.

The project started with weekly Wednesday meetings of the “Teaching with Technology” team at the University.  This focus on the pedagogical use of technology.  It started with an instructor who wanted to conduct a grid (table) analysis of music appreciation, in a collaborative setting.  The idea is to have a grid where students can be responsible for an individual cell of the grid that then compiles to a full solution as a class.

The challenge with a Tablet PC deployment is about using the Tablet in appropriate ways that are of benefit to the pedagogy.

The project started with weekly Wednesday meetings of the “Teaching with Technology” team at the University.  This focus on the pedagogical use of technology.  It started with an instructor who wanted to conduct a grid (table) analysis of music appreciation, in a collaborative setting.  The idea is to have a grid where students can be responsible for an individual cell of the grid that then compiles to a full solution as a class.

This has evolved into a tool that has polling, inking, mobile, simple upload/evaluations and submission tools.

The tool as a whole has changed teaching at the University – with increased feedback and interactivity in classes.

They have custom built a lecture hall with “Banquet tables” of 9 students to a round table (3 groups of three).  Three projector screens, controlled from the teachers desk.  Power in the middle with data.  There is a video on youtube with this all shown - “HP Tablet PCs and Classroom Success at Clemson University” – the student produced the whole video:

 

 

Through the use of the Tablets at the university, they have reduced the number of students getting D, E, and F grades by 50%.

The key observations:

• Tablet PCS provide final inked solutions, as well as the intermediate ink stroke sequences.
• The ink strokes once collected can be
  • collected
  • played and replayed
  • tagged and analyzed

The tagging looks very neat – you can put a pre-planned correction at an error at the exact error point.  This means the student gets the feedback of exactly where, how and why they went wrong, and then how to correct this. This is very laborious though!  But, if this can be done, the data can show patterns and links between errors, predicting possible interventions in teaching instruction that the student may need.

The basis of the research and studies being conducted at the University are about seeing how students think!  If we can see a students thought process, compare this to other (previous) students, the can be predictive intervention to ensure student success.

With the replay, even errors in correct solutions can be seen – for example, if the process is not followed as an algorithm, and this could lead to errors down the track.

The replay feature was well accepted by students – a common emerging pedagogical use was student driven - “Sir, can you replay this solution and show me where I went wrong?” and then teachers are able to do this, and in a timely and exact fashion teach the student what they need at the exact moment that they need it!

A teaser for OrganicPad was given – this is a self grading organic chemistry tool for Tablet PCs…. this sounds very very cool (for a chem teacher!)

http://www.clemson.edu/organicpad/ – there are videos and downloads here – I’ll be playing with this!