1 / 22

Will Handheld Computers Succeed in College?

Will Handheld Computers Succeed in College?. David W. Johnson Derek Rudd Utah Valley State College. Motivation for Research . Continuing Research Agenda: PDAs in Education Need for Hands-on Classroom Experimentation Availability of Devices Student Research Goal Test PDA SW and HW Add-ons.

soleil
Télécharger la présentation

Will Handheld Computers Succeed in College?

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Will Handheld Computers Succeed in College? David W. Johnson Derek Rudd Utah Valley State College

  2. Motivation for Research • Continuing Research Agenda: PDAs in Education • Need for Hands-on Classroom Experimentation • Availability of Devices • Student Research Goal • Test PDA SW and HW Add-ons

  3. The Class • Senior Level • Computer Supported Cooperative Work • Students given loaner Dell PDA with Wireless Network Card • Five Keyboards • Use as a Potential Aid in Course Work • Group Research Projects re. PDA

  4. Projects • Extent of PDA Usage in Local Schools • Use of Networked PDAs • Use of PDAs in Medical Education • PDA Software to Support Learning • Use of E-content on PDAs and the Retention of Learning

  5. Background for Group Project All our class members were given PDA’s to use to help with our class work. Our group became very curious about the effectiveness of reading e-text on a PDA for learning.

  6. Experiment • Our experiment was to randomly assign half of the students in a class to read certain course material using e-text on a PDA and the other half to read the same material on paper. We then administered a brief exam to test all students reading comprehension and retention. • Following the exam we also administered a PDA Usage Survey to those students who had used a PDA in the experiment.

  7. Hypothesis • Our hypothesis was that there would be no difference in reading comprehension/retention between using e-text on a PDA and reading the same material on paper.

  8. Classes Sampled • The three middle school classes were all history classes, and their article dealt with Lewis & Clark. • The high school class was a finance class, and their article dealt with inappropriate activities by Enron executives. • The college class was an information technology class, and their article dealt with an educational technology called MUDs & MOOs. • Teachers were present and helped set-up and perform the experimentation.

  9. Human Observations • Students were very excited. • Use PDAs for a year as a school experiment • Not want to give the PDA back • Save the school district money • Save millions of trees • “Yeah, I’ll trade the mitt for a PDA.”

  10. Results

  11. Results • Analysis using t-tests supported our hypothesis that there is no statistically significant difference in reading comprehension and retention between using e-text on a PDA and using a traditional paper article.

  12. Survey Findings • The purpose of the survey was to help us learn more about the student’s feelings and experience while using a PDA and to assess any differences between the various educational levels. • The questions dealt with the ease of using and learning with the PDA, the likelihood of PDA problems in education, and the value of various PDA software.

  13. Ease of Reading E-text on a PDA

  14. Ease of Understanding and Remembering E-text on a PDA

  15. E-text on PDA vs. Textbooks

  16. Likelihood of PDA Games and Internet Impeding Learning

  17. Summary • No statistically significant difference in retention rates in reading from a PDA compared to reading from paper across all educational levels studied. • Major roadblocks to the successful use of PDAs and e-books in college. • College students found it difficult to read text on a PDA’s small screen and were less confident in their ability to comprehend and remember content read from a PDA.

  18. Summary • The survey data also suggests that college students are more prone to distractions from schoolwork such as game playing or Internet surfing on the PDA. • Also, we realize that middle school and high school students are more excited about technology and may be more willing to adapt to change while college students are more set in there ways and have more difficulties with change.

  19. Analysis of PDA Experimentationin CSCW Class • PDA was a valuable tool • 36% agree or strongly agree • 40% neutral • 24% disagree or strongly disagree • Mostly used for • Scheduling, contact lists, to-do lists • Minimally used for • Taking notes • Downloading content (PPT slides, Lecture notes)

  20. Analysis of PDA ExperimentationWireless Networking • Usefulness to students • 56% agree or strongly agree • 32% neutral • 12% disagree • Major Uses • Web surfing • Email across campus • Problems • Slow • Small screen • Fast battery discharging

  21. Analysis of PDA Experimentation • Enjoyed Experimenting With • 16% strongly agree • 72% agree • 16% neutral • Plan to use in future school or work • 52% agree or strongly agree • 32% neutral • 16% disagree • Should be required of all students • 16% agree • 52% neutral • 32% disagree or strongly disagree

  22. Overall Conclusions • High potential for successful PDA usage in K-12 • Lack of funding will inhibit ubiquitous use of PDAs in middle/high schools. • Handhelds not currently a “killer app.” for college students. • Success in College will depend on advances in handheld technology: • Holographic keyboards and displays • Software tailored to teacher-student learning environment • Longer battery life

More Related