Teaching with Tablets
Birgit Loch
Mathematics/FEIS
Engineering and Science
Education Research Group
(ESER)
bloch@swin.edu.au
Overview
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What is tablet technology
Tablets in face to face classes
Lecture recording
Marking
Synchronous online teaching
Immediate feedback via tablets
The FEIS/ESER tablet project
Going wireless
MathsCasts
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How did I get involved in
educational technologies?
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What is tablet technology?
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Why write on the computer?
• Keep record of all writing in class
• Can refer back
• Can make available to students
• Can record development as video – e.g.
via Lectopia
• Students focus on one screen
• Develop slides with students
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Tablets in library classes:
Kaye England/ Ranald Simpson, USQ
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Tablets in German language
teaching: Gabriela Pohl, USQ
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Tablets in maths teaching
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Tablets in maths lecturing
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Tablets in finance lecturing:
Peter Phillips, USQ
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Student feedback
• “Perfect lecture set up. Perfect course for that matter,
I’ve really enjoyed this subject, each maths subject
should have this setup” (UQ student, 2004)
• “It brings the whole lecture virtually anywhere along with
you. Loved it. Great approach.” (Swinburne student,
2010)
• “I found the slides to be vital in my learning” (Swinburne
student, 2010)
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Lecture recording
Do students still turn up? Case study OR,
on campus students
• Yes! But why?
> It takes as long to watch a video as it does to
attend a live lecture
> Ability to ask questions and receive
immediate answer
> Easier to learn in company
> Reinforces study schedule
> Screencasts are boring
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Marking: Mathematics, with
Trevor Langlands, USQ
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Marking: Biodiversity & Conservation,
Andy Le Brocque, USQ
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Synchronous online teaching:
Mathematics
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Clickers for Immediate feedback
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The problem with clickers
A)
B)
C)
D)
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Immediate feedback
• Advanced Concepts Teaching Space
(UQ, with Diane Donovan)
• 100 pen-enabled screens, SynchronEyes software
• Test revision sessions
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The sessions
• Students were given (incorrect) solutions to
potential test questions, and asked to mark.
• Students were asked to solve potential test
questions
• Student work was then selected, displayed and
discussed
• Interaction took time
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Selecting student work
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Student feedback
Themes from comments:
• ‘engaging’
• ‘involved’
• ‘interactive’
• ‘fun’
• ‘useful’
• ‘cool’
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2011: Did you learn more in the ACTS lab
session than you would have in a normal
classroom? (n=87)
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Is there a cheaper version?
• Tablet PCs for students
• Graphics tablets connected to lab
computers
• ATC 425/426
• MeTL software (Monash Uni)
• Netsupport School
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Exam preparation sessions in
ATC 425/426
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The FEIS/ESER tablet project
• 50+ slate tablets (15 of those for students
in MASH Centre)
• 6 pen screens
• 15 graphics tablets
• Other bits and pieces
• Part time project assistant
• In S1 2012:
> 31 lecturers/tutors involved in FEIS
> 1 in FICT, 1 in FBE
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“Pen screens”
• This technology may already be available
in a lecture theatre near you!
• Would you recognize a pen screen?
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Lecturer feedback (from USQ)
• led to more engagement with technology in
general
• made lectures more dynamic
• led to a change in teaching approaches
• “Students are now more involved in contributing”
• “In terms of how the use has invigorated my
teaching. […] For the first time in years I have
felt excited about my teaching and that is
reflected in how I interact with students. So then
they get excited”
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Roaming about
In a large lecture theatre,
• what if you were no longer physically
separated from your students?
• what if you gave the stylus to your
students?
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Going wireless
• Various solutions
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An Example:
Make t the subject
2𝑒 𝑡 + 𝑒 −𝑡
𝑦= 𝑡
𝑒 − 3𝑒 −𝑡
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Short focused recordings
• “There’s an app for this”
ScreenChomp
Mathscasts.org
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Short snippets in OR
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What are MathsCasts?
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International, Swinburne-led collaboration
Short screen videos of mathematical explanation
Created with Camtasia Studio on a tablet PC
Created by tutors in the Maths support centres
Do not require expert technical knowledge or
A/V staff to produce
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What are MathsCasts? (cont.)
• Funding at Limerick and Swinburne
• About 300 produced so far
• Available for free to anyone via iTunes U,
Swinburne Commons
http://commons.swin.edu.au and from
http://mathscasts.org
Direct link
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Student feedback
• “Yes, I watched them all. They are fantastic,
much better than a typed response.”
• “Every time I get stuck on something, I’ll go back
to a MathsCast, and it makes it a bit easier to go
through questions out of a book” .
This student also said that not only does he
find maths easier to grasp, but he has even
started enjoying it.
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On BlackBoard
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External recognition
New Media Consortium Horizon Report 2012 Higher Ed Edition
“… identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have an impact
on learning, teaching and creative inquiry in higher education.“
http://www.nmc.org/publications/horizon-report-2012-higher-ed-edition
http://www.nmc.org/publications/2012-technology-outlook-au
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Over to you, Dr Camtasia!
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