General information:
This case study was a computer pilot project that partnered high school students with Wolfram Research, Microsoft and Lenovo. Torrey Pines High School is located in San Diego, California and has a diverse student population with a reputation for high academics, especially in math and science. An instructor named Abby Brown wanted the students to be challenged with extra opportunities by “integrating technology into the curriculum to enrich the learning experience for these students”. (Microsoft) They deployed 30 Tablet PC’s to a group of students, with a Microsoft application package and Mathematica 6.0 for beta testing.
Analysis
1. Technology -
Hardware: Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet PC with Multitouch screen, with Intel Low Voltage Core Duo processor, and 4 GB RAM, mobile docking station and CD-ROM drive.
Software: MS Office OneNote 2007, PowerPoint 2007, Office Professional 2007, Windows Vista Ultimate, Microsoft Encarta and Wolfram Researches Mathematica 6.0
The article did not really go into the details of the high school’s infrastructure, but you can assume they have the bandwidth and wireless capabilities needed for the students and instructor to use the tablets in the classroom. The student’s were given the use of the tablet PC’s full-time, including taking them home and using them for other subjects.
2. Learning design-
With the Tablet PC’s student can write equations on screen, take notes, do coloring coding, draw graphics and post to and access her interactive website. The devices provide a lightweight mobile computing solution to improving and challenging the math skills of the students. The touch screen and the stylist allow the student to draw graphical representations and write equations and annotations of the concepts they are learning. The OneNote would allow the student to organize their project notes and drawings.
Abby Brown says, “I began using Mathematica in teaching during my AP Calculus class to create three-dimensional graphs to demonstrate concepts and illustrate examples,” she says. “I started writing instructions for the program for students to use in the computer lab for their own projects. In all my classes, each day I have students do presentations to review concepts. Soon they were following my model of teaching and using Mathematica to create graphs and illustrations and verify calculations they had done by hand.” (Microsoft)
In the paragraph above Abby describes how she uses hands-on activites that include visual graphics and demonstrations to teach concepts. She also has the students transfer their learning to their own projects. She has them do daily presentations to help them review concepts. An additional benefit with allowing the creativity and daily presentations may be motivating the student to produce a better quality product and learn important presentation skills that can transfer to other areas of their education. In the last sentence she describes again how students are transferring their knowledge and skill with the computer software to verify their hand written calculations, a form of self-evaluation/feedback.
“It has always been my dream to create a project-based math class where students would use software like Mathematica to do independent work on topics of their choice, but with a community-service component built in,” recalls Brown. “I thought of offering those students who were looking for an extra math class an opportunity to re-create the kind of work I had done for my Web sites, building and sharing their Mathematica projects over the Internet as resources for other teachers and students.” (Microsoft)
Here she describes her dream of a project-based independent style of learning. In my opinion a constructivist type of learning, allowing the students to pick their own topic, but adding a community-service component. I think this is a very unusual innovative 21st century type of teaching for most high schools in this country.
3. Pedagogy-
. The instructor’s comments in this article show her love and enthusiasm for the project which is a big advantage for her students right away. She appears to be a very motivational knowledgeable instructor.
· The activities use a very active type of learning and emphasize a transfer of what they learn to their own projects.
· The Tablet PC’s allows for a more immersive environment allowing the students to keep the Tablet’s with them at school and home.
· The use of an interactive web-site, daily presentations and working with a software company to beta test their math program gives the students a sense of community and collaboration.
· She appears to use my favorite type of lesson model: with well-formed objectives give the students the tools and information they need, then give them the activities that allow them to practice the concepts and apply them in a meaningful way, then allow for multiple feedback and evaluation avenues
· I can see the Activity Theory and Situation Learning Theory in this project. I can also see Keller’s ARCS Model for Motivation here.
Critique
My definition: “Untethered learning that can be personalized and delivered through mobile technology devices.” Yes this case meets my definition criteria. The students are able to be mobile but still access the information and do the activities they need in order to learn. She definitely added personalized components to her teaching and it uses a mobile technology device.
Problems from this case-
I think this may pose a cost problem if they want to expand it to more students. However, I think the Tablet PC’s are starting to drop in price and hopefully they will get closer to the price of the netbooks. The other problem they may encounter is the learning styles of some students. Some students just do not learn well with technology and independent student.
What could have made the mobile learning case better-
This project blows me away and I cannot think of anything that could make it better. Possibly some more collaborative group activities, but she does say that they do daily presentations.
Works Cited
Microsoft. Case Study Torrey Pines High School. 10 September 2007. 4 March 2009 http://www.microsoft.com/industry/publicsector/partnersolutionmarketplace/CaseStudyDetail.aspx?casestudyid=4000000666
These are big machines! About 2000 bucks. I don't think they illustrate mobile technology or infrastructure.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie,
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is ambivalent at best about math, I agree that this is an awesome project! My biggest problem was always that I couldn't see any practical application in my life. I would have loved to have this opportunity in high school.
The teacher did a good job using technology in the classroom. I did poorly in math until a college algebra teacher used a good set of workbooks and really taught me how to do it properly. Maybe I just grew up mentally.
ReplyDeleteIn this case study, I didn't see anything about the work done that could not have been done with a desktop at school or at home. I didn't see anything particularly "mobile" about the case study.
I liked the case study and the teacher was innovative and obviously very smart, but using a small laptop in the classroom and at home, connecting to the web: where is that any different from any other internet and computing applications in education? In other words what makes this "mobile" learning? If this is mobile learning, then all uses of a laptop at school or at home can be called "mobile learning."
Sorry Shaun, I have to disagree with you. I cannot think of anything I can do with my cell phone that I could not do with a tablet pc with the right software and an air card. I think you have narrowed your definition of mobile technology to cell phones or devices with small screens. What does that make a Kindle? Even though it has a larger screen I would still consider it mobile technology.
ReplyDeleteI hear what you are saying. So you are saying that cellular connectivity makes a device a mobile device. In this case a mobile learning device? I can agree with you on that point.
ReplyDeleteI take it one step further and say that true mobile devices are hand held devices. My definition is not a minority view.
I still do not see how universities can expect that students will always carry a laptop computer with them on campuses which are supposedly mobile friendly.
Kindle uses cellular technology. Kindle is a mobile reading device. It is not a computer and cannot do the things that a mobile learning device like a PDA, Itouch, I phone, BlackBerry Storm can do.
Some argue that multiple purpose devices are not as good as more single purpose devices. Some would never read on a cell phone. Kindle will always have a place. It is a mobile device. Not a fully functioning mobile device. In all honestly, the Thinkpad is a cellular technology device . . .the one I looked at on the web has Verizon cellular network connectivity built in to it. But that does not make it mobile . . . you would not carry it to the grocery store. You would not take it to church. You would not take it to a movie. But you would take your cell phone. You would not pull it out while riding the bus. You would not use the Thinkpad, while on the go, to check text messages or answer a message on Facebook from a colleague.
The mobile device I define as a mobile learning device is a fully functioning (mp3, YouTube video, social-networking, instant messaging,internet, rss feed, video camera, still photo camera, voice recording, QR code reading, large multi-gigabyte memory, fully functioned keyboard, large screen) cell phone, PDA, PPC, or other device that meets these criteria.
You might not have a newer cell phone. My screen does a pretty good job.
In the class as it develops, I see that my definition is not the majority definition. I like to discuss the differences and if the class was called e-learning, I would not have an issue with the "mobile" part of the name of the class "mobile learning." I can't get past the word mobile.
I guess it means to some any device that you can unhook from a building and carry with you in a case of some sort that can be carried home and plugged in to a wall socket is a mobile device. :)
Or it means any portable laptop, particularly little ones, that can access a wi-fi network at home (while sitting on your couch) or on campus (in a dorm room in the student lounge).
None of these definition would be universal worldwide. Only item that will work universally (in Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and any where else, is a cell phone with internet capability.
To me this is not difficult. I accept that others have different definitions. I am comfortable with mine. I have these conversations in the spirit of the university: a diversity of ideas and opinions.
Deb - I wrote about this case as well. I especially like how you pointed out her key deliverables in her "lesson plan" as following all your key components.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that some students have difficulty or resistance to learning independently through technology, I think that this is a matter of media literacy awareness which can be negotiated as a part of the student's overarching learning goals.