Promoting Active Learning with Mobile and Wireless Technologies

This presentation basically covers the use of clickers for assessment.  The presentation was made by Morrie Schulman - University of Texas Austin.  I had expected the presentation to cover a more diverse set of technologies.  However, he claims that many studies show that the ROI with distance students is exceptional.  Students report that they feel more engaged in the class because of the use of clickers.  He says at UT Austin they are using the clikers in courses such as; Physics, Biology, Busines Statistics Sociaologyu, Nursing, Pharmacy ... mostly for discussion questions and group work.  The questions are basically knowledge questions.  The students use the clickers to submit their answers.

He briefly mentions PDAs, WiFi enabled laptop PCs, Tablet PCsSlate (pen based wireless divice., etc.  He says that all of these devices work with software that encourages student interaction?!   He also talks about DYNO, Classroom presenter, Ubiquitous presenter, and  WriteOn (Virginia Tech) as programs that work with such wireless devices.

As an example, he explained that the DYNO program makes it possible for students (if they have a tablet pc) to sit in the back of the room and see what the instructor is presenting on their own computer instead of looking at the screen in the room.

In addtion, he talked about the pros/cons of the tablet pc and other wireless devices.  Schools at UT Austin are using the tablet pc (Engineering, Law, Natural Science and Nursng).  The school of Engineering won a grant from HP to use tablet PCs.  They are using them in/with Blackboard to show markups of work, or graphic examples.  The school of Nursing is using it for multi-site teaching.

Presentation I'm sure was helpful for those interested in using the Tablet PC and Clickers.