Authentic Learning Using Tablet Technology in UQ’s Advanced Concept Teaching Space

1. Authentic Learning Using Tablet Technology in UQ’s Advanced Concept Teaching Space Anton Rayner The University of Queensland

2. Initial Intervention • A selection of tutorials in Engineering Thermodynamics were run using tablet PC's and DyKnow to facilitate problem solving and interactions between students. • Students wrote problem solutions on the tablet screens in pairs, and tutors managed tutor-student and student-student interactions using software. • Allows for replay of student work, or a tutor's worked example. • Manage groupings of students & broadcast of student working. • Collection of student attempts & re-distribution of feedback/marked work

3. Outcomes • Significant increase in overall student assessment results. • Improved familiarity and ability to use tablet technology. • Influenced tutor's understanding of learning & teaching process. • Motivated refinements in tutorial process for following semester.

4. Assessment Results Students in tablet groups attended tutorials more regularly and achieved marginally better tutorial results (P=0.076). They also gained comparatively higher overall results (P=0.003) and final grades (P=0.009), but performance on the mid-semester examination was not affected (P=0.995).

5. The ‘Advanced Concept Teaching Space’ • Individual tablet screens, with collaboration facilitated by having students work in groups through DyKnow.

6. Selection of Learning Activities • These were in addition to standard textbook problems • Find a practical application of pistons (or similar devices) and use the first law to estimate the rate of heat & work transfer during operation of the piston. • Design an exam question (an example was provided). • Suggest improvements to example "solutions" (to help students focus on process)

7. Challenges and Affordances • Familiarity with software/hardware. • Alternatives if technical problems? • Balancing group and individual work • Set up groups only after some individual working time (also caters to late arrivals) • Distractions • Access to varied data sources; Specifications of real devices, etc. to allow authentic analysis. • Group collaboration and ‘arguments’ • More emphasis on staff preparation, but added freedom during session • Impetus for change

8. Learning Outcomes (Assessment)

9. Implications • Improved problem solving skills with tablets? • Range of marks suggest a greater fraction of students from ‘ACTS’ group successfully attempted a specific exam question (analysis of mixing chamber). • Many informal comments that students enjoyed trying to deal with ‘real’ situations, but also found this difficult (tended to be from higher-performing cohort). • Potential bias due to self-selection.

10. Distribution of total marks

11. Summary • Trial suggests improvements in learning above revised tutorial structure • Perhaps confounded by self-selection of participants • Students appreciate opportunity to use technology and work together on realistic situations • Sufficient positive outcomes to motivate further work – but need to reduce constraints to further enhance outcomes.