Teachers’ perceptions of palmtop technology in the classroom

1. Teachers’ perceptions of palmtop technology in the classroom Dawn Wheeler South Dartmoor Community College Steve Wheeler University of Plymouth

2. Teachers’ perceptions of new technologies are an important contributing factor to the successful adoption of ICTs into classroom practice

3. The introduction of wireless, handheld technologies to perform previously routine tasks (e.g. registration or assessment) can have profound consequences

4. Some Issues • Change brings Uncertainty • Change brings Disruption • New Technology is more Work • Technophobia • Technical Support • Teacher-Student ‘Digital Divide’ • Duplication: Myth of the Paperless Society

5. Duplication • Teachers are using a combination of digital handheld technology and paper based materials to keep records of attendance, delivery of homework, etc. • “I don’t have any homework ‘cos I wasn’t here last week” • Important to keep track of students who received homework task

6. Handheld Applications • Examples for teacher use include: • entering data for assessments; • lesson planning; • teaching project-based units; • giving students step-by-step instructions. • Teachers also can record assignments, attendance and behaviour patterns, which allows them to give immediate feedback on student progress to students and parents.

7. Handheld Applications • It also reduces the amount of papers to mark and the number of textbooks. A high school teacher estimated that one handheld computer replaces 35 pounds of textbooks for an English class alone. Source: webs.wichita.edu/2_13_2003_Palm_m130.jpg

8. Research Design • Informal pre-questionnaire data gathering • 60 serving teachers as participants • Short questionnaire (5 point Likert Scale) • Factor Analysis to determine response groupings • Possible follow-up interviews with participants selected randomly

9. Informal Pre-questionnaire Data Gathering Positives: • Teachers excited about using the equipment • Tapping a box on a screen better than placing a mark on a paper register • The palmtop had a certain amount of kudos within the classroom • Totally portable and lightweight

10. Informal Pre-questionnaire Data Gathering • Cover teachers have instant access to class register • Palmtop brought a new parking system designed to take the pressure off teachers and HoDs

11. Praise and Consequences

12. Behaviour Management Tool • Parking with Head of Department was not always successful • Incidents of 6 or more pupils being parked with HoD not unheard of, resulting in great disruption • Students were also being parked within corridors

13. New Parking System • Should students progress to a C3, the teacher use the palmtop to contact the Tor through email • Teacher emails the Tor with classroom number, e.g. EN4 (English room 4) • Copy in HoD and record is made • Member of staff from the Tor comes to room to remove the student • Zero confrontation and escalation

14. Informal Pre-questionnaire Data Gathering Negatives: • Teachers nervous of making mistakes • Damage to or theft of the device • Only one week can be displayed – Monday to Friday – Duplication • Cost? • Technical support

15. Questions Utility • What does the palmtop enable teachers to do? • What does it prohibit teachers from doing? • What is the impact of palmtops on the school?

16. Questions Agency • What are the management benefits? • What is the value added? • How does the new technology affect student-teacher relationships? • How does it transform teaching?

17. Questions Transparency • Ease of use: How much cognitive effort is required to use the system? • Does this effort change over time? • Are there conflicts of use? • How are problems of use overcome?

18. Any Questions? Dawn Wheeler South Dartmoor Community College Steve Wheeler University of Plymouth www2.plymouth.ac.uk/distancelearning

20. C C C OFFICE OFFICE Teaching Area C C C The Tor