Rationale A central educational challenge facing technical disciplines - especially within engineering and computer science - is connecting basic theoretical principles to engaging real-world examples. When accomplished, such connections excite students, encourage rigorous analysis, and facilitate application of fundamental concepts to applied domains. Conversely, the absence of connections between abstract theory and real-world phenomena can deter students who learn through experimentation and other active techniques - skills which are highly valued - and can negatively impact educational goals. At Duke University, a team of engineering and computer science faculty are investigating ways in which Tablet PCs can be used to facilitate the implementation of innovative pedagogy to address a variety of learning styles. This wide-ranging collaboration has encompassed courses drawn from four engineering departments and computer science, that range from introductory to advanced level, and that include both lecture and laboratory components. In some courses, Tablet PCs have been used by the instructor only; in others, each individual or group of students has been provided a Tablet PC. Key advantages include increased use of classroom activities that engage students and illustrate applications, in-class problem solving that allows students to assess their mastery of material, and customization of activities to student learning styles. The overarching goal of this project is to explore ways in which Tablet PCs can be used to transform passive, abstract, verbal instruction into a more active, concrete, visual style that complements student learning. Traditional instructional methods present a number of obstacles to effective teaching and learning in engineering and computer science courses. These include a reliance on text-based or static mediums (e.g., the blackboard or a PowerPoint presentation) to convey equation- and graphics-heavy concepts, a disconnect between theoretical lecture presentations and applied laboratory or homework exercises, and difficulty in promoting collaborative activities in the classroom that more accurately reflect an engineering approach to problem solving. Additionally, engineering and computer science courses can suffer when students are not actively engaged in the learning process or when instructors cannot accurately gauge student understanding. To address some of these challenges, Tablet PCs are being used to integrate theoretical concepts with realistic applications and examples. The mobility of the Tablet PCs will allow demonstrations and simulations to be incorporated into the lecture at the time the theory is presented, rather than postponing that experience until the student is in the laboratory. Similarly, using Tablet PCs in the laboratory will enable students to bring their data and observations back to the classroom for further discussion of the application of theory. In addition, Tablet PCs will be used to incorporate active learning techniques into lectures. We strongly believe that a more active, practical, integrated approach to education will improve students" motivation and understanding of course material. Specific goals and objectives for using Tablet PCs include: 1) to incorporate active learning techniques into the classroom, 2) to obtain more frequent feedback on student understanding of material, 3) to provide in-class demonstrations and simulations of theoretical material, and 4) to more closely integrate lecture and laboratory material. An important component of the project is the assessment of the impact of the Tablet PCs on student and instructor attitude and the achievement of learning objectives, as well as the challenges encountered in implementing various activities.

Impact on Teaching Specific teaching-related goals and objectives include: 1) to incorporate active learning techniques into the classroom, 2) to obtain more frequent feedback on student understanding of material, 3) to provide in-class demonstrations and simulations of theoretical material, and 4) to more closely integrate lecture and laboratory material. Success has been measured by the number of Tablet-based activities incorporated into each lecture, the degree to which instructors tailor the content and pacing of their lectures based on student feedback, the number and types of demonstrations involving the Tablet PC, and the degree to which laboratory exercises and in-class activities are integrated. As evidence of success, in-class activities such as modified Think-Pair-Share, conceptual quizzes, software simulations, and collaborative problem solving were used on an almost-daily basis. The impact on student engagement was significant. In addition, such activities enabled the instructor to dynamically modify lectures to address student questions and interests. Finally, these activities blended the laboratory and lecture components of the course together since the instructor could query the students in class about data collected and observations made during a laboratory session.

Quick Facts Dept: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science Course Impacted: Fundamentals of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Signals & Systems (ECE), Biomedical Device Design (BME), Concrete and Composite Structures (CEE), Mechanical Design (ME), Principles of Computer Science (CompSci). # Students Impacted: 20 (Spring 2006), 240 (Fall 2006), 250 (Spring 2007). # Faculty Involved: 8 This project is funded in part by an HP Technology for Teaching grant.

Contact Us Dr. Lisa Huettel (PI) 130 Hudson Hall, Box 90291 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Duke University [email protected] 919-660-5237

This project supported in part by an HP Technology for Teaching grant.

Implementation (pedagogy) Because the pedagogical approach and technical content of Fundamentals of ECE is so different from the existing introductory ECE course (Introduction to Electric Circuits), it is considered an entirely new course, rather than a redesign of the course it is replacing. In designing Fundamentals of ECE, we have blurred the traditional line between laboratory and lecture (application versus theory) by using material from laboratory exercises as examples in lecture and by teaching some theory in the laboratory. Concepts are taught using a just-in-time approach: a topic is presented in lecture when it is necessary for the next step of the students" laboratory project. Although this methodology could be implemented without mobile technology, it would be challenging at best to ensure adequate integration. The availability of Tablet PCs greatly enhances the course by allowing the sharing of data and ideas between the classroom and laboratory environments. Lectures have been modified from the traditional non-interactive chalkboard approach to incorporate interactive computer demonstrations and simulations accessible to the students via their Tablet PCs. Students are also required to record data and observations made in the laboratory on their Tablet PCs to facilitate classroom discussions. Finally, students regularly provide feedback to the instructor via concept quizzes presented and tallied using the Tablet PCs.

Implementation (technology) A fundamental and frequent problem in engineering education is the disconnect between theoretical lecture material and practical laboratory applications. One major reason why lectures tend to be very theoretical lies in the difficulty of bringing simulations or demonstrations into the classroom. Even when students complete laboratory exercises based closely on lecture material, there is usually no mechanism by which they can bring that data to the lecture to discuss their results with other students and the instructor. This project addresses these issues by using Tablet PCs to bridge the classroom and the laboratory. The use of Classroom Presenter software, developed through a collaboration between the University of Washington and Microsoft Research, has facilitated many of the interactive activities used to enhance the learning experience [1,2]. Students use the Tablet PCs to perform in-class interactive demonstrations and simulations, which either preview or follow laboratory exercises as appropriate. Because all students have individual Tablet PCs in class, they are able to actively participate in exercises instead of passively watching the instructor. Instructors also use the Tablet PCs to more accurately gauge student understanding. By using Tablet PCs to solicit feedback (through in-class concept quizzes that are instantly tallied), the instructor is able to dynamically modify lecture content and pacing to directly address student needs.

Students use Tablets PCs in the laboratory Impact on Student Learning One anticipated learning outcome is that students will be more motivated and engaged by the material; this is especially important for first-year students in a challenging discipline like engineering. A second expected outcome will be increased learning and retention of material, due to active involvement during lecture and to concept reinforcement provided by increased integration between the classroom and laboratory environments. Conceptual understanding of the course material has been quantified via exams and written assignments. Interest in the material and intellectual motivation has also been measured, along with qualitative feedback on student perception of the use of Tablet PCs and how they enhance the course. Students report almost unanimously that the Tablet PCs enhanced both the classroom and the laboratory experiences and recommend that Tablet PCs be used to similarly enhance additional courses. Finally, we are tracking student enrollment and course selection and will compare the results to historical data.

Student John Kang uses his Tablet PC to program and monitor his robot in the Fundamentals of ECE laboratory. Exciting and relevant hands-on activities are critical to engaging students in course material. The use of Tablet PCs in Fundamentals of ECE has facilitated the integration of lecture and laboratory activities. Using the Tablets, students can experiment with a creative idea immediately after being introduced to a new concept in class. Likewise, interesting results or stumping challenges can be brought from the laboratory into the classroom to be used as the basis of relevant, motivating discussions.

References & Publications 1. Classroom Presenter, http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/dl/presenter 2. R. Anderson, R. Anderson, L. McDowell, and B. Simon, Use of Classroom Presenter in Engineering Courses, in Proc. Frontiers in Education, 2005. 3. Collins, L.M., Huettel, L.G., Brown, A.S., Ybarra, G.A., Holmes, J.S., Board, J.A., Cummer, S.A., Gustafson, M.R., Kim, J., Massoud, H.Z. (2005, June). Theme-Based Redesign of the Duke University ECE Curriculum: The First Steps. 2005 Annual Conference of the American Society of Engineering Education. "Duke Wins HP Technology Grant" The Pratt Press, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, 4/28/05 "Innovative Intro Course Offers Breadth, Depth" Pratt e-Press, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, March 2006 "Grant funds changes to Pratt's ECE curriculum" The Duke Chronicle, 4/12/06 "Using Tablet PCs to Promote Student Engagement and Course Integration" 2006 Instructional Technology Showcase, Duke University, 4/27/06 "Duke's Pratt School Wins Second Hewlett-Packard Technology for Teaching Leadership Grant" The Pratt Press, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, 7/19/06 "Tablet PC classes thriving" The Duke Chronicle, 10/05/06 "Using Tablet PCs to Integrate Lecture and Laboratory in an Introductory Electrical and Computer Engineering Course" Frontiers in Education Conference, October 27-31, 2006 Duke Digital Initiative: Tablet PC pilot Video interview of Dr. Lisa Huettel (PI) regarding use of Tablet PCs in introductory ECE course. "Transcending the Traditional: Using Tablet PCs to Enhance Engineering and Computer Science Instruction" Frontiers in Education Conference, October 2007 "Introducing Tablet PCs to the Classroom: Course-Specific Impact in Engineering and Computer Science" 2008 HP Technology for Teaching Worldwide Higher Education Conference, February 2008.