Rationale A recent external assessment of our undergraduate ECE curriculum revealed several weaknesses, most notably: 1) poor integration of theoretical lecture material and hands-on laboratory exercises, and 2) limited use of computational tools within the curriculum. As a result of this assessment, the ECE department has implemented an innovative curriculum that emphasizes links between theoretical instruction, hands-on experience, and real-world applications. The use of mobile technology will play an important role in linking theory and practice. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Quick Facts Dept: Electrical and Computer Engineering Course Impacted: Fundamentals of Electrical and Computer Engineering # Students Impacted: 20 (Spring 2006), 100 students annually (beginning Fall 2006) # Faculty Involved: 6 This project is funded in part by an HP Technology for Teaching grant.

Contact Us Dr. Lisa Huettel 129 Hudson Hall, Box 90291 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Duke University [email protected] 919-660-5237

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 Duke Digital Initiative: Tablet PC pilot Video interview of Dr. Lisa Huettel (PI) regarding use of Tablet PCs in introductory ECE course.

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