Rationale City College has a student population strong in diversity, low socio-economic status and a wide range of learning skills. Many of our students have difficulty grasping science concepts and would benefit from the development of innovative active learning techniques. Integrating technology into the physical science curriculum provides our students valuable learning skills, opportunities to be active participants in the course, making learning relevant and exciting, and ultimately encourages them to complete the course. Our retention rates are well below 60%; it is our goal to increase this rate by 10% within the first two years of implementation.

Implementation (Pedagogy) Our faculty are using the Tablet PCs in lecture, laboratory, with off-campus Astronomy fieldtrips and in independent student project work. In lecture, the tablets provide an enhanced mode of presentation, capturing dynamic data from the internet, real-time student response systems, simulations and group projects. Data analysis continues to be emphasized in class, with students benefiting from a collaborative learning environment to learn basic and intermediate EXCEL skills. With the incorporation of the Tablet PCs, students are now introduced to EXCEL during the first semester of General Chemistry, instead of the second semester. Student feedback on the early introduction of EXCEL has been overwhelmingly positive, as concurrently enrolled first semester Biology students are expected to know how to use data analysis programs. The laboratory, experiments with PASCO probes have been developed to hands-on data collection and processing skills. EXCEL is taught extensively in the lab and students are able to complete mini-research projects online in a small group. Typical assignments range from researching chemical hazards in their lab, to studying simulations prior to experimentation. Tablet PCs are also being utilized during weekly Astronomy Fieldtrip of Stargazing. Students use the Tablet PCs to record observations and transfer beautiful images taken by SLR cameras and telescopes (new!), such as Saturn for future work-up. We anticipate incorporating the HP Tablets into geology field excursions Fall 2008 and monitoring the impact on student learning. Four project students worked on the development of an acid/base titration experiment using PASCO pH probes. The students learned to use the probes and interface, generated the procedure and beta-tested their experiments on an introductory chemistry lab (nursing students). The response was overwhelmingly positive, even though the nursing students have difficulty understanding titrations prior to the lab. Most responded that it was “cool” to use computers to generate and record data! These acid/base experiments will be incorporated into the second semester of General Chemistry next semester. In the Fall, four additional students have expresses interest in Tablet PC/Pasco work, and two more of our General Chemistry laboratory experiments will utilize PASCO temperature probes. A major difficulty we have experienced is how to quantitate student growth and success in the classroom. Thus far, we have only been able to characterize growth based on previous courses taught by the same instructor. At City College , this is extremely difficult since the project leaders teach a wide variety of courses all year, rarely revisiting a single course throughout the year. Additionally, our student achievement level can vary widely from semester to semester, making it difficult to draw sound correlations between courses taught with and without Tablet PCs. This element has been discussed within our department, and will be studied further in Fall 2008, as the project director (Theresa Bolanos) will teach both sections of the second semester of General Chemistry. Although the evening students can vary substantially from the day students, it is hoped that one group will serve as an adequate control group.

Implementation (Technology) In the Physical Sciences, four faculty members are using tablet PCs in lectures. One faculty member is using Microsoft's One Note for presentations while all others are using PowerPoint. Using the Tablet PC's allows for a more active, relevant learning experience and one that allows students to become actively engaged, as they can download lecture notes prior to class. In the laboratory, Chemistry Faculty have utilized the Tablet PC's to help students obtain reference data on-line, view simulations of complex reactions, and, most importantly, learn to analyze and graphically represent data. Prior to this grant, our students were only introduced to graphical programs, such as EXCEL in General Chemistry II. Because of this grant, non-majors are now learning to successfully create and interpret graphical data, search for chemical and physical reference data, and can successfully locate science information on-line. In Physics, faculty are developing new laboratory activities that integrate Pasco science probes and the Tablet PC's. Our two astronomers are actively developing new curriculum to utilize the technology and currently use the Tablet PCs on weekly Stargazing Fieldtrips. In the General Chemistry Course, students research summer internship opportunities with the Tablet PCs and discuss their findings in discipline specific groups. The goal is to increase the number of students accepted into programs each year; we increased our numbers 100to a total of four students in accepted summer internship programs. This is an outstanding accomplishment for community college students who had no idea that these opportunities were available to them!

Impact on Teaching The goals of our project are simple: Integrate Active Learning into the physical science classrooms to increase student retention and motivate/encourage them to continue excelling in science and engineering. Tablet PC's are currently being utilized in the classroom, laboratory, field excursion, and independent projects. Our goal is to excite students and keep them active with student clickers, electronic science probes, simulations, and data analysis. With active learning student outcomes, we expected to reach our retention rate goal of a 10increase within the first two years, but need more time to complete a more thorough and controlled study. We have made improvements in our teaching and students are excited about learning in a more meaning and "modern" way . Additionally, we strongly encouraged our majors and non-majors to explore summer internship opportunities by incorporating this mini-research project into the curriculum. We reached our projected 100 increase in number of students (four in 2008 versus two students in Summer 2007) successful in obtaining a summer research experience. Other important project goals include formation of a more positive attitude to science, life-long learning and increase articulation of our community college students to a four year university. We are slowly working towards our project goals and will generate additional interest in active learning with HP Tablets by hosting a series of seminars on campus. Since we are starting at ground zero, our success will easily be recognized on campus. We are already the first (and only one) to have approved wireless connectivity. We hope our experiences motivate our administration to integrate and support technology more completely in our curriculum.

Impact on Student Learning One Year Ago - Our project is in the infancy stage. Our college has limited technology available to faculty and students, and our campus does not support wireless technology (until now!). At the introductory and majors level in almost all disciplines of physical science, City College students are intimidated with our science courses, and are doubtful they can succeed. Students are also unaware of the many resources and opportunities available to them; it is our hope that through in-class activities and exercises, students will find the intrinsic motivation needed to complete their science degree. Today - With the introduction of Tablet PC's into lectures, laboratories, field excurisons and student project work, physical science students are able to actively participate in class and definitely have a more positive attitude toward learning science. We have witnessed, firsthand, an overwhelmingly positive attitude toward science education, an increase in student self-esteem through collaboration and technology, and the development of life-long learning skills using the available wealth of information through technology. At least four of the Principal Investigator's community college students have invested in Tablet PCs; a definite sign that the students validate the usefulness and importance of Mobile Technology into the science curriculum! Many of our Physical Science Faculty are now veteran and campus leaders with the incorporation of real-time student response systems (clickers) and we have been successful in developing experiments utlizing PASCO science probes. Students are now involved in independent projects utlizing the PCs, and will further our cause as their work will most likely be incorporated directly into the general chemistry laboratory. Students in Analytical Chemistry used the Tablet PCs regularly for note-taking, problem-solving and data work-up (including simulataneous linear algebra senarios). More Faculty have participated in department and campus Tablet PC workshops, and more Physical Science Faculty are expected to more fully integrate the Mobile Technology into their curriculum. One Year From Now – We look continue to make our curriculum more exciting and technology-driven. We are beginning to get more creative in our utilization of the PCs and hope to explore a mutlidisciplinary projects between students in geology, astronomoy and chemistry to gather real field data (GPS, pH, temperature, astronomy, possibly forensics) and work as a team to evaulate the findings. We hope to increase the number of physcial science majors and increase retention rates/student success in General Chemistry Courses, as the technology integration makes learning more relevant, hands-on and exciting. Additionally, the active exercises will be the world to our classroom, and open the minds and stretch the imagination of our students. Through their discoveries, students will be encouraged to pursue learning outside the classroom, and result in an increase number of students successfully securing summer internships. We will continue to educate our students on their areas of study and provide them opportunities to research and seek meaningful summer internships. We hope to again increase our success rate of students accepted to summer internships by 100 to a total of eight students. The Principal Investigator is exploring ways to inspire at-risk middle school students and teachers during a week-long summer workshop. Funding options must be explored, and hopefully City College students can assist in the instruction of 10-15 middle school students. A new development in the project: Development of the first online Chemistry Course by City College Faculty. The Principal Investigator has undertaken this task ONLY because the Tablet PC will be an integral part of the curriculum, thereby creating a meaningful online courses in Chemistry. The online course will not only integrate Mobile Technology, but other programs such as Camtasia and Wimba will be used to offer a real-time online course with excellent simulations and real data. The PI will develop this course initially for nonscience majors, but will enhance instruction in the majors courses by creating online tutorials and real-time office hours for the diverse student population at City College.

Dr. Scappatici's Astronomy Students, setting up for Stargazing during Spring 2008 semester. The students transferred digital photos taken off-site and recorded observations on the HP Tablet PC. On using the Tablet PC's in Astronomy-Practice in Observing Course, Jerry Scappaticci states, "with the new telescopes and digital SLR cameras, the Tablet PCs complete our data analysis package for stargazing, especially offsite...I will be using the Tablet PCs more regularly from this point on! Thanks, HP! General Chemistry II Student, Everado, states - "I love the Tablet PC so much that I got a loan and bought my own. I use it to take notes and complete assignments in ALL my classes!" Laura, General Chemistry I Student - "Without these computers and EXCEL exercises, I would be like alot on my peers in Biology and have NO CLUE how to work up data! Thanks Dr. B!"

Quick Facts Dept: Physical Science (Chemistry, Astronomy, Physics, Physical Science, Geology, Geography) Courses Impacted: Introductory Chemistry, General Chemistry I & II, Analytical Chemistry, Astronomy, Physics, Internships for Chemistry/Biochemistry/Biomedical Majors. # Students Impacted: 200 # Faculty Involved: 6 This project is funded by a 2006-2007 HP Technology for Teaching grant.

Contact Us Theresa A. Bolanos, P.I. [email protected] 619.388.3642

References & Publication The Principal Investigator has made several departmental presentations about HP Mobile Technology, has presented a campus-wide workshop on Tablet PCs and student response systems. In early May 2008, our Astronomer presented phenomenal student generated digital photos (Saturn, etc) from our new telescopes and Tablet PCs to the Executive Committee (Chairs and Deans in the Science, Health and Behavioral Science Division at City College). The project has been recognized in the City Times (campus) Newspaper and continues to be advertised to our students as a major attraction to our program. We hope to have our Mobile Technology successes posted on our department webpage soon. Our students continue to be our best advertisement; they let their peers know of the great technology available in the Physical Sciences and the fact they we are only folks at City College enjoying wireless internet access. At least four of the Principal Investigator's Students have purchase Tablet PCs, after their use in chemistry courses; an excellent indicator of Mobile Integration Success!

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