Rationale Our goal for this project is to explore the role of mobile technology in invigorating our physics courses by promoting active learning and real-time communication between students and teachers. We envision Colorado School of Mines students actively engaged in meaningful learning experiences, with instructors receiving real-time feedback about student understanding. We anticipate that mobile technology will soon advance to the point where all students will have portable, wireless computers that they bring to their classes. They will use these devices to maintain their notes and assignments; communicate their understanding and misconceptions to their instructors through real-time feedback, electronically submitted assignments and exams, participation in on-line forums, etc.; receive feedback, course information, and evaluations from their instructors; collaborate with their peers; and wirelessly access textbooks and other learning resources, including interactive ones.

Implementation: phase 1 At Colorado School of Mines, a premier institution of engineering education, we first explored the use of Tablet PCs to foster sophisticated, real-time communication between students and teachers (phase 1). We developed, continue to improve, and will freely share software that allows students to use the Tablet PCs to wirelessly exchange information with the instructor in response to open-ended questions requiring word answers, equations, graphs, etc. This real-time interaction between students and teachers enhances the active engagement of CSM students in their learning. Instructors receive immediate feedback on questions that probe misconceptions and comprehension, reinforce main concepts and problem-solving strategies, and encourage high-level thinking skills. This feedback increases student metacognition, guides instructors, and is well-grounded in educational research, as summarized by Bransford et al. (1). We experimented with this application in diverse settings, ranging from lecture to lab to field sessions formats, small (8) to larger (49) classes, students working individually or collaboratively in teams of 2-4, sophomore to graduate level courses, and practical to more theoretical subject matter. The materials exchanged in this real-time interaction have ranged from single word answers to complex Mathematica notebooks. (1) Bransford et al.

Implementation: phase 2 We are using our experiences in phase 1 as the foundation for our explorations in phase 2. Rather than continuing the model of distributing the Tablet PCs to the students when needed in a particular class, we issue a Tablet PC to each junior-level physics major for the entire semester and expect the students to bring the mobile technology to their common core of engineering physics classes (4 per semester). This not only eliminates class time needed for distribution of the hardware, but also promotes greater familiarity of the students with the Tablet PCs and their capabilities. Furthermore, with the Tablet PCs available to the students 24/7, it promotes greatly expanded incorporation of this technology into class assignments, peer communication, and other academic pursuits of the students. Six of the students targeted to receive a Tablet PC for the Fall 2005 semester agreed to volunteer their time and technological expertise to assist with the original configuration and imaging of the Tablet PCs. However, after enthusiastically meeting this challenge, they have greatly broadened their role and are serving as founding members of the Technology in the Classroom Committee (TICC). In their classes, they serve as liaisons between the technology and the users (both students and faculty), thus reducing instructor stress at the time of class delivery and opening expanded possibilities for the creative use of technology in teaching. This committee has also established and monitors discussion forums and a wiki site for the targeted physics courses, to promote communication among students and faculty outside of classroom boundaries. One future goal of this committee is to serve as advocates for effective use of technology to enhance teaching thoughout the campus community. This project has greatly benefited from the tireless efforts of the founding members of TICC: Luke Campagnola, Sidney Cox, Erich Hoover, Michael Hurowitz, David Murrell, and Thomas Wells.

Implementation: phase 3 Recently, we have further refined InkSurvey, a tool we developed to facilitate real-time communication in classes with tablet-equipped students (2). With it, an instructor can pose an open-ended question in class to probe student understanding. Students then compose their responses on the Tablet PCs, using text or digital ink (graphs, equations, sketches,etc.). As the instructor refreshes his/her webpage, student responses are display as they are submitted. This real-time formative assessment promotes active learning and metacognition by all students, even when class enrollment is large (tested to 65). Thanks to a generous grant from HP, we now maintain a server that enables instructors from any institution to use the InkSurvey tool in their own classes. Evaluation measures of the effectiveness of the InkSurvey tool in enhancing the learning experience are very promising (see below). 2. Enriquez et al.

Implementation: phase 4 Beginning in Fall 2008, we will expand the use of Tablet PCs to targeted chemical engineering courses at CSM.

Impact on Teaching and Student Learning In phase 1, students using the Tablet PCs for active learning experiences in their classes demonstrated significant learning gains in pre-test/post-test comparisons (3). We found it particularly effective to couple the classroom communication software we developed with the use of applets, which are readily available online and help students visualize a broad variety of difficult and/or abstract concepts. In phase 2, we used the following indicators of advancement in student learning: *content assessments integrated within each course, specifically designed to measure student understanding of the concepts explored using mobile technology. *monthly written assessments of the use of this technology by every junior physics student. *end-of-semester written student evaluations and individual or group exit surveys/focus groups specifically probing how learning gains of difficult concepts were achieved. *written faculty evaluations and focus group discussions facilitated by CSM's Center for Engineering Education. *attendance and drop rate data for junior physics students. We are currently analyzing the student attitudinal surveys administered during the 2005-06 school year. However, we can already offer the following emerging (unpublished) evidence in response to these questions: How would you rate the effectiveness of the Tablet PC as a classroom tool? 79 percent of students found them to be helpful to their learning. How effectively did the use of the Tablet PC enhance your understanding of physics? 74 percent of students found them to be helpful in gaining understanding of physics. In phase 3, our investigations have been guided by two fundamental research questions: Research Question 1: How is student learning affected when open-ended questions are used with Tablet PCs for real-time formative assessment in class? Research Question 2: How does this compare with learning from the standard lecture/homework problems paradigm? Data to address these research questions has been collected from a two-semester course sequence of electricity and magnetism for junior/senior level physics majors. From this, we see emerging a strong indication that using open-ended questions with Tablet PCs for real-time formative assessment in class yields solid student learning gains. These gains are significant by themselves and in comparison with those achieved in more traditional modes. These results are currently being prepared for publication. (3) Kowalski, Kowalski, and Campagnola

CSM physics majors P. Thanh and A. Hermundstad use a Tablet PC in the Advanced Physics Lab. Through this project, we anticipate that students and instructors, fluent in the use of Tablet PCs, will seamlessly use this technology to better visualize difficult and/or abstract concepts, identify and rectify misconceptions, and model scientific thinking. This will positively impact student learning in CSM's advanced-level engineering physics classes.

A Glimpse of InkSurvey

Quick Facts: CSM Physics Department Phase 1 involved 7 faculty members and impacted 307 students in 10 courses (Summer 04-Summer 05). Phase 2 involved 8 faculty members and focused on 62 students taking a common core of 8 courses (Fall 05-Spring 06). Phase 3 :one faculty member used the Tablet PCs with approximately 23 students in the summer 2006 session, 65 students in the spring 2007, and 60 students in the spring 2008. Additionally, in the fall 2006 semester, 22 faculty members used the Tablet PCs in their course instruction (one tablet classroom model); there were a similar number in the fall 2007. The Technology in the Classroom Committee (TICC) has involved 11 student members and 2 advisors. This project is funded in part by an HP Technology for Teaching grant. It has also received support from the CSM Physics Department and the CSM Office for Academic and Faculty Affairs.

CSM's Technology in the Classroom Committee founding members (from left) Thomas Wells, Erich Hoover, Michael Hurowitz, Sid Cox, Luke Campagnola, and David Murrell Contact Us We welcome your comments and questions! Please contact us at: Frank Kowalski [email protected] 303 273-3845 Susan Kowalski [email protected] 303 273-3121 The wiki (CSM's Physiki) and forums developed in association with this project are currently behind campus firewall protection and are not available for non-campus viewing.

Selected References & Publications Enriquez, A.G., Gunawardena, A., Kowalski, F., Kowalski, S., Millard, D.L., & Vanides, J. "Innovations in Engineering Education Using Tablet PCs: Panel Discussion with Four Universities." 36 th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference, San Diego, CA, 29 Oct. 2006. Available online at http://fie.engrng.pitt.edu/fie2006/ Kowalski, F.V. & Kowalski, S. E. "Using Tablet PCs for Content Enhancement and Real-Time Assessment in the Classroom." 10th Annual Teaching with Technology Conference, University of Colorado, Boulder CO, 10 August 2005. Kowalski, F.V., Kowalski, S.E., & Campagnola, L. "Tablet Computers Used for Teaching and Real-Time Assessment of Conceptual Understanding of Engineering Students." Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Conference, Portland OR, 14 June 2005. Available online at http://www.asee.org/acPapers/2005-2096_Final.pdf. Kowalski, F.V., Kowalski, S.E., & Hoover, E. "Using InkSurvey: A Free Web-Based Tool for Open-Ended Questioning to Promote Active Learning and Real-Time Formative Assessment of Tablet PC-Equipped Engineering Students." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Conference, Honolulu HI, June 26, 2007. Kowalski, F.V., & Kowalski, S.E. "Understanding and Overcoming Student-Based Difficulties When Transitioning from Multiple-Choice (Clicker) to Open-Ended Questions for Real-Time Formative Assessment." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Conference, Honolulu HI, June 25, 2007.

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