PROJECT ABSTRACT The Engineering Technologies department is engaging students in active learning classes enabled by wireless tablet PC technology. Student engagement is showing note-worthy gains in the department certificate courses that are designed to be taken by high school students as well as traditional college students. Standardized test scores in applied math active learning courses were 19 percent higher than the traditionally taught courses. The courses are being taught for the first time in urban Memphis to students attending Middle College where 97 percent of students are low income. The courses will also be taught at the inter-city Memphis BioWorks Foundation as part of the Memphis Department of labor - Community Based Jobs Training Grant (CBJTG ) and the Memphis growing bioscience industry. Enrollment in the Electrical/Electronic Fundamentals certificate program has doubled from 300 to 600 since its inception in 2003.

Engineering Technology Techniques, ENTC1124 Implementation (pedagogy) The impact on student learning was very note-worthy. Two groups of an applied math course in the Engineering Technologies department were compared. The first group consisted of two sections that used tablet PCs to perform active learning exercises in class and the second group consisted of three representative sections that were taught traditionally. The tablet PC sections used Classroom Presenter and Ubiquitous Presenter. The average scores on standardized tests and the final exam were plotted on a bar graph and the average scores for the tablet group are noticeably higher than the comparison group. The average of the test scores for the tablet PC group is 19 percent higher than the average of the test scores for the comparison group. Similar comparisons were made in an electric circuits course. While this course was more complex than the applied math course and was still developing standardized tests, the results indicated that over time the tablet technology would improve learning. The average of all test scores for the tablet PC electric circuits group were 12 percent higher than the average of all test scores for the comparison group.

Implementation (technology) Beginning with the original grant, Power Point presentations and standardized tests were developed for ENTC1124, Engineering Technology Techniques, and active learning exercises were added to the presentations in the next term. The presentations have been used in all ENTC1124 courses beginning in the fall 2005 term and impacted 339 students. We implemented the 2006 grant with the web based Ubiquitous Presenter system an outgrowth of Classroom Presenter. Ubiquitous Presenter is a web based active learning system. In UP, the files for a given lecture - and student submissions - are collected together in directories and are easily downloaded, saved, and printed in order to grade and return to students. Review of classroom activities and student submissions online is easy.

Impact on Student Learning One Year Ago: Traditionally taught applied math course scores were low and student engagement in class was weak. Today: Active learning in Engineering Technology certificate courses is improving test scores 12 to 19 percent and preliminary results suggests that students are acquiring more effective learning styles. One Year From Now: Our goal is to expand active learning in our certificate and associate degree programs and to attract more low income inter-city high school students to Engineering Technology careers. Long Term Success: Attract a diversity of students into Engineering Technology Increase high school students earning diplomas and certificates to prepare them for careers or further ecucation Adapt to changes in the role of community colleges Strengthen industry partnerships

Quick Facts Department: Engineering Technologies Courses Impacted: Engineering Technology Techniques, Intro to Electrical/Electronic Technology, Electric Circuits I, Power Technology, Programmable Controllers Students Impacted: 176 students in active learning classes using Classroom Presenter/Ubiquitous Presenter and HP Tablet PCs, 29 Middle College High School students also enrolled in Engineering Technology certificate courses, 2 Middle College High School graduates were the first in Tennessee to also graduate with an Engineering Technologies certificate Faculty Involved: 10 faculty were involved teaching the target courses including Lisa Jones and Mike Northern This project was funded in part by an HP Technology for Teaching grant.

Impact on Teaching Two Years Ago: The Certificate courses were traditionally taught lecture courses The department long term goal is to transform teaching with technology Teaching Implementation Enhance traditional student engagement activities with technology (think-pair-share, experts-on-call, ticket to leave/exit slip) Develop Power Point presentations with learn-by-doing exercises and student engagement activities Deliver classes using Ubiquitous Presenter Expand fixed and mobile technology to all classrooms and campuses Conduct pilot projects and expand methodology Survey classes to evaluate the impact of active learning [1] The impact on teaching was very note-worthy. Statistics on classroom activities can be collected and student submissions can be graded unfailingly. Good statistics on class activities can facilitate improved teaching. Three active learning courses were taught using UP and tablet PCs in the spring 2007 term. In ENTC1124, Engineering Technology Techniques, there were nine lectures on UP and 191 student submissions. Two percent of the submissions were team submissions and 98 were individual submissions. Research shows that social interactions improve learning [3]. This course will be improved by better active learning exercises designed to promote team submissions and collaborative learning. In the spring 2007 term active learning was introduced in two courses in the Engineering Technologies associate degree programs. Statistics these courses indicate that more active learning exercises per lecture.

References & Publications [1] Price, Edward and Beth Simon. 2007. A Survey to assess the Impact of Tablet PC-Based Active Learning: Preliminary Report and Lessons Learned. To be published by the Workshop on the Impact of Pen-based Technology on Education. [2] Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., and R.R. Cocking (eds). 2000, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.

Dr. Greg Maksi, PI Contact Us PI: Dr. Greg Maksi Phone: 901-333-4158 Email: [email protected] Lead Instructor: Lisa Jones Phone: 901-333-4983 Email: [email protected] Lead Instructor: Mike Northern Phone: 901-333-4286 Email: [email protected] For more examples of the technology, refer to http://faculty.southwest.tn.edu/mnorthern/hpgrant.htm

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