Combining Collaborative Workspaces with Tablet Computing: Research in Learner Engagement and Conditions of Flow
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| Audience/Grade: | College Freshman-College Senior |
| Discipline(s): |
Engineering Education Research General Engineering, Engineering Science Tablet PCs |
| Special Topic(s): | |
| Learning Resource Type: |
Reference - Educational Research Paper |
| Media Type: |
Audio |
| Author(s): |
Eric Hamilton |
| Description: | Abstract - This paper reports on efforts to blend tablet computers with collaborative workspace technologies. An underlying conjecture is that this blend, evaluated with support from Microsoft Research and the National Science Foundation, may help increase learner engagement substantially. The pedagogical logic is that if an instructor can effect a high volume of precise feedback experiences, engagement levels and learning will climb. The intervention needs to afford the teacher a vivid lens on learner processing, and to furnish learners with means to construct representations naturally but electronically. It would also need to furnish means to mediate the rapid flow of those representations and instructor responses to them. These design principles were met with two collaboration workspace technologies and a TabletPC, critical because it allows users to make handwritten representations as one would do with paper and pencil. Results show significant increases in learner engagement that resulted from the TabletPCs/collaborative software combination, based on paper and pencil measurements, electronic engagement measurements, and interviews of faculty and students. Citation: ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Session T3D, October 10-13, 2007, Milwaukee, WI. This paper won Best Paper Award. |
| Rating: |
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| Related Resources | |
| Keywords: | collaboration engagement PDA tablet computer flow group flow social dynamics |
| Usage Tip | |
| Related ABET Criteria: |
(k) Use modern engineering tools in engineering practice Engagement |
| Intervention(s): |
Active learning Collaborative/cooperative learning Performance assessment Software packages Use of Assessment Strategies |
| Use of Resource: |
This paper discusses an intervention in college engineering, physics and mathematics classes that relies on tablet computers, handwriting processing software (in this case, OneNote from Microsoft) and collaboration software that lets an instructor see what each student is doing at his or her computer (in this case, SynchronEyes from Smart Technologies). The data were taken from use of the approach in college calculus and differential equations courses. Our interest in this particular phase of research involves sustaining the engagement of learners in classroom activities. |
| Difficulty: |
Medium |
| Interactivity Level: |
Very low |
| Version Info | |
| Publication Date: | October 2007 |
| Platform/Format: |
WWW |
| Cost: |
Free |
| Download URL: | http://fie-conference.org/fie2007/papers/1650.pdf |
| Metadata: |
IEEE LOM Record |
| Collection: |
NEEDS
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