NSTA 2011, San Francisco

NSTA 2011, San Francisco Drs. Mai Yin Tsoi, Julia Paredes, Richard Pennington, David Pursell, Joseph Sloop Georgia Gwinne> College School of Science and Technology

Study A: Use of iTouch in

Organic Chemistry Course  Videos  Flashcards  Student Surveys  Student Interviews  Class Quizzes

Study B: Development of App in

an Interdisciplinary Project

 Organic Class = client  Hiring of ITEC Class for project  Modeling real-‐world SoMware Development  App helps Organic students learn  Interviews / Surveys

School of Science and Technology

 GGC Vision and Mission  RaQonale/Literature Review  Timeline/DescripQon of Project Design  QuanQtaQve Results  QualitaQve Results School of Science and Technology

GGC Vision1 Ø  learning takes place con6nuously in and beyond the classroom Ø  innova6ve use of educa6onal technology Ø  integrated educa6onal experience that develops the whole person Ø  wellspring of educa6onal innova6on Ø  dynamic learning community Ø  faculty engagement in teaching and mentoring students Ø  innova6ve approaches to educa6on SST Mission2

. . . provides an innova?ve, engaging, outcomes-‐based learning experience for students in science courses . . . (charge from Dean Thomas G. Mundie) 1Georgia 2School

Gwinnett College Web page, http://www.ggc.usg.edu/about-ggc of Science and Technology Mission, http://www.ggc.usg.edu/academics/school-of-science-and-technology

School School of of Science Science and and Technology Technology

Adapt to Today’s Students To Make Chemistry and Biology Easier • Students o>en find Chemistry and Biology challenging • Learning is more 6ed to technology • Technology enhances learning experience IF used • Take the work load to the student, •  keep the busy work out of learning


Flashcards + Cellphone??? • Flashcards à memoriza6on • Repe66on is key! • Rare: carry flashcards everywhere • Common: carry cell phones everywhere! • Why not take advantage of the learning poten6al?!? School of Science and Technology

  Lower cost of ownership versus Laptops   Can expect access outside school   May lead to more “access” of material = more review/learning

  Small learning curve   MulQmedia   Higher moQvaQon, engagement, Qme on task

Sturgeon, J., T H E Journal, 2007, 34, 16-‐18. School of Science and Technology

“I always have my phone, now I always have my flash cards.” •  •  •  • 

Cell phone with PowerPoint Mobile Cards organized by text chapter Format of cards is flexible Provide students a semester worth of cards at beginning of term •  Encourage use during homework, problem solving sessions, and lab •  Phones not allowed on graded events School of Science and Technology

“Front”

“Back”

Ether example:


•  “seamless learning contexts”1 •  “one-‐to-‐one” learning2 •  Tailored to class needs •  preliminary empirical data: posiQve •  Access •  SoMware/hardware compatability •  Limited by Powerpoint issues Looi, C. et al. (2010) Mobilizing the Research. EducaQon Week, 29, 6, p 34, 36. 1

2 Banister, S. (2010) IntegraQng the iPod Touch in K-‐12 EducaQon: Visions and Vices. Computers

in the Schools, 27, 2, p 121-‐31


  Internal GGC Grant = $5000   Purchased 25 Apple iTouch devices   Distributed to 2 class secQons   Voluntary ParQcipaQon   Demographic Survey   Chemistry Amtude Survey (CAEQ)1   Surveys aMer each quiz   Interviews of selected 1. Dalgety, J. et al. (2003) Development of Chemistry Amtudes and Experiences students QuesQonnaire. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40, 7, p 649-‐668. School of Science and Technology

• No significant difference in quiz scores (only 2 of 12 available so far) • No significant difference in Chemistry AXtudes and Experiences (CAEQ scores) • Demographic data not analyzed yet

• Low number of students • Limited content resources • Quizzes not directly linked to iTouch resources • Usage not regulated/ documented • Steep learning curve – students AND faculty!

  Ages: 21 to 28 years old, self-‐selected   Allen: Asian male   Keith: Asian male   Dora: Caucasian female   Valerie: Caucasian female

-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Phung – Asian female   Brenda – Caucasian female   Ma> – Caucasian male School of Science and Technology



Summary – Cellphone Cards Users



Summary – iTouch Users Study Interviewee Purpose

Did/Did Not Use

General Comments

Necessity

Phung

Did Lots of personalizaQon

MulQ-‐ FuncQon, mobile

Thorough

Brenda

Did, Some personalizaQon

Uses all given resources

Efficient

Ma>

Did, Lots of personalizaQon

Saves Qme, minimize effort USED OWN iPHONE


Trends in Interviews   If technology supported learning/study style à USE   If learning style was not enhanced by technology à NO USE iTouch added “study purpose” to use   Study purpose affected how iTouch used


• Students enjoy using iTouch • Material accessed more frequently • Low n, low power = non-significant statistical results • Learning style/ purpose impacts use (or lack of) of mobile device






Drs. Mai Yin Tsoi and Sonal Dekhane


  Background and Results of Part I   ITEC 3870   CHEM 2211   Fundamentals of TsoiChem App   FuncQonal Groups

  QuanQtaQve Results   Quiz scores   Usability TesQng

  DemonstraQon of TsoiChem App School of Science and Technology

  Background:   InspiraQon: daughter’s iTouch experience   Dr. Tsoi’s goal: iTouch à learning tool

  Main objec6ve:   Will using a device like an iTouch be effecQve for learning a new skill?

  Hypothesis:   If a student learns a task on an iTouch hand held device, than they will have significantly be>er test scores and increased confidence on using an iTouch device for learning how to write Chinese characters.


1.)

2.)

3.)

4.) 1 h>p:// lingkuncheng.blog spot.com/ 2009/07/pracQce-‐ chinese-‐wriQng-‐ lite.html School of Science and Technology

Page one

Page two


Page three

  Number of parQcipants:110   Males:51   Females: 59   Age range:18 – 60+ years old   Ethnicity: all ethnic backgrounds parQcipated in this study   Owned a touch item: 51.8% of parQcipants owned a touch device


No significant differences in iTouch vs worksheet No significant differences in gender (regardless of iTouch or worksheet) No significant differences in ownership (regardless of iTouch or worksheet) School of Science and Technology

• No significance = iTouch comparable to pen/paper • iTouch = portable, multimedia, multi-function

More Exposure = More Learning POTENTIAL?

  Junior/senior level course   Goal: teach students how to implement SD in real-‐world projects   Project-‐based course – project can change each semester   Small enrollment   Mobile apps introduced 1st class meeQng School of Science and Technology

  Required course for majors in: Biology, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dental, etc.   Historically VERY difficult   Visual in nature – uQlizes spaQal, logical, abstract thinking   FuncQonal groups – difficult because of variety of representaQons School of Science and Technology

  Specific group of atoms à reacQons of molecule   Can be represented different formats   Students must be able to:   Recognize FG in all formats   Name FG   Adjust molecule name to reflect FG (future goal)


Amine

Ester

Alcohol

Textbook says: AMINE is But, these ALL are amines…

CONFUSI NG!

CH3CH2NHCH3

Scaffolded Learning   Immediate feedback   Self-‐ReflecQon HapQc Learning   MulQple Modes of Learning (audio, visual)   Extrinsic MoQvaQon   Shallow learning curve   Bloom’s Taxonomy (higher levels) School of Science and Technology

  3 Modes of Learning   PracQce It, Name It, Find It

  Friendly avatar   Tutorial screens, Help screens   Colors to differenQate / guide user   Visuals re-‐affirmed by color and sound   PosiQve visuals/sounds as rewards   Gentle encouragement when incorrect School of Science and Technology

  No staQsQcal difference – app vs. non-‐app users   à App users at least comparable to non-‐app users   App did not adversely affect learners’ scores   Need more data -‐ may indicate factors   HOW TsoiChem was used –   WHEN TsoiChem was used   HOW OFTEN TsoiChem was used

  Possible: App users = less Qme studying, but got same score, etc. School of Science and Technology

Ease of Use? Yes

No

Somewhat

8 7

7

4

4

3 1

1

1

PracQce

Name It

Find It


IS THE APP CLEAR? Yes 6

No

Somewhat

6

6

5 4

4 2

2

1

PracQce

Name It


Find It

HELPFUL? Yes No Somewhat

0

2

4

6

8


10

PRACTICE IT

NAME IT School of Science and Technology

FIND IT

• Pilot TsoiChem at other institutions • Continue refining/editing TsoiChem • Develop more chemistry apps • Acids/bases • Spectroscopy • Mechanisms

• Grants to support faster development

Dr. Mai Yin Tsoi [email protected] (678) 524-7992