Teachers perceptions of palmtop technology in the classroom

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Teachers perceptions of palmtop technology in
the classroom

• Dawn Wheeler
• South Dartmoor Community College
• Steve Wheeler
• University of Plymouth

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• Teachers perceptions of new technologies are an
  important contributing factor to the successful
  adoption of ICTs into classroom practice

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• The introduction of wireless, handheld
  technologies to perform previously routine tasks
  (e.g. registration or assessment) can have
  profound consequences

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Some Issues

• Change brings Uncertainty
• Change brings Disruption
• New Technology is more Work
• Technophobia
• Technical Support
• Teacher-Student Digital Divide
• Duplication Myth of the Paperless Society

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Duplication

• Teachers are using a combination of digital
  handheld technology and paper based materials to
  keep records of attendance, delivery of homework,
  etc.
• I dont have any homework cos I wasnt here
  last week
• Important to keep track of students who received
  homework task

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Handheld Applications

• Examples for teacher use include
• entering data for assessments
• lesson planning
• teaching project-based units
• giving students step-by-step instructions.
• Teachers also can record assignments, attendance
  and behaviour patterns, which allows them to give
  immediate feedback on student progress to
  students and parents.

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Handheld Applications

• It also reduces the amount of papers to mark and
  the number of textbooks. A high school teacher
  estimated that one handheld computer replaces 35
  pounds of textbooks for an English class alone.
• Source webs.wichita.edu/2_13_2003_Palm_m130.jpg

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Research Design

• Informal pre-questionnaire data gathering
• 60 serving teachers as participants
• Short questionnaire (5 point Likert Scale)
• Factor Analysis to determine response groupings
• Possible follow-up interviews with participants
  selected randomly

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Informal Pre-questionnaire Data Gathering

• Positives
• Teachers excited about using the equipment
• Tapping a box on a screen better than placing a
  mark on a paper register
• The palmtop had a certain amount of kudos within
  the classroom
• Totally portable and lightweight

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Informal Pre-questionnaire Data Gathering

• Cover teachers have instant access to class
  register
• Palmtop brought a new parking system designed to
  take the pressure off teachers and HoDs

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Praise and Consequences
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Behaviour Management Tool

• Parking with Head of Department was not always
  successful
• Incidents of 6 or more pupils being parked with
  HoD not unheard of, resulting in great disruption
• Students were also being parked within corridors

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New Parking System

• Should students progress to a C3, the teacher use
  the palmtop to contact the Tor through email
• Teacher emails the Tor with classroom number,
  e.g. EN4 (English room 4)
• Copy in HoD and record is made
• Member of staff from the Tor comes to room to
  remove the student
• Zero confrontation and escalation

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Informal Pre-questionnaire Data Gathering

• Negatives
• Teachers nervous of making mistakes
• Damage to or theft of the device
• Only one week can be displayed Monday to Friday
  Duplication
• Cost?
• Technical support

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Questions

• Utility
• What does the palmtop enable teachers to do?
• What does it prohibit teachers from doing?
• What is the impact of palmtops on the school?

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Questions

• Agency
• What are the management benefits?
• What is the value added?
• How does the new technology affect
  student-teacher relationships?
• How does it transform teaching?

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Questions

• Transparency
• Ease of use How much cognitive effort is
  required to use the system?
• Does this effort change over time?
• Are there conflicts of use?
• How are problems of use overcome?

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Any Questions?

• Dawn Wheeler
• South Dartmoor Community College
• Steve Wheeler
• University of Plymouth
• www2.plymouth.ac.uk/distancelearning

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