Title: The USQ Tablet PC Project
1The USQ Tablet PC Project
- Birgit Loch
- Department of Mathematics Computing
- and Division of ICT
- University of Southern Queensland
- Birgit.Loch_at_usq.edu.au
- http//www.sci.usq.edu.au/staff/lochb
2Overview
- USQ context
- Journey from one to many tablet PCs
- What we do with tablet PCs
- New Camtasia software for lecture recording
- Alternatives to tablet PCs
- Examples
- What about the students?
- Preliminary outcomes
3USQ context
- Regional university, located in Toowoomba 130km
west of Brisbane. 2 smaller campuses - 27,000 students ¾ study in distance mode
- High percentage of low SES, mature age and part
time students - High emphasis on ICTs and online delivery
4Journey from one to many tablet PCs
- 2005 1 (maths)
- LT Grant 2006 7 (maths, stats, LT support3
for semester loan) - LT Fellowship S1 2009 additional 50 (all 5
Faculties, Library, LT support) - Extension of LT Fellowship into 2010student
tablet PCs
5USQ Senior LT Fellowship in 2009
- 50,000 100 teaching relief for 1 semester for
fellow Tablet PCs software - plus 120,000 All Deans, CTO, VC, Toshiba (in
kind) - Establishment of ICT policies and preferred model
- Recruitment targeted individuals and volunteers
- Training and ongoing support
- Community of Practice of Tablet PC users
- Research into impact of Tablet PCs on teaching
learning - Strategic direction Tablet PC University
6Evaluation
- Feedback
- Via email from face to face informal meetings
via the community site, eg forum posts regular
reflections - Four staff surveys
- Interviews
- Student evaluations, student access of material,
recordings
7Some Challenges
- ICT support, technical issues
- Uptake of new technology in time poor environment
- One person driving the trial what if
- They leave the university
- Drown under workload at end of teaching free
semester - Decide to focus on different projects
- sustainable approach distributive leadership,
champions, super users (LTPF project)
8What we do with tablet PCs
- Writing in lectures
- To replace need for whiteboard. Keeps record.
Distance students can see what was written in
class. - Recording lectures
- To provide a near on campus experience to
distance students. Caters for more learning
styles. To help students catch up on missed
class. Repeat play back benefits international
students. Mobile learning.
http//tinyurl.com/austms
9What we do with tablet PCs
- Marking assignments
- Electronic submission encouraged at USQ. Faster
feedback if marked and returned electronically. - Recording snippets
- Concepts identified as difficult are explained in
short recordings. Added to study material.
Responses to forum questions, emails.
10What we do with tablet PCs
- Recording individual student consultations in
mathematics/statistics support - Allows students to play back later. Reinforces
understanding. - Going wireless!
- Handing the tablet PC to students. Encourages
shy students or those without English as first
language to contribute.
11What we do with tablet PCs
- Running synchronous tutorials
- Web conferencing Elluminate Live, MSN Messenger
12New Camtasia software for lecture recording
- Beta trial in 2008
- Faculty trial in S1 2009
- Roll out across USQ in S2 2009
- For ALL computers that can connect to the USQ
server
13Alternatives to tablet PCs
- Pen-enabled screens (LTPF Project)
- Reducesneed fortablet PCsin class
14Alternatives to tablet PCs
15Alternatives to tablet PCs
- Ebook readers
- Faculty of Business trial
16Thermodynamics Andrew Wandell
- To be presented at AaeE conference in Adelaide
17Biodiversity Conservation Andy Le Brocque
18Programming Michael de Raadt
19Finance Peter Phillips
20Statistics, Christine McDonald
21The Library Kaye England/ Ranald Simpson
22Mathematics Trevor Langlands/ Birgit Loch
23Mathematics Birgit Loch
24Nursing maths Linda Galligan
25Nursing maths Birgit Loch
26What about the students?
- S1 2010 (VCs strategic funds, Fellowship)
- Multi-Touch net books
27Preliminary outcomes Tablet PCs in S1 2009,
general survey
Faculty/Division responses Successful users courses Tablet PCs
Education 3 2 2 3
Business 6 5 7 5 ( 2)
Arts 2 1 4 2 1
Sciences 11 10 12 2 5 ( 8)
Engineering Surveying 6 4 7 4 2 (2)
Library 4 3 3 1
total 32 25 35 17 8 (12)
- 18 new fellowship tablet PCs (1 spare)
- 8 new additional purchases
- 12 existing tablet PCs
- Approx 5,500 students taught with tablet PC in S1
Bold fellowship x additional new ( x)
existing
28The difference in perception of the need for a
Tablet PC in various disciplines
- Additional purchases in/after S1
- EngineeringSurveying, Sciences, Business
- No additional purchases
- Education, Arts
- Same training and support for all users
- Reasons Sharing practice? Level of computer
confidence? Quantitative nature of discipline?
Facultys political situation?
29Has your teaching approach (pedagogy) changed
- More collaborative
- Students are now more involved in contributing
- Freed from dot-point slides
- Yes. I appreciate how much students prefer having
you write - It has helped achieve my goal to close the 'soft'
information gap between on and off campus
students - Have based our class plans around the
socio-cultural method of peer-learning - I have become more visual in the way that I teach
- Not yet. No time to incorporate significant
changes
30What was your students attitude to your use of
the tablet technology?
- VERY POSITIVE, excited, impressed by the use of
this newer technology - They loved it
- Mostly positive but again marred by the fact that
I had a lot of technical difficulties - I asked and a couple responded to say they
thought the handwritten comments were helpful but
I suspect they would have found typewritten
comments just as helpful.
31Have you obtained unexpected results
- I thought the Tablet PC would be useful for
working through quantitative work. I did not
expect the more dynamic environment that it can
help to generate and I did not expect it would be
so useful for even the qualitative parts of the
course. - Yes, whilst we thought the Tablet PC would
increase student learning we were surprised by
how much the Tablet PC increased our own
engagement with technology. - In terms of how the use has invigorated my
teaching. For the first time in years I have
felt excited about my teaching and that is
reflected in how I interact with students. So
then they get excited