A study of effective and best practice usage and implementation of tablet PCs in engineering education

Peter Thomas, 'A study of effective and best practice usage and implementation of tablet PCs in engineering education', BLiP, September 2016There are certain limitations with traditional presentational-style (‘PowerPoint’) lectures that must be addressed in order to improve the quality of lecturing and meet students’ expectations on lecture quality and experience. Tablet PC devices can offer a suitable compromise between the progressive style of delivery of traditional blackboard/overhead projectors, and the ability to deliver multimedia material in an integrated session. In this paper the effectiveness of a tablet PC in an engineering education setting is examined from the point of view of both lecturer/instructor and student. This is done via a survey of previous work, focusing on three key usage models: i) a device for lecture delivery, ii) a device for student study, iii) a channel for instructor-student communication, and iv) a device for productivity. From this the key benefits and limitations are identified with regards to suitability, functionality, and implementation. A series of best practice approaches are then devised to best implement tablet PCs into engineering education courses. Tablet PCs are shown to be very effective in creating active learning environments (ALEs) which are are beneficial in catering to more learning styles, improving engagement, and, subsequently, cognition and attendance.Peer reviewe

ACTS for distance education in developing countries

The need for electrical energy supply in the rural communities of developing countries has been well documented. Equally well known is the potential for photovoltaic in cost effectively meeting this need. A major impediment to fulfilling the need is the lack of indigenous personnel with a knowledgeof photovoltaic systems, and the associated infrastructure required to implement project. Various delivery schemes for providing the needed training to developing countries personnel have been investigated. Various train methods and programs that have been employed to remedy the problem have had significant drawbacks in terms of cost, consistency, impact, reach, and sustainability. The hypothesis to be tested in this project posits that satellite-based distance education using ACTS technologies can overcome these impediments. The purpose of the project is to investigate the applicability of the ACTS satellite in providing distance education in photovoltaic systems to developing countries and rural communities. An evaluation of the cost effectiveness of using ACTS unique technologies to overcome identified problems shall be done. The limitations of ACTS in surmounting distance education problems in developing countries shall be investigated. This project will, furthermore, provide training to Savannah State College faculty in photovoltaic (PV) systems and in distance education configurations and models. It will also produce training materials adequate for use in PV training programs via distance education. Savannah State College will, as a consequence become well equipped to play a leading role in the training of minority populations in photovoltaic systems and other renewables through its Center for Advanced Water Technology and Energy Systems. This communication provides the project outline including the specific issues that will be investigated during the project. Also presented i the project design which covers the participations of the various components of a network of institutions that is formed for optimal project execution. The expected results and project output, including plans for potential leverages and linkages to be derived, are also discussed. Finally, we point out possible extensions from this project and other related projects that could be initiated based on the experiences gained from the project

Helping Teachers Create a Dynamic Learning Environment Using Pen-Based Technology

[EN] There is evidence that Pen-based Technologies (PBTs) can facilitate radical changes that would make it possible to address problems typically associated with lecture-based pedagogical models. In the context of universitylevel Computer Science studies, there is widespread consensus that PBTs—and tablet PCs, in particular—are tools that have great potential for encouraging interaction in the classroom and promoting a far more dynamic learning environment. In view off the complexity of these types of technology and their explosive evolution, it would be advisable to assist teachers who wish to utilize them by developing strategies based on a conceptualization of their educational capabilities. With this objective in mind, this article analyzes the use of concept maps as tools for modeling both the instructional domain and the PBTs domain. To validate the proposed approach, a number of workshops were conducted, in which professors of Engineering were given a presentation on the educational capabilities of these technologies and then had the opportunity to experiment with tablet PCs and other digital ink devices. Participants completed a prequestionnaire at the start of the workshop; its questions were generated from a generic concept map for the instructional domain, and its purpose was to list each professor’s instructional requirements. Next, recommendations for use were developed, based on the PBTs concept map, and converted to the questions on a post-questionnaire completed at the end of the workshop, on which the teachers indicated the degree to which they agreed with the recommendations. More than 70 professors from different departments participated in these workshops, and their overall evaluation was quite favorable.Benlloch-Dualde, JV.; Buendía García, F.; Cano Escribá, JC.; Blanc Clavero, S.; Lemus Zúñiga, LG. (2013). Helping Teachers Create a Dynamic Learning Environment Using Pen-Based Technology. International Journal of Technologies in Learning. 19(2):107-120. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/53173S10712019