Using a Tablet-PC to Provide Peer-Review Comments

This reports describes our initial exploration in using a Tablet-PC to provide peer-review comments in the first year Computer Science course. Our exploration consisted of an informal evaluation of how students write comments on other students assignments using three different methods: pen and paper, a Tablet-PC, and a desktop computer. Our ultimate goal is to explore the effect that interface style has on the quality and quantity of the comments provided

Vers un nouveau design d'audio-vidéo-cours à l'Université : " l'encre numérique ": Description du dispositif et première analyse d'usages

7 pagesInternational audienceThis article presents a new audio-video lecture design for University teaching and reports its impact on the students' learning process. The system is composed of an original lecture presentation tool (the Tablet PC), associated with an online workbook. The lecture is first saved, sequenced, and then uploaded in small parts in the different directories of the workbook. The students may then use its contents as much as they wish. This system was tested on relatively weak students in order to support the "Succeed your Bachelor's degree" plan. The test essentially focused on correlations with results on exams, and on how often the video sequences were watched and tracked their activity and navigation in the different parts of the workbook.Cet article présente un nouveau design d'audio-vidéo-cours dans le cadre d'un enseignement universitaire et rend compte de son impact sur l'apprentissage des étudiants. Le dispositif se compose d'un outil original de présentation du cours magistral (Tablet PC) associé à un cahier de textes en ligne. Le cours est enregistré, séquencé et déposé dans l'arborescence du cahier de textes. Les étudiants peuvent alors consulter son contenu autant que de besoin. L'évaluation de ce dispositif entre dans le cadre du plan " Réussite en Licence ". Elle s'appuie sur les résultats aux examens et sur la fréquence de consultation des vidéos et un suivi (tracking) précis de la " navigation " dans les différents contenus du cahier de textes en ligne

Instructor Use of Tablet PCs in a College Pre-Calculus Course: Implementation & Assessment

A group of six math instructors used tablet PCs to teach their individual sections of a high enrollment gateway Pre-Calculus course in a diverse urban four-year college. Student performance in the experimental sections were compared to those in 31 other sections in terms of student retention, pass rates, and score on the department-wide standardized final exam. Student performance was higher in Tablet PC sections across all three measures, although in some cases the improvement was not substantial enough to improve students’ overall course grades. Surveys of students and faculty in classes using a Tablet PC reflected overall positive impressions of the technology’s use in mathematics classrooms

Pervasive Computing in Classroom Environments and Applications

Pervasive computing is an advanced computing paradigm which makes computing available everywhere and anywhere. It allows users to interact with computers. Such computers can exist in different forms such as laptops, tablets, a pair of glasses (wearable computers) and clothes or wearable fabrics that are sensor-embedded. It is essential to explore the different applications of pervasive computing to learning in classroom environments, in order to foster learning and promote well-being among students. One of the problems currently confronting some developing countries is a lack of adequate facilities to support proper learning in classroom environments. This has had a negative impact on the performance of students at various levels of educational learning. In this paper, a review of current trends, future trends and applications of pervasive computing was explored, particularly with respect to classroom learning environments, and a generic model of pervasive computing technology was proposed for adoption in classroom learning environments of developing countries, particularly the Nigerian tertiary institution’s classroom learning environment

Using pen-based computers across the computer science curriculum

This paper describes our use of pen-based electronic classrooms to enhance several computer science courses. After presenting our motivation for undertaking this work, and its relevance to the growing interest in using tablet PC's in the classroom, we present an overview of our use of this technology to engage students during class. Finally, we present the students ’ reaction to the approach as measured through attitude surveys and a focus group

The mobile information access experience - A user perspective

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Mobile technologies, such as mobile phones, smartphones and Palmtop computers, are in an upwards trend and earliest models of such devices are already available to end-users to communicate and access multimedia content on-the-move. As a logical outcome of this development in mobile technologies and devices, content provider companies have already started investing and piloting mobile multimedia content distribution and broadcasting technologies. Nevertheless, no matter how cutting-edge technology is and no matter how stylish the mobile devices are, the ultimate success of wireless communication technologies and devices are directly associated with the user adoption and embrace of these new equipment and technologies. In this perspective, since multimedia content, for mobile or not, is ultimately produced for the education and/or enjoyment of viewers, the user's perspective concerning the presentation quality is surely of equal importance as objective Quality of Service (QoS) technical parameters, to defining distributed multimedia quality. In order to comprehensively understand user experiences whilst accessing information using mobile devices and technologies, we investigate user-mobile device interaction and look into the surrounding issues in a uniform manner by combining multiple aspects: user initial device experience (Out-of-Box Experience), mobile information access in a real-world context, device impact on user information access and perceptually tailored multimedia content impact on user information assimilation and satisfaction. Accordingly, an extensive experimental investigation has been undertaken to see how user experiences varied based on device familiarity, device type, real-world context and variable locations. The findings has shown that the overall perception, and effectively the user information access experience, is affected and improved when multimedia content is tailored according to user device type and context. Thus highlights that the future of mobile computing necessitates two-faceted research, which should combine both a user as well as a technical perspective