Lessons from a Tablet Learning Community at the University of Kansas Libraries

Slides and handouts from presentation at the Kansas Library Association (KLA), College and University Libraries Section (CULS) Spring Conference, Oread Hotel, Lawrence, KS, April 28, 2017.Technology continues to transform the way library users find, access, and use information. The use of tablets and other mobile devices for educational purposes has soared since the iPad was introduced in 2010. Faculty and students increasingly connect to library provided electronic content through mobile devices. This trend demands that academic librarians be proficient in the use of mobile technology if they are to be effective in supporting the research needs of the university community. The presenters organized a yearlong Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) in the University of Kansas Libraries in order to assist librarians build proficiency in using tablet devices and to explore the potential application of tablets to various types of library work. Through discussion sessions, assigned tasks, reflective journals, and a survey, participants documented and shared their experiences of learning how to use their tablets and how they applied tablets to work related tasks. Data and feedback about tablet usage and experiences were collected from three main sources: 1) participants’ online journals; 2) CLC meeting notes; and 3) a formal survey, which was administered at the end of the project and aggregated participants’ experiences across a series of data points, including usage patterns, benefits, technical issues, perceptions, and specific applications. This presentation will discuss our findings and offer recommendations for incorporating tablets into library work flow

The impact of an iPad-supported annotation and sharing technology on university students' learning

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd iPads, or more generally tablet computers, have received rapid and widespread uptake across higher education. Despite this, there is limited evidence of how their use affects student learning within this context. This study focuses on the use of a tablet by the instructor to support the annotation and in-class sharing of students' work to create a collaborative learning environment within a first year undergraduate subject. This paper reports the results of an empirical study looking at the effect this tablet technology has on student performance using a sample of 741 first-year accounting students. The study uses data from enrolment and attendance records, end of semester examination results and student perceptions from a survey. Results indicate that class sharing of the instructor's and students' annotation of homework through the use of a tablet is associated with an improvement in student performance on procedural or equation-based questions as well as increased student engagement. However, contrary to expectations, the introduction of in class annotations was associated with a decline in student performance on theoretical, extended response questions. The authors argue that affordances of the tablet, when used in a student-centred way, can introduce a bias towards some kinds of interactions over others. This large-scale study of in-class tablet use suggests that though the tablets may be positively associated with student engagement and satisfaction, caution must be exercised in how the use by the instructor affects the classroom environment and what students learn. These findings have particular relevance to university learning contexts with equation-centric subjects such as those in Business and STEM

Engaging with maths online - teaching mathematics collaboratively and inclusively through a pandemic and beyond

This case study details several concrete approaches to integrating the use of student-loaned iPads in the teaching of mathematics in Higher Education. Although there is a scarcity of rigorous studies into the efficacy of tablet devices for improved educational outcomes, previous case studies have argued that tablet devices, if used, should be integrated into the whole learning experience. The mathematics teaching team at Middlesex University have developed an inclusive digital pedagogy over the last five years that enabled us to effectively respond to the remote teaching imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic by loaning iPads to all students on specialist mathematics programmes. As we begin the return to campus we continue to integrate these devices into our teaching to address the observed “digital divide” in Generation-Z students which is characterised not by access to smart devices but by the digital skills to use them as effective learning tools. This is particularly relevant at Middlesex University which is disproportionately affected by digital poverty amongst its student population. We discuss the use of virtual whiteboard apps, the necessity of handwritten mathematics, the rich integration of multimedia content, persistent collaborative “problem solving spaces”, and how a common hardware platform allows for varied and equitable inclusive assessment. We also report the results of students’ surveys of iPad use during the remote-only 2020-21 academic year

Engaging with Maths Online - teaching mathematics collaboratively and inclusively through a pandemic and beyond

This case study details several concrete approaches to integrating the use of student-loaned iPads in the teaching of mathematics in Higher Education. Although there is a scarcity of rigorous studies into the efficacy of tablet devices for improved educational outcomes, previous case studies have argued that tablet devices, if used, should be integrated into the whole learning experience. The mathematics teaching team at Middlesex University have developed an inclusive digital pedagogy over the last five years that enabled us to effectively respond to the remote teaching imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic by loaning iPads to all students on specialist mathematics programmes. As we begin the return to campus, we continue to integrate these devices into our teaching to address the observed “digital divide” in Generation-Z students which is characterised not by access to smart devices but by the digital skills to use them as effective learning tools. This is particularly relevant at Middlesex University which is disproportionately affected by digital poverty amongst its student population. We discuss the use of virtual whiteboard apps, the necessity of handwritten mathematics, the rich integration of multimedia content, persistent collaborative “problem solving spaces”, and how a common hardware platform allows for varied and equitable inclusive assessment. We also report the results of students’ surveys of iPad use during the remote-only 2020-21 academic year

Do mobile learning devices enhance learning in higher education anatomy classrooms?

Recently there has been an increased volume of research and practice of mobile Learning (mLearning) and in particular of the tablet device. The question of how, when and where to best incorporate the tablet device into the learning environment in Higher Education remains largely unanswered. The article presents the findings of an empirical study that examined the effect of integrating mobile learning tablet devices into first year University anatomy seminars in a group of Sport and Exercise students. Data on student achievement, attendance and feedback was collected over two academic years and two cohorts, comparing seminar groups taught with tablet devices (iPads) integrated with traditionally taught anatomy seminars. The results indicate that the iPads had a positive effect on attendance, achievement and progression, highlighting the need for a framework as to how the tablet should be incorporated to maximise the learner experience. This article offers insight into the implications of successful mLearning using tablets and into how we, as educators might use the tablet device as a tool to provide a more engaging, successful learning environment which positively impacts on student achievement and independent truly mobile learning outside of the classroom

Do mobile learning devices enhance learning in higher education anatomy classrooms?

Recently there has been an increased volume of research and practice of mobile Learning (mLearning) and in particular of the tablet device. The question of how, when and where to best incorporate the tablet device into the learning environment in Higher Education remains largely unanswered. The article presents the findings of an empirical study that examined the effect of integrating mobile learning tablet devices into first year University anatomy seminars in a group of Sport and Exercise students. Data on student achievement, attendance and feedback was collected over two academic years and two cohorts, comparing seminar groups taught with tablet devices (iPads) integrated with traditionally taught anatomy seminars. The results indicate that the iPads had a positive effect on attendance, achievement and progression, highlighting the need for a framework as to how the tablet should be incorporated to maximise the learner experience. This article offers insight into the implications of successful mLearning using tablets and into how we, as educators might use the tablet device as a tool to provide a more engaging, successful learning environment which positively impacts on student achievement and independent truly mobile learning outside of the classroom

The Pedagogical Value of Mobile Devices and Content-Specific Application Software in the A&P Laboratory

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pedagogical utility of mobile devices and content-specific application software in the Anatomy and Physiology laboratory. Four core topics were examined: Tissues and Integument, Skeletal System, Muscle System, and the Heart. Five lab instructors were involved; each instructor taught one “experimental” lab section where students used mobile devices with histology and anatomy apps, and taught a second “control” lab section in which students used their lab manuals. The experimental students’ metacognitive responses were measured via exit surveys; the instructors were also surveyed and interviewed. Using a Likert-type scale we analyzed the student response, which indicated that overall the students reacted positively to the digital technology in the lab, felt that this modality was effective in motivating them to learn the subject matter, and considered the apps to be more effective as a learning tool than the lab manual

The Use of iPads in the Literacy Learning of Students with ADHD

This research explores the use of literacy learning with technological devices with students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this research was to implement technology in the classroom more efficiently in literacy instruction and to make sure students with diverse needs are reached through learning with technology. Data were collected for this study over a period of six weeks of six sessions using semi-structured interviews, observations notes, and student retelling notes of one on one tutoring sessions. Data were analyzed to see if technology impacts student engagement and comprehension while reading

An Alternative Undergraduate Teacher Preparation Program: A Comprehensive One-to-One iPad Initiative Model

To date, little literature has been published on how an alternative undergraduate teacher preparation program infuses mobile devices such as the iPad and its applications, model classrooms, and a high-tech computer lab to prepare teacher candidates. Preparing teacher candidates to generalize technological skills is most effective when it is hands on, using the varied devices and support available to them. Meaningful instruction, application and maintenance of technological usage is the key to 21st century teaching and learning but it will not occur without a designed plan of action or model. This article focuses on the prominence of the use of iPads for teacher candidates in higher education and its potential impact on the learning of students with varying backgrounds and abilities in public schools. Further, it provides conceptual, systematic, comprehensive, and ready-to-use three phases of an existing one-to-one iPad initiative model at a southeast institution of higher education in the United States of America. Keywords: iPads in Higher Education, Mobile Learning, Pre-service Teachers, Teacher Candidates, Alternative Teacher Preparation Progra