School Name: Victoria Junior College
Class: PCME combination class of 12 physics students
Profile of class: Coming from VJC most of the students are of strong academic quialities. In this class about a third is made up of IP students who having received victoria’s IP program for two years are well adapted to seminar style classes and willing to speak up and challenge assumptions. The rest of the class is made up of a few strong students and mostly average physics students by VJC standards
What ICT tools were used in the class: A tablet type device that utilizes a blue tooth dongle to allow a primary laptop, in this case the tutor’s fujitsu tablet computer to be connected to multiple devices. Each device comes with a stylus which can be used to write on the surface of the tablet. The device will send information of the written or drawn media to the primary laptop. The data that is received can be used by a host of programs, in this case Microsoft powerpoint was used. When a student writes or draws on the tablet surface, the information is immediately transferred to the projector via the primary laptop via powerpoint.
Describe how ICT is used for teaching and learning in the lesson: In traditional tutorials, when the tutor wants the student to present his work on the white board, perhaps to facilitate the student and the class to think about his reasons and thoughts when solving a problem, the student has to walk up to the front of the whole class and spend time using a marker to write out his steps then turn around to the class to explain what he has done. When using the tablet device, a student merely has to scribble what he wants the class to see, and since it is in real time, he is able to describe his thought process even as he is writing down his equations. This way, students are able to overcome their fear of facing the entire class, losing track of their thought process while writing equations on the white board. Futhermore, other students can use their own tablet device to modify or challenge the first student’s working or even provide and alternative viewpoint or argument. Thus in this class it was used as a tool to facilitate sharing of ideas and to encourage students to speak more freely than they would otherwise using traditional whiteboard-marker approaches.
General Observations:
1. I felt that this device though useful, is too costly to expand into large scale use. Each one costs $500 or more, which in today’s standard is equivalent to a lower capacity ipad which could in principle achieve the same goals and even more. For a class of only 12, having two students to one device is appropriate but not in a 26 student class.
2. However if each student were to be given one device, it would tremendously assist in their ability to respond in class swiftly in a clear manner. It also helps their metacognition because not only they but others can see and criticize and comment on their thinking.
3. The other teachers too felt that if the cost of the device was reduced it would be an invaluable too. Given the current refinement in screen technology perhaps even ipads or ipad lookalikes with the proper software could be reconditioned to serve this ICT purpose.
Hi Jay,
ReplyDeleteHaving observed the same tutorial, I will like to highlight that one other important point to note is the teacher's faciliating skills. Especially if it is carried out in an more active class where students might take the chance to modify or challenge the first student's work as it is being presented, maybe without even giving their classmate to finish his/her explaination since everything can happen concurrently. :) The feedback from other students needs to be given positively and sensitively. Or else it can be quite discouraging to learning altogether.
Hi Jay (and geraldine)
ReplyDeleteJust a quick question; is it technically possible to show all 12 students' workings simultaneously on the teacher's computer and do a "compare and contrast" - then it may avoid such senseless challenges
Hi Jay,
ReplyDeleteI guess the usage of such tablets is restricted to a defined room/lab in the school. Otherwise, the tutor has to loan such expensive equipment for different classes at different tutorial rooms. Logistic can be a problem.
But I agree that using tablets for students to present solutions is much better than getting them to come to the white board, especially when students are not comfortable of standing in front of a class of 25.
Hi Jay, I agree with Geraldine that the teacher's faciliating skill is very important in carrying out group discussion. Of course having high tech ICT tool like the tablets will bring alot of convenience to presentation of solution. I have observed a HOD faciliating the tutorial using group discussion. He knows how to manage the students in such a way that all the group members will contribute to the answers of the tutorial. He set a clear expectation that all students must prepare the solution before attending the tutorial. The students are comfortable with his tutorial style in the sense that they know he will be still around actively to monitor their learning by asking questions and will be there to clarify their doubts should the whole group be stuck with the problem.
ReplyDeleteHi Wanlin,
ReplyDeleteHmmm.. If I dont recall wrongly, only one tablet can be "in control" at a time. So technically yes, the different students' workings can be shown on the projector screen as long as they all take turns to write out their solutions and leave space for each other. But then again, that will take up too much time and in that way, not very feasible.
Hi Robert,
Oh no, the usage of the tablets isnt restricted to a defined room. Instead the tutor who wants to use it, will just have to sign out for the equipment and be responsible for it. The lab technican will be the one keeping tab.