Research and Development Seminar

By Henry & Ansu Badenhorst

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Campus Seminar: Viva le Tablet

Pretoria 12 June 2013

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INTRODUCTIONPresenter: Henry Badenhorst

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“Cant I just email you a link to my blog, miss?”

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4Before CTI?

1. Educational aid worker in Somalia.

2. TEFL - Oman, Sudan, Taiwan and China

3. High school teacher in South Africa.

4. ICT facilitator with Learnthings Africa -

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What do I do @ CTI?

• English lecturer for both Business and IT departments – Higher Certificate program.

• Semester 1: Academic English.• Approximately 300 students (7 groups).• Group numbers vary between 40 and 50.• 24 Teaching hours per week.• Used Tablet for entire semester 1 module.

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6Methodology

Areas of Tablet utilisation:

1. Pre-loaded subject related digitised content – Study Guide

2. Placement of learning material on student server.3. Transfer (viaBluetooth/Wi-Fi Direct) of learning

materials4. Free applications – Google Play Store5. Research6. EWP

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71. Digitized content

• Study Guides in digital format (soft copy) were uploaded onto the Tab.

• Students did not receive a hard copy. Part of our “save the trees initiative”(branch-by-branch)???

• E-books and Digital Study Guides helped students to have a centralised point to access all their materials.

• My course did not require any E-books.

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2. Student server uploads

• All digitized materials students needed, were uploaded onto the student server (LAN).

• Students have access to this server and could copy and paste all materials from this server onto the ‘hard drive’ of their tablet.

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Student server uploads

• Students had administrator rights or access. (Accidental cut & paste)

• Had to negate their administrator privileges. • Further uploads had to be sent via e-mail to

the IT Department, who alone could upload materials.

• This process prevented quick uploads and caused frustration for me.

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Solution: Bluetooth

Lecturer’s limited access to LAN to upload

• What was the alternative to make learning materials available to my students?

• Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct became an apparent solution

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3. Bluetooth

Alternative utilisation for Bluetooth: When the following conditions exist:1. Projector = absent or not working2. Teacher preferred Methodology =

PowerPoint presentations Solution: Blue-tooth & Wi-Fi Direct becomes

alternative tool to distribute PPT presentation and allowing students to follow.

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12Bluetooth

Steps1. I would transfer the PPT or relevant materials

to my Tablet (e-mail/PC to Tablet via USB).2. 5 minutes before the lecture, I would Blue-

tooth it to some students, who would pass it along to the back of the class.

Drawback: Time consuming, (large class sizes)

BUT a good alternative in the case where projectors are not available.

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134. Google Play store applications

• Google play Store can be used to download and install useful applications.

• I found an offline English Dictionary and requested students to download and install it.

• Even if students don’t have a hard copy with them, they can still easily access the meaning of words and terminology without having to carry…..a dictionary weighing half a ton with them.

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14Other Applications

• Word Processing – King Soft Office (instead of Polaris Office)

• Camera: Students can take screenshots of important information on whiteboard or web info.

• Socrative: student response system that empowers teachers to engage their classrooms through a series of educational exercises and games via the tablet. (still to implement)

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155. Research

• The students had to conduct research my academic essay.

• The Tablet enabled each and every student to conduct research, provided they had access to Wi-Fi.

• The Tablet also enable students to download documents related to their research, and store them in My Files for later use.

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166. EWP

• Academic English Assignment 1 = 25 online grammar assessments.

• The Tablet enabled students to access their EWP accounts and progress with the online assessments, at their own pace, provided they had access to Wi-Fi.

• Students were thus given an additional method of completing their assessments without having to rely solely on the desktop computers in the Resource Centre.

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17Findings

Useful tool for:

1. Viewing and storing Digitised content2. Transfer of documents (via Bluetooth or Student

server)-makes learning material available to students3. Educational applications available through Google

Play Store.4. Completing EWP assessments anywhere anytime.5. Research for academic assignments.6. Word processing

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18Conclusion

• Tablet is a very useful tool• Uses include: Research, E-books, transfer & storage

of digitized content and increased communication between student and teacher (internet access)

• Risks for abuse do exist (Gaming & Pornography). May in fact divert their attention from study area).

• The real Question remains: What do the students actually use the Tablet for?

• NOT: What we would like them to use it for?• How can we motivate them to use the Tablet for

educational purposes?

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19Recommendations

1. Connectivity: More & improved Wi-Fi access points (especially in Resource Centre to ensure maximum application).

2. Student awareness training regarding practical advantages and positive uses, as well as the possible dangers and risks (Pornography & Games)

3. Theft of Tablets remains a concern and a risk. Awareness training possible solution.

4. Teacher Training: To improve skills and knowledge how to use the Tablet as an educational tool.

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20Which Tablet?6/11/2013


21Samsung Tab 10.1

• Samsung Tablet shortcomings:• No stylus or keyboard (hardware).• Complicates writing e-mails and word

processing.• No SIM card slot. • Limited to Wi-Fi access to internet.• Limited 16 GB storage space

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22Alternative

Asus Transformer Prime

• “Best full-featured Android tablet” - C-Net• Hybrid: Prime connects to an optional

keyboard/dock transforming it into what is essentially an Android laptop.

• Lightweight and thin• Sim card slot for internet access• 32 GB storage space

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23Active

Collaborative

Constructive

Authentic

Goal directed

4

4

3

4

4Current Level of Technology Integration in your

class

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24Code breaker

• Goal directed = 4: I provide my students with opportunities to use technology tools to set goals, plan activities, monitor progress and evaluate results throughout the curriculum.

• Authentic = 4: I allow my students to select appropriate technology tools to complete authentic tasks across disciplines.

• Constructive = 3: I create opportunities and allow my students to select and modify technology tools to assist them in the construction of understanding.

• Collaborative = 4: I create opportunities throughout the day, across subject areas to use technology tools to facilitate collaborative learning

• Active = 4: I empower/encourage students to select appropriate technology tools and to actively apply them to tasks.

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25The future?

• Dakar, Senegal• World's first tablet

cafe.• Benefit areas where

there are frequent power cuts and exorbitant electricity bills.

• Most people cannot afford to buy the devices.

• Sounds like SA?

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26The end6/11/2013

Research and Development Seminar

Documents

Transcript of Research and Development Seminar