|
Project Abstract
In order to facilitate, increase and improve the learning process
of our students and to involve the use of the HP mobile technologies,
we have the active collaboration of twelve professors (in ten courses
with a total of 500 students) for adjusting and adapting the curriculum,
the pedagogical and didactical strategies, the activities that will
be developed by the students and the evaluation of three courses of
digital systems. |
 |
|
Principal Investigator's
Ing. FRANCISCO VIVEROS
email address: fviveros@javeriana.edu.co
Names of faculty directly involved in the project
Gloria Marciales
María del Mar Ruiz
Alejandra González
Jorge Sanchez
Tatiana Aparicio
Luisa García
Lady Pinillla
Martha Cano
Briana Erazo
Alejandro Forero
Jose Luis Uribe
Cohort: 2006 |
 |
IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING
The design processes for the final projects
were really successful, this situation showed that all the groups
came to a similar level and reached the target of the courses. The
methodology of the courses promoted the development of digital design
skills, which are oriented to the professional career. Among others,
these skills are:
- Understand the requirements of the design
- Give solutions
- Understand the solutions of others
- Construct: to be able to design, and to describe in a language
and to validate
Through the projects, the students have developed their communicative
skills; for example, now they are writing professionally so other
persons like partners or clients can understand the proposed solutions.
Finally, through these activities they are able to argue their solutions.
At the end of the semester the students evaluated their experience
specifically, they took these factors into account: motivation,
collaborative work and learning process. Additionally the students recognized which the positive and negative
aspects were (during the semester).
The table 1 presents the characteristics associated with the qualification
of the learning, obtaining an average of evaluation of 8.6/10:
| QUALITATIVE |
% Occurrences |
| Academic Aspects |
| They got major clarity in the
concepts for its practical application in the classroom thanks
to the TABLET |
42,30% |
| The teacher's explanations helped
in the solution of doubts |
26,92% |
| Major access to information due
to the TABLET PC |
11,54% |
| Due to the mobile technology,
it was easier to present the student's works and to confront
them with the opinion of their classmates. |
11,54% |
| Aspects related directly to
the PC |
| It facilitates capture of notes |
54,55% |
| It improves the use of the time |
18,18% |
| It facilitates the subject study
|
18,18% |
| It simplifies tasks |
9,09% |
Table 1. Learning
The students evaluated their motivation during the semester obtaining
an average of 9.0/10 and the characteristics that they associated
with this qualification are showed in table 2.
| QUALITATIVE |
% Occurrences |
| Participation in class:
The classroom and the TABLET PC generate expectations and motivation
to be present in class. The assistance improves. |
26% |
| Utilization of time in class:
The use the tools in the classroom allowed: rapid explanations
of doubts, rapid access to information, to observe concepts
in the practice, to show ideas to others. |
36,5% |
| Role of the student: The
mobile HP technology allowed major participation, major interaction
with the group, conscious work, and fulfillment of responsibilities. |
16,5% |
| Practical aspects:
The TABLET PC improves the taking notes activity and it easies
to share, to send and to receive the notes. |
21% |
Table 2. Motivation
|
The collaborative learning received a qualification of 8.7/10.
The students have given importance to the contribution in the interactions
established among classmates, taking into account the diversity
of strengths, and the interactions with the teacher; this explained
the participation increase. Some of them discovered the relevance
of the teamwork through such interactions, and in general they experienced
a climate of collaboration and respect among participants. The table
3 shows the characteristics that the students have associated with
the qualification of this factor:
| QUALITATIVE |
% Occurrences |
| Interactions: Increase
of participation in class, major interaction teacher -student,
and among groups, the interactions allow to know different points
of view, and to discover the importance of being part of a group. |
68,63% |
| Processes communicative:
effective communication and the information is shared rapidly;
it is useful for receiving suggestions of the teacher and explanations
of doubts |
27,45% |
| Proved reached:
it improves the way of working in a group and the productivity |
3,92% |
Table 3. Collaborative Learning
Finally the students evaluated the positive and negative aspects
of the experience. In the table 4 are observed the academic aspects
emphasized positively by the students.
| QUALITATIVE |
% Occurrences |
| It was easy to see practical application
of concepts thanks to the simulators installed in the TABLET
PC |
20% |
| Improved participation in class |
17,5% |
| Immediate Feedback: solution of
doubts and mistakes thanks to the facility of communication
that allows the mobile HP technology |
15% |
| Easy access to information by
the TABLET PC |
15% |
| Collaborative work: to share information
by means of the PC TABLET. |
10% |
| Academic performance improves |
15% |
| Allows efficient work thanks to
the process optimization in classroom because of the TABLET
PC |
5% |
| Development of design skills |
5% |
Table 4. Positive and Negative Aspects
On the other hand the students emphasized practical aspects favored
by the mobile HP technology, table 5.
| QUALITATIVE |
% Occurrences |
| Software installed in the TABLET
PC facilitates the work |
29,73% |
| Taking notes is easy because of
the active screen |
27,03% |
| The TABLET PC offers tools that
facilitate the elaboration of class work |
16,22% |
| Easy use of the TABLET PC |
10,81% |
| Contact with technology |
8,11% |
Table 5. Practical Aspects
Finally the students present negative aspects, table 6.
| QUALITATIVE |
% Occurrences |
| Personal aspects |
| The Internet access generates
distraction |
40% |
| It is difficult to work with notes
out of class |
25% |
| We were not used to work with
these tools |
5% |
| It is not easy to get organized
notes when writing on the TABLET PC |
5% |
| It is necessary to have a computer
for studying |
5% |
| Didactic Aspects |
| We are not taking full advantage
of the tools |
5% |
| It is not easy to take notes on
a traditional way |
5% |
Table 6. Negative Aspects
|
IMPACT ON TEACHING
José Luis
Uribe Aponte
- First, the sessions are composed mainly of a magisterial presentation
based on slides. However, with HP TABLET it is possible to make
changes “on Live”, or make templates for solve exercises
step by step, for showing the students the process and not only
the result; this is very important, since my class is the base
for the next courses. In the other hand, the possibility to make
annotations in the journal and to send them to the students later,
give them the opportunity to focus in the explanation and not
in taking notes.
- Second, one problem that have the classic magisterial session
is the impossibility for making a simulation or corroborate in
a practical way the theory exposed. With HP TABLETS it is possible
to make a practical example and not a presentation of an example.
For instance, with software Quartus II, it is possible to simulate
interconnections of logic gates, and to evaluate a truth function,
that allows to probe an exercise or a design, developed by the
student.
- Third, by having access to Internet, it allows to show complex
interactive examples or navigate in searching more specific information
through the Web. In this case, it is possible to search datasheet
components or application notes.
|
Luisa Fernanda
García Vargas
-
The students can share the developed works using the video
beam and since they do not have to copy in the board saving time
of the class.
- By using Internet they have access to processor's and component's
specifications and data sheets in order to study and to compare
the information found among them.
- The student can do practical examples using the PCSIM simulator
and programming in C, using his own computer and comparing the
results with those of his classmates.
|
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
José Luis Uribe Aponte
- The technology allow the students to have an interactive learning
process. In first instance, they have a repository that they can
access through the Blackboard Platform, where they can find, and
review slides, interactive examples, simulations, papers, etc.,
on the classroom; also, they can show to the class through the
HP TABLET, their advance in the homework or their doubts so they
do not waste time in deploy their advance.
- Complementing the first answer, by taking notes in the journal
or in the slides, it allows to have a logbook very complete and
organized for each session and even bring up to date in case of
missing a session.
- With respect to the software that I use it is mainly the following:
MS Power Point to make presentations, Quartus II to simulate basic
examples, Dev C++ to develop programming of simple projects, and
Windows Journal to take notes.
Martha Lucia Cano Morales
- I can see students reactions (if they understand, if
they do not), since I am looking at them and not looking at the
board
- I have access to components' datasheets in real time. Those
help students to get a better understanding of their functioning
and we can find the answer to some doubts immediately.
- I don't have the markers' dust all over my hands, my clothes
and my face. That makes me happy and I think it's reflected it
the class mood. (I'm kind of allergic to that dust).
- I can put on line exercises and the students can download
them in class, with no need to print them, and saving time.
|
Luisa Fernanda García
Vargas
- Simulations in PCSIM
- Analyze the processors developed in Quartus II
- Use the Blackboard® platform to develop home works, to
share information and to solve quices
- Share the project design developed by each student
- The teacher uses the TABLET to write, to save the subject and
to make the history of the subject reviews.
- The following Software is being used : PCSIM, Quartus II, BlackBoard,
Windows Journal, Visual C++
STUDENTS OPINIONS VIDEOS
Video 1
(.avi 617 MB)
Video 2
(.avi 339 MB)
Video 3
(.avi 1.04 GB)
|
Approximate number of Students impacted to date: 500 students
Approximate number of faculty involved: 12 teachers
Discipline: Engineering and psychology
Courses impacted: Logic Circuits, Digital System Design, Digital
Processor Architecture, Educative Psychology.
|
