ATEP Technology Initiative

Our Adventures So Far…

March 28, 2008Kim Peacock, M.Ed.

Rationale

• EDPY 303 (Assessment ) was the first full course offered by the Faculty over Elluminate to students at Northern Lakes College.

• Overall students had a generally positive reaction to the course.

• Unfortunately, many aboriginal students didn’t have the equipment or high-speed connections at home and were still having to travel to campus for the sessions.

Rationale

• This course highlighted the need to “level the playing field” for future collaborative projects that might use the technology.

Funding - Hardware

• A call went out to the Fund Development Office – Telus Community Development Fund

(Hardware): $30 000– Matching contribution from the Office of the

Vice-Provost: $30 000– In-kind contribution from Telus: EVDO air

cards and discounted air time– In-kind contribution from Hewlett-Packard:

half-price laptops

Funding - Research

• Two year TLEF grant for research: $92 000

• In-kind support from the Faculty (e.g./ Noella Steinhauer, Mike Carbonaro, Yvonne Norton)

Purpose

• To train ATEP teachers in a technology rich environment.

• To provide the necessary tools for this level of integration.

• To provide the necessary training and PD for this level of integration.

• To conduct meaningful research related to our experiences.

A Quick Snapshot of Our Students…• In some ways, the demographics of this

group are similar to the Faculty overall…– 14 females, 5 males (19 total)– 17 seek to teach within Alberta when they’re

done.– Almost all express a desire to “make a

difference” or having a “lifelong passion for teaching” as the reason they are in the program.

A Quick Snapshot of Our Students…• In other ways they are NOT…

– Average age is 34.8– 13 of them transferred into the program from

other post-secondary institutions.

PD Methodology

• Combination of work with instructors and students.

• Students receive PD on the use of their computers, software, etc…

• Instructors have the option to integrate one or more projectsor activities in their course.

Instructor Variations

• Some opt to teach the activity themselves with no support.

• Some opt to teach the activity themselves with training from myself.

• Some opt to teach the activity with my support in the classroom.

• Some will opt to have me come in and do the activity with students.

Organic Project

• As challenges arise, new research ideas emerge.

• E.g./ How do students feel about courses where the instructor taught the activity vs. ones where I did?

The Technology Projects

• Focus on integrated project-based learning.

• Focus on cross-curricular learning.

• Focus on “time tested” activities (though not necessary).

Project Development

• Projects were identified from online sources: they are what teachers are doing out there right now.

• Projects are listed “without prejudice”.

• Projects are mapped at the subject area level with curriculum levels integrated (will be online soon).

Project Development

From Map to Web Site

• A “living site” with project ideas.

• Goal to serve the entire faculty, not just the ATEP program.

• Will eventually incorporate student exemplars.

• http://www.atep.ualberta.ca/technology/

Some Research Goals

• To describe how the students’ understanding of the concept of “technology integration” evolves over time.

• To identify best practicesin our model.

• To identify specific cultural issues with technology and Aboriginal pre-service teachers.

Research Questions

ATEP Students

1. How has their attitudes and comfort with technology changed?

2. How has their skill level changed?3. How has their concept of technology

integration within the curriculum changed?4. What skills with students emerge with as a

result of this project that will be useful to them in their teaching careers?

Research Questions

ATEP Students (cont…)

5. How has their concept of cross-curricular outcomes changed?

6. How does Aboriginal culture come into play, if at all, in terms of technology integration in the classroom?

7. What successes and challenges did students experience and did these impact their interest and motivation to use technology in the classroom?

Research Questions

ATEP Instructors

1. What progress or lack of progress did instructors see in their students (in terms of technology use and pedagogy)?

2. What were instructor experiences learning and doing the technology activities/assignments themselves?

3. How supported did instructors feel? What could have been improved and what worked well?

4. Did instructors feel that an enhanced technology assignment/activity was a worthwhile activity for their course?

Research Questions

Project Team

1. How has this project impacted the Faculty?2. What needs led to the development of this

project?3. What lessons learned can be identified from

our experiences?4. What impact might our research in this area

have on the faculty overall? 5. How replicable is what we did within the ATEP

program?

Methodology - Qualitative

• Ongoing correspondence

• Ongoing meeting records

• Student interviews / questionnaires

• Student concept maps

• Student work exemplars

• Instructor interviews

• Student reflections

• Project team reflections and blog

Methodology - Quantitative

Skill– Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment

(TPSA)– EDUCAUSE – Students and Information

Technology in Higher Education Survey– Massachusetts Department of Education

Technology Self-Assessment Tool

Attitudes– Teachers’ Views of Technology and Teaching– Survey of Teachers’ Attitudes Toward

Information Technology (TAT)– Attitudes Toward Information Technology (ATIT)

Methodology - Quantitative

Learning Style

– VAK Learning Style Inventory

– Paragon Learning Style Inventory (PLSI)

– Memletics Learning Style Inventory

Early Challenges

• Technology acquisition• Multi-institutional technical support• Cultural differences among students (e.g./

student registrations and laptops)• Instructor time• Distance• Personal issues• Equipment thefts

and breakdowns

Early Challenges

• Cross-curricular projects and change • Absenteeism in PD and research

sessions• Instructors seeing the

technology tool as opposed to the pedagogical rationale/impetus/etc…

• Instructor participation

Early Successes

• Flexible and enthusiastic students and instructors.

• Wide range of student ages and abilities.

• Early interactions have shown a sense of “fearlessness”.

• Students have been very willing to work with each other when they need help.

Early Successes

• Many students are “taking the bull by the horn” and integrating themselves.

Early Modifications

• TA during first term

• Change in tech help process

• Change in ethnography methodology

• Change in interview methodology

• Change in PD day format

Needs

• To examine the impact of culture (if any) on the project.

• Identify an external interviewer to interview students.

Project Examples

Project Examples

• Class Blogs / Podcastshttp://www.bobsprankle.com/blog/C1697218367/index.html

http://newanda411.typepad.com/mrbrandow/

• Class Wikishttp://stratford78logos0607.pbwiki.com/http://terrythetennisball.wikispaces.com/http://chooseyourownadventure.wikispaces.com/

Project Examples

• Interactive Timelineshttp://www.xtimeline.com/index.aspx?t=5&l=en-US

• Community Walkhttp://www.rebooting.ca/place/

• Google Lit Triphttp://www.googlelittrips.org/

Project Examples

• Oral History Archivehttp://www.ourvoices.ca/

• Social Storieshttp://www.symbolworld.org/stories/index.htm

• Flicker Storieshttp://www.flickr.com/groups/sixwordstory/discuss/72157601185227439/

Project Examples

• Comicshttp://stratford78logos0607.pbwiki.com/Adam%20N%20:%20Anubis%20Pivot%20Projecthttp://toondoo.com/ViewBook.toon?bookid=453

• Bubble Plyhttp://www.bubbleply.com/player.aspx?pid=b1bf700f-6f47-4364-9dd7-e413706860b9

Project Examples

• Voicethreadhttp://voicethread.com/#q.b11753.i78007http://voicethread.com/#q.b10257.i70748http://voicethread.com/#q.b8909.i62826http://voicethread.com/#q.b3352.i28616 (for education)

Project Examples

• Mapwinghttp://www.mapwing.com/explore/view_tour.php?t=11GkktO2672thttp://www.mapwing.com/explore/view_tour.php?t=llcTuzcJccFre

• Movie Makinghttp://www.moviemaking.ecsd.net/borrelli.htm

Thank you!!!

kim.peacock@ualberta.ca