Literature Review

James Dunn

CEP 822

Literature Review

Introduction

The Topic

Electronic textbooks offer significant advantages over print editions.  K-12 textbooks are bulky and quickly become outdated.  Electronic textbooks can be annotated, highlighted, and bookmarked.  They afford visually- and hearing-impaired students, as well as struggling readers, the accommodations that can help them succeed and are sometimes required by law.

Electronic textbooks have, in the past, done about as good a job as print editions.  They had no real advantage over print textbooks other than their increased portability and novelty effect.  A new wave of electronic textbooks has additional features that can be used across multiple platforms, deliver automatic updates, and more information for less money than ever before (and sometimes for free).

General Overview of the Literature

The first wave of electronic textbooks were glorified PDFs.  Most of the literature to date confirms that students did about as well with electronic textbooks as they did with the print versions.  That is intuitive, since there was very little difference between the two.

My Rationale

If the electronic textbooks of the 1990s and 2000s were version 1.0, we are in 2.0 today, with 3.0 on the horizon.  Given that electronic textbooks v1.0 were about as effective as print textbooks, and today’s electronic textbooks are better, schools should begin adopting them.  In addition to the advantages mentioned above, electronic textbooks can bring a lot of resources—animations, simulations, slide shows, and more—all into one convenient package for students.  Students also have the advantage of viewing and interacting with this content at home.

To date, the research has only had a chance to review the first wave of electronic textbooks.  Future research needs to focus on electronic textbooks v2.0.  I am confident that the results will be strong, since students do better when they interact with content, the way today’s electronic textbooks allow.  Once the strong results come in, a more standardized format will emerge.  Then electronic textbooks v3.0 can take off and be adopted large-scale nation-wide.

Body

Kinds of Work Reviewed

            Case studies seem to be the most relevant type of research available for electronic textbooks.  While most of it involves older iterations of electronic textbooks, it is still important to understand how electronic textbooks started and how they fared.

Description of Selected Important Works

            Cameron (2011) found that Naval War History students did slightly better using iPads running the iAnnotate application.  The textbooks were static PDFs, but the app allowed them to highlight, cross-out, jot down notes, underline, and write over the text.

Students were generally not distracted by the other features of the iPad, although some were.  Students enjoyed the portability of the iPad over a printed textbook.  Their favorite feature was the ability to search the book (or a page) for a specific word or phrase.  This is similar to what they have come to expect from a Mac (command + f) or a PC (control + f).

Gilmour (2008) found that pre-service and in-service teachers did significantly better with electronic textbooks than print textbooks.  This was the only study that I found that made this claim.  This suggests either an anomaly or a different approach.  Gilmour was the instructor in the class being tested.  His study was the only one to offer more than PDFs.  He embedded learning objects directly in-line with the textbooks.

A potential concern is whether or not an electronic textbook written by someone other than the class instructor can have the same results.  Gilmour points out this obvious potential problem, but said that it can and should be attempted.  I agree with him.  Instructors should always be very familiar with the text they use in their classes.  As long as the instructor is familiar with the electronic resource being used, this should not be a problem.  S/he should be able to clarify points and answer questions for students.

Lane (2006) found that although students enjoyed the aesthetics of electronic textbooks, they were unimpressed by the lack of features.  Students in the college-level business class said that they wanted to have the ability “edit, mark, and annotate” the text.”

Maynard (2005) looked at 11-12 year olds in England that were used to using computers.  The control group used a traditional textbook, while the test group used a CD-ROM (see, the article is showing its age!).  These particular sixty students were chosen because they were used to using computers, so the novelty of using an electronic textbook is mitigated.

A serious limitation of the study is that the two groups of students did not use identical textbooks.  The author mentions that it was very difficult to find identical copies of relevant text.  If this study were to be done today, I do not think this would be as limiting a factor as it was in 2005.  At the end of the study, she found that students using the electronic textbooks performed better than their peers, but not statistically significantly better.  I would love to see a similar study done today comparing two identical titles.  Porter (2010) saw similar results with college students in an Allied Health class.

Students in an Intro to Computer Science class did slightly better with electronic textbooks than students using traditional printed textbooks (McFall, 2005).  McFall deduced that this is so because the electronic textbook is basically the same thing as the print version.  The only advantages that the electronic textbook offers are built-in highlighting, note taking, and diagram building.

An unexpected advantage of using electronic textbooks is that he could track when students read the book.  He could look at time of day and length of each session.  He expected to find that students were reading the books very late at night, but was somewhat surprised to see that most reading took place right before class and in the early evening.  Students spent an average of 7.5 minutes reading per session.  Typical results were between 4 and 14 minutes.  Since this was only used in an elective introductory survey course, there was no direct correlation between average number of minutes reading and performance in the class.  Although everyone that averaged 10 minutes or more “did do quite well” in the class.

Conclusion

How My Work is Informed by the Work of Others

            The most important piece of work that I reviewed was Gilmour (2008).  His research is the only example that showed a significant performance improvement by using electronic textbooks.  The main difference between Gilmour and the others is the he included learning objects in-line.  The potential for this kind of textbook is huge.  Apple’s new iBooks allows textbook publishers, teachers, and district administrators to all create their own electronic textbooks.  They can include animations, simulations, slide shows, and more.  They can also do basic features that electronic textbooks v1.0 had (annotation, highlighting, bookmarking, zooming in, and audible reading.

References

Cameron, A. H., & Bush, M. H. (2011). Digital course materials: A case study of the apple iPad in the academic environment. Pepperdine University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/874080368?accountid=12598

Gilmour, D. J. (2008). Effective use of technology in classrooms: Electronic interactive text and integrated technological/pedagogical environment. Temple University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/304492831?accountid=12598

Lane, D. N. L. (2006). Evaluating e-textbooks in a business curriculum. Nova Southeastern University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 180 p. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/304910188?accountid=12598

Maynard, S., & Cheyne, E. (2005). Can electronic textbooks help children to learn? The Electronic Library, 23(1), 103-115. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/218233261?accountid=12598

McFall, R. (2005). Electronic textbooks that transform how textbooks are used. The Electronic Library, 23(1), 72-81. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/218258279?accountid=12598

Porter, P. L. (2010). Effectiveness of electronic textbooks with embedded activities on student learning. Capella University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/192907508?accountid=12598

Annotated Bibliography

Cameron, A. H., & Bush, M. H. (2011). Digital course materials: A case study of the apple iPad in the academic environment. Pepperdine University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/874080368?accountid=12598

Cameron and Bush had college-level Naval War History students use an electronic textbook en lieu of a paper textbook.  They used Apple’s first iPad iteration, running the iAnnotate app to open .pdf textbooks.  Students basically read static textbooks.  The iAnnotate app allows students to highlight, cross-out, jot down notes, underline, and write over the text.

Students were generally not distracted by the other features of the iPad, although some were.  Students enjoyed the portability of the iPad over a printed textbook.  Students’ favorite feature was the ability to search the book (or a page) for a specific word or phrase.  I agree that this tool is invaluable.  I often find myself frustrated when I am reading a piece of paper, and there is no option to hold down “command + f” (or “control + f” on a PC).

Gilmour, D. J. (2008). Effective use of technology in classrooms: Electronic interactive text and integrated technological/pedagogical environment. Temple University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/304492831?accountid=12598

Gilmour tested the effectiveness of an electronic textbook substituting the traditional paper textbook in an undergraduate technology integration class for pre- and in-service teachers.  The author of the study is also the instructor involved in the study.  His research is the only research that showed a definitive increase in student performance as a result of the electronic textbook.  His was also the only one that attempted to do more than just provide a .pdf for students to carry around with them.

My only concern is whether or not an electronic textbook written by someone other than the class instructor can have the same results.  My gut tells me that it can be done, but this research does not prove that.  Gilmour points out this obvious potential problem, but said that it can and should be attempted.  I agree with him.  Instructors should always be very familiar with the text they use in their classes.  As long as the instructor is familiar with the electronic resource being used, I do not foresee any major hurdles.  S/he should be able to clarify points and answer questions for students.

Lane, D. N. L. (2006). Evaluating e-textbooks in a business curriculum. Nova Southeastern University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 180 p. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/304910188?accountid=12598

Lane studied students enrolled in college-level business class using electronic textbooks.  The books were in .pdf format.  Lane did not address the performance of students that used the electronic textbooks, rather, decided to focus on student feedback from surveys.  Students were overall somewhat pleased with the ease of use and aesthetics of the electronic textbooks, but were disappointed by the lack of features.  They wanted to have the ability to “edit, mark, and annotate” the text.

When I first discovered that the textbooks were simple .pdfs and did not allow for annotation or highlighting, and did not contain any simulations, movie clips, or slideshows, I knew that this dissertation would not provide any new or interesting information.  It should not be surprising that students feel the same way about .pdfs that they do about paper textbooks.  The only real advantage that a .pdf has it the ability to be saved on most platforms.  It is then lighter than carrying around a heavier paper textbook.  .pdf textbooks do nothing to promote learning that paper textbooks do not already do.

Maynard, S., & Cheyne, E. (2005). Can electronic textbooks help children to learn? The Electronic Library, 23(1), 103-115. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/218233261?accountid=12598

An interesting article (though it is quickly becoming outdated) looked at 11-12 year olds in England that were used to using computers.  The control group used a traditional textbook, while the test group used a CD-ROM (see, the article is showing its age!).  These particular sixty students were chosen because they were used to using computers, so the novelty of using an electronic textbook is mitigated.

A serious limitation of the study is that the two groups of students did not use identical textbooks.  The author mentions that it was very difficult to find identical copies of relevant text.  If this study were to be done today, I do not think this would be as limiting a factor as it was in 2005.  At the end of the study, she found that students using the electronic textbooks performed better than their peers, but not statistically significantly better.  I would love to see a similar study done today comparing two identical titles.

McFall, R. (2005). Electronic textbooks that transform how textbooks are used. The Electronic Library, 23(1), 72-81. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/218258279?accountid=12598

McFall tests the effectiveness of electronic textbooks in his Intro to Computer Science class at Hope College in Holland, MI.  Students that used the books only did slightly better than the control group, and not statistically significantly so.  McFall’s greatest guess as to why is that the electronic textbook basically tries to copy the print textbook.  I tend to agree with him.  The only advantages that the electronic textbook offer are built-in highlighting, note taking, and diagram-building.

An unexpected advantage of using electronic textbooks is that he could track when students read the book.  He could look at time of day and length of each session.  He expected to find that students were reading the books very late at night, but was somewhat surprised to see that most reading took place right before class and in the early evening.  In my own undergraduate experience, I found that I did a lot of my work right before and between classes, in the evening before dinner, and on Sundays.  I also did a lot of work late at night.  I was not particularly surprised by McFall’s findings.

Students spent an average of 7.5 minutes reading per session.  Typical results were between 4 and 14 minutes.  Since this was only used in an elective introductory survey course, there was no direct correlation between average number of minutes reading and performance in the class.  Although everyone that averaged 10 minutes or more “did do quite well” in the class.

Porter, P. L. (2010). Effectiveness of electronic textbooks with embedded activities on student learning. Capella University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/192907508?accountid=12598

Porter conducted rigid research where three groups of college students in an Allied Health class participated.  The control group read a chapter from a traditional paper textbook, and the two variable groups read from the same chapter on a CD-ROM in an electronic textbook.  All groups of students took a pre- and a post-test.  There were no significant differences among the groups.

Her results did not surprise me even a little bit.  Basically, all students did the exact same thing!  The only difference is that some read from a computer screen and some read from a piece of paper.  This dissertation did not reveal anything new at all.  If I conduct any research surrounding electronic textbooks I will be sure to test more than the effectiveness of an LCD screen vs. a piece of paper.  Without built-in tools like highlighting and note taking capabilities, along with simulations and picture slideshows, I am not sure how one could expect the results to be any different.

Introduction and Background

What is the issue in education you wish to address?

What are the effects of electronic textbooks on high school student achievement?  I may refine my question to a specific assessment such as a state-wide end-of-course exam, the ACT, or one of the tests on the ACT.

Describe the personal significance of this question to you.

Personally, I learn better on my own at first.  I like to be able to read through some content, watch a short video clip, try a simulation, highlight/mark passages that I find interesting or have a question about, and annotate the text.  When compared to a traditional high school classes, I think electronic textbooks can provide a richer experience.  Students are usually not allowed to highlight or annotate their textbooks.  They can use sticky notes, but it is not the same.

Describe the practical significance of this question.  For whom else besides yourself might this question be significant?

Teachers, principals, and district administrators might find my question significant.  All three of the parties want to increase student achievement.  Principals and district administrators might be particularly interested in the question if the price is substantially higher or lower than traditional paper textbooks.  They also might be interested if they have money that has to be spent on technology hardware.  They might be able to purchase computers, iPads, or other tablets with the technology money, and then spend nothing or less than they are used to spending on electronic textbooks.

What have others said about the issue?

I was surprised to find that there has been a lot of research surrounding electronic textbooks.  I was not sure if this would be the case, since I had assumed that electronic textbooks were a recent idea.  It turns out they have been around for over a decade.  The downside is that there really was not any research around modern electronic textbooks utilizing Apple’s new iBooks application.

An interesting article (though it is quickly becoming outdated) looked at 11-12 year olds in England that were used to using computers.  The control group used a traditional textbook, while the test group used a CD-ROM (see, the article is showing its age!).  These particular sixty students were chosen because they were used to using computers, so the novelty of using an electronic textbook should be minimized (Maynard, 2005).

A serious limitation of the study is that the two groups of students did not use identical textbooks.  The author mentions that it was very difficult to find identical copies or anything.  At the end of the study, she found that students using the electronic textbooks performed better than their peers, but not statistically significantly better.  I would love to see a similar study done today comparing two identical titles.  The electronic textbooks today have movie clips and simulations embedded in them.  Vocabulary words are hyperlinked.  Instead of the occasional pictures on pages, students can flip through slideshows showing similar or contrasting ideas—without leaving the page.  Students can highlight, annotate, and bookmark whatever they want.

In another article, I read about a Texas initiative to move towards electronic textbooks.  The state is purchasing the electronic books.  Schools can then either print them for their use, or access them online.  Schools can use money that would have otherwise been spent on books, as well as other money, on the technology hardware.  This article did not talk about any findings.  I found it interesting because it addressed the fact that schools can save money that had been earmarked for textbooks, and put it into updating hardware. (Radcliffe, 2010)

CEP 800 Lesson Plan Reflection

Description

Students in my class created their own template-based websites with Weebly.  They had been using my website for the entire trimester, but also looked at a few other exemplars.  We discussed usability concerns, design features, and a few bells and whistles like embedding movies and documents before they started (rather than simply giving a link to watch movies or to download documents).

Before they were allowed to complete their final website, they created a practice one where they had specific tasks to complete each day.

Narrative
I taught this lesson to my Information Science Technology students.  My students have varying technology backgrounds.  Some work as technicians at a local private school, some do not have a computer or cell phone.  I have an even mix of students from 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade.  55% of my students are female, 45% are male.

As noted in my lesson plan last week, this was a multi-day lesson.  From start to finish the practice website took 2.5 - 3 days.  The final website took 2+ days.

The lesson went really well!  It was my first time teaching it, and plan to do it again next trimester with a few modifications.  After I teach them how to embed YouTube and Animoto movies, I should ask them to embed more objects.  The practice site is really just for practice.  More is better on this site.  I was so careful to make sure students were proficient in the basics, that I almost felt like a stifled a little bit of creativity.

Reflection
I set out to teach my students how to build a (template-based) website.  The Michigan Educational Technology Standards and I wanted them to demonstrate proper netiquette, as well as embed videos and images.  Based on those standards, this lesson was successful.  Every student did those things.

Every student was provided with a 4 year old computer running Windows XP, and had the option of using Google Chrome, Internet Explorer 7, or Firefox 3.  A constraint is that our Technology Department has not come to update Internet Explorer or Firefox in awhile.  Students that went against my recommendation and used one of those two browsers had trouble getting the most current flash players to download, since they do not have administrator rights (of course, Google Chrome automatically uses the most up to date Flash player).

Another constraint is that each student had to remember their own user name and password.  While this was not a problem for the vast majority of my students, 2 students could not remember theirs, and had to start over multiple times.  This is fairly typical of those 2 students though, and is not unique to Weebly.

This lesson was inherently constructivist.  There were really no elements of behaviorism present.  Students were asked to create a website.  The state standards were provided by the Michigan Educational Technology Standards (developed by the Michigan Department of Education).  The curriculum itself was left wide open.  Prior to my being hired, Information Science Technology was basically the “Library Aid” class.  My principal has given me permission to make it more of a hybrid technology and library class.

Some learners wanted minimal instruction.  They wanted to hear the requirements, then do their work alone.  Others were intimidated, and wanted more 1 on 1 and small group instruction.  For them, I logged into my account, and showed them how to do things.

Another teacher should be able to replicate this lesson.  A lot of it was done asynchronously.  Teachers should just be very familiar with how to use Weebly, and also be ready for the students that are scared to create their first (template-based) website.  Students should just show up with an open mind, and trust their teacher when s/he says it’s not that hard, have fun, and follow the few directions that are provided.

The best way to grade an assignment like this is to use a rubric.  Each website is going to look so different, so I cannot imagine doing it any other way.  The teacher should have the rubric created beforehand, and distribute it their students.  I would wait until after the practice sites have been completed.

Technology is the content and the vehicle for this lesson.  Creating a (template-based) website is a technology skill.  Using a computer to do it is the means, or the way the website gets completed.

For the most part, students were pretty comfortable using Weebly.  It was the firs time most of them had ever published anything on the Internet.  Most of the questions I received started out as “On your website, you have....how do I...?” or “Mrs. Light has...on her website.  Is it possible to....?”  Sometimes I knew the answers, and sometimes I did not.  Either way, when possible, I showed students how to find the answers, rather than just giving them the answers.

My students are used to “doing things.”  I do a lot of short constructivist assignments with them.  This is probably the longest one they did.  They did a good job of making sense of the technology in their own way.

Digital Storytelling

This digital storytelling movie shows both behaviorism and social constructivism.  There was a movie of the subject running on a treadmill at the end.  Please disregard :)

Working Out At Home.mov from Jimmy Dunn on Vimeo.

Audio Podcast

Here is my audio podcast!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24611845/CEP%20800%20Interview.m4a

Wicked Project

For the full-screen movie, click here, then choose the view full screen icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Problem
The current computer lab reservation system at Clio High School is outdated, and leads to double-booking.  Teachers can only reserve lab time from one of two locations while they are at school.

Solution
Google Calendar, with the new "Appointment Slots" feature.

TP
Google Calendar is a natural fit for reserving computer labs in a high school setting.  On my end, I will create three different calendars (one for each computer lab) utilizing the new Appointment Slots feature.  Teachers will be able to view the calendars from anywhere with an Internet connection, and reserve whichever labs whenever they want.

TC

Google Calendar is inherently more accessible to every teacher because it would not be feasible for them to take the current reservation binders home with them.  There are approximately 50 teachers and only 1 copy of each binder.

An advantage of going to an online reservation system is that teachers can plan great lessons at home that utilize technology.  Rather than create a great webquest over the weekend, then wait until Monday to figure out when the computer labs are open, they can plan to use technology and reserve the lab all from the convenience of home outside of normal school hours.  Google Calendar automatically blocks a lab from ever being double-booked.


PC
Students will be able to interact with their content at a time that actually fits what they are learning, not the time slot their teacher was able to reserve because they didn't get to school early enough on Monday morning.  Let's say that a teacher wants to do four days of instruction, and a quiz on Friday.  Rather than writing three different technology-based assignments that could fit for Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, teachers will be able to look at the Calendar when they sit down to plan for the week (for example, on Saturday morning).  Teachers will be able to plan more efficiently, and students will benefit by having better, more thoughtful assignments.

Here is my Wicked Project:

Group Leadership Project

We did our Group Leadership Project on Google Apps for Education.  The four of us created separate PowerPoints explaining different apps in the Google Apps for Education suite.  I did the piece about Google Forms.  Dave recorded his voice over the PowerPoint using Windows Movie Maker.  We chose Movie Maker because it is so easy to record a voice over and edit the audio.

After watching our movie, I found that most apps let you embed your content into a blog or website very easily.  Google provides embed code that can be copied and pasted.  I had always known that some of Google's apps had this feature, but did not realize how prevalent it was.

If I had to do a project similar to this in the future, I would make sure that we laid out our plan from the beginning and followed through with it.  We set a soft deadline for everyone to be done with their piece of the project.  Some group members met the deadline, while others did not.  In the end, I think our project turned out very well.  Thanks Dave, for recording your voice!

Personal Learning Plan

CEP 810 Goals
In CEP 810, I set a couple long term goals for myself.  I wanted to either become a professor of education or the technology director of a k-12 school district.  I was not sure which I preferred, but knew that I wanted to make informed decisions that would improve education for a lot of students.  My short term goal was to get accepted into the MAET program beginning in Fall 2011.  I just heard last week that I was accepted!  A medium term goal that I set for myself was to graduate from the MAET program in August 2012.  So far I am on track to accomplish this goal.  My advisor said that it should not be a problem.

Skills I Still Need (Want)
My greatest strengths regarding technology involve pedagogy.  I enjoy finding cool new tools and bringing them into the classroom.  To be a k-12 technology director, I will need to learn about networking.  I only know a little more than the average teacher when it comes to school networks.  I am not sure if the MAET program can help me get the network certifications that I may need (or just want).  I may actually have to go through a community college for some of this rudimentary (but important) knowledge.

If I choose to pursue a PhD I will need to learn how to conduct qualitative and quantitative research.  While the MAET program does not offer a thesis option, there may be some opportunities to conduct research (I am thinking that CEO 822: Approaches to Educational Research will help).  If not, that is something I would need to do either prior to a PhD program, or at the very beginning.

My Goals 2.0
Right now my goals are to graduate from the MAET program in August 2012, and become a technology director by 2014.  I really want to graduate by next August because I am the newest member of the Clio Educator's Association, and would therefore be the first to go if there were any layoffs.  My job is safe through the 2011-2012 school year, but anything beyond that will be determined by the state per pupil expenditures.

I would obviously like to get a technology director job as soon as possible upon graduation, but for the first time in my life, I would prefer to not move.  My wife and I just bought a house that we really like, and both enjoy our jobs.  I have taught in three states in four years of teaching.  Because of this, I will probably be willing to wait a few years before accepting a job as a technology director.

If, at some point during this school year, it becomes apparent that I may get laid off, I will apply to a few full-time PhD programs that offer free tuition for PhD students plus assistantships (e.g. MSU, U of M, Northwestern, Cornell, or Harvard).  I would also apply to jobs in my immediate area.  I would consider 1-year grant-funded positions, as well as jobs outside of education.

PART D - Findings and Implications

There are a few ways that I will be able to tell if Google Calendar is working as my school's new computer lab reservation system.  First, I will look at October 2010 and October 2011 in both reservation systems.  I will check to see what the utilization was for both months.  If October 2011 is the same or better than October 2010, this is a positive sign.  This cannot be the only way to evaluate the effectiveness of my project because there are other factors that could impact utilization (eg technology skill set of teachers, perceived quality of computers in computer labs, # of working computer vs. computers that are out for repair).

I will also compare the # of teachers that reserved computers in October 2010 compared to October 2011.  If October 2011 has more teachers that reserved a computer lab at least once, that will be a positive sign.

Lastly, I will send out a survey asking teachers if they feel it is better, the same, or worse than the old system.  These three ways of evaluating my project should give me a well-rounded picture of the success or failure of my implementation of Google Calendar as a computer lab reservation system.

Mobile Learning Lab

My favorite use of mobile learning so far is Poll Everywhere.  Poll Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com/) is a simple place for teachers to create polls.  Students can then respond using their cell phones or computers.  The teacher simply has to show students how to do it.  Some students may have voted similarly for American Idol or other voting shows.

Some of my favorite polls that I have created include a poll about the ease of a quiz my students had just taken, whether or not Pluto should be considered a planet, and when I asked teachers their preferred time of day for technology training.

Replace audience response hardware with Poll Everywhere

Replace audience response hardware with Poll Everywhere

PART B - Storyboard and Script

My part of the Group Leadership Project focuses on Google Forms.  I have finished my 6 slides (and written a script), but may feel like revisions may need to be made sometime next week.  Once everyone has finished their parts, we will put them in one presentation, and have someone do the voice recording.

Google forms

View more presentations from jdunn84

I pasted my script (which is meant to accompany the slides I created) in our group's Google Document (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YwLpYaBKIUFEbWu7vrQ1bS7Wmv5yz8q322vveQafJhk/edit?hl=en_US).  Christine had created a separate Google Doc for her storyboard, so I pasted hers in our group one as well.  Jeff said that he will post his later today.  David wasn't at the meeting, but did email the group saying that he is back in town.

PART C - Implementation

If you cannot hear my podcast in your RSS Reader or podcatcher, or just prefer to view my blog from the regular URL, here's the link: http://db.tt/wgDHa0n

Here's a screenshot of my Google Calendar trial:

Google Calendar from the creator's view

PART A - Brainstorm Session

Web Conferencing Tools

Team 1 Web Huddle

We tried a number of web conferencing tools for this assignment.  One of our group members had a hard time with three of the services, while another had a hard time with one of the services (the one that the other group member could get to work).  I've included some screen shots of our attempts in this blog post.  As a last resort, we Skyped for voice chatting, and kept a written record in a Google Doc.

Skype had crystal clear call quality.  However, since we had four people in our conference call, we were not able to share screens or video streams.  Web Huddle did let one person share their screen.  Since she was the one that started the web conference, it did not allow anyone else to act as a presenter.

Angel Live Chat Room

We used Angel's Email and Live Chat Room services to setup our initial meeting.

Due to our group's technical difficulties, and the fact that Jing only records the screen for 5 minutes, we could not record our group meeting.  It lasted for a little over an hour in total.

Group Leadership Project
Our group has decided to create a tutorial for teachers that will use Google Docs.  Our ~10 minute presentation will be shared via Slideshare.  We will divide the work four ways: Documents (Christine), Spreadsheets or Drawings (David...he had to leave the meeting early, but will get to pick between Spreadsheets and Drawings), Presentations (Jeff), and Forms (me).

Part A needs to get done today.  Part B needs to be done by July 31st.  We would like to have the entire presentation done and uploaded by August 6th--a week ahead of schedule.  This is still just a rough outline, but I feel it is adequate, since we have yet to begin.

Web Conferencing

Free Video Chatting Services
In preparation for this assignment, I had a few friends volunteer to try out various video chatting services with me.  We tried Vyew, Web Huddle, Google+ Hangouts, iChat, and Skype.  While each services had its pros and cons, here are the highlights:

Web Huddle offered the best quality screen share.  It was almost as clear as on the original screen.  It offered very limited controls to everyone other than the person who started the meeting.  Vyew had the best tutorial.  It was also the best at uploading and sharing files.  Its downfall was the complexity.  The controls were not intuitive, and featured a cluttered display.  Google+ let all of us talk to, see, and type to each other.  However, the features are limited.  There is no option to share screens or files (although Google Docs could be used, since this is a Google product).  iChat had by far the clearest video stream.  It also came with options such as backgrounds and face distortions (amusing, but not particularly useful).  There was also no way to share files.  While on iChat, I can chat with users on other servies (eg Yahoo Instant Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger), but one can only actually use iChat itself from a Mac.  Skype allows users to share screens, video, and text chat when there are only a couple of users.  When we tested it with four of us, only voice and text chatting were enabled.

Paid Video Chatting Services
Having said all of that, I have used three pay sites in classes at MSU and UNC-Wilmington.  Adobe Connect is nice because users do not need to create accounts or download anything.  They can simply login with any alias--no password required! (this could also be a bad thing by users creating fake names or impersonating others)  The administrator can share their screen, or give that right to other users by promoting them to "presenter."  Wimba is similar, but users are automatically signed in with their Blackboard accounts (if the university pays for both Blackboard and Wimba).  MediaSite is different from both of these because it is best for recording with a video camera, rather than screen sharing.

All three of these services allows for recordings to be viewed later, offer chat windows, and audio.  All in all, Wimba probably has the most features, but they are all niche products.

Reflections
My office is in the school's library, which I help run.  The potential for video chatting in my "classroom" is video chatting with an author or another classroom (think foreign language--maybe a class in Spain learning to speak English?).  Depending on how many users were logged in, I would suggest that we use either Skype or Google+ Hangouts.

PART B - Application of TPACK

1. What is the TP knowledge for the solution?
Google Calendar is a natural fit for reserving computer labs in a high school setting.  On my end, I will create three different calendars (one for each computer lab) utilizing the new Appointment Slots feature.  Teachers will be able to view the calendars from anywhere with an Internet connection, and reserve whichever labs whenever they want.

2. What is the TC knowledge for the solution?
Google Calendar is inherently more accessible to every teacher because it would not be feasible for them to take the current reservation binders home with them.  There are approximately 50 teachers and only 1 copy of each binder.

An advantage of going to an online reservation system is that teachers can plan great lessons at home that utilize technology.  Rather than create a great webquest over the weekend, then wait until Monday to figure out when the computer labs are open, they can plan to use technology and reserve the lab all from the convenience of home outside of normal school hours.  Google Calendar automatically blocks a lab from ever being double-booked.

3. What is the PC knowledge for the solution?
Students will be able to interact with their content at a time that actually fits what they are learning, not the time slot their teacher was able to reserve because they didn't get to school early enough on Monday morning.  Let's say that a teacher wants to do four days of instruction, and a quiz on Friday.  Rather than writing three different technology-based assignments that could fit for Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, teachers will be able to look at the Calendar when they sit down to plan for the week (for example, on Saturday morning).  Teachers will be able to plan more efficiently, and students will benefit by having better, more thoughtful assignments.

**I realize that my responses to the three questions overlap a bit.  From what I have read, that seems to be ok, and is the nature of TPACK.  Am I right?