Using Personal Devices as Education Tools in the Classroom Kelli Watts NCState ECI 569 Dr. Jimmy Smith November 28, 2011

Computing Power in Your Pocket Today’s Personal Devices allows us to: –Quickly perform research by surfing the Internet –Meet virtual friends through Social Media –Document our personal lives through Photos and videos –Collaborate on projects –Quickly and effectively communicate

Today’s Digital Natives Our students today –Have only known a world rich in technology –Easily move between technological devices –Have always had quick access to information –Have learned to communicate in small bytes –Carry devices that allow them to multi-task

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Class Format Can we engage our students by using the computing power they carry every day? Can we trust the students to stay on task the same amount of time as they currently do?

Research Methodology Class observations Interviews of students Anonymous student surveys Baseline created using a pre-assessment test Pop quizzes used to capture student growth

Personal Device Activities Review and class discussions using Audience Polls Creation of video / movie projects Documentation through pictures Internet research

Personal Devices Used SmartPhones Blackberries iPads iPods iPhones Androids Laptops

Positive Research Results 4% increase in test scores over students who did not use personal devices Observed higher student engagement while using personal devices Students invested more time and energy into assignments Greater student involvement in classroom discussions through audience polls

Positive Student Feedback Learning was more interactive Lessons were more engaging Felt safe participating in class discussions A more natural way to learn More convenient than school computers

Positive Student Feedback (cont) Devices were faster and easier to use than school computers Some felt they could navigate their device easier than a school computer Students played a vital role in the lessons Students were more focused Lessons better prepared students for the work place.

Students’ Positive Reactions

Negative Research Results Not all students had access to a personal device Some students could not connect to the school Wi-Fi network Some students’ cell phones had a weak signal May be harder to monitor off-task behavior

Negative Student Feedback Personal devices have smaller keys Some students felt they could be easily distracted Some students were frustrated due to network connection issues Students nervous that it appeared they were off task Some students felt they did all the work in the lesson.

Students’ Negative Reactions

Are you ready for a BYOD classroom?