Tablet Computers & Blended Learning Environments

TABLET COMPUTERS AND
BLENDED LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS
RICHARD S. LAVIN, PREFECTURAL UNIVERSITY OF KUMAMOTO

Thursday, September 29, 11 1

BLENDED LEARNING
BEFORE TABLETS


2 MAIN MODES
RESERVE A COMPUTER LAB, AND
DO A COMPUTER-CENTRIC
CLASS
DO REGULAR ACTIVITIES IN A
CONVENTIONAL CLASSROOM
AND SET COMPUTER-BASED
HOMEWORK


2 MODES OF BLENDED
LEARNING

RESERVE A COMPUTER LAB, AND
DO A COMPUTER-BASED CLASS

→ COMPUTER-CENTRIC MODE


2 MODES OF BLENDED LEARNING
DO REGULAR ACTIVITIES IN A
CONVENTIONAL CLASSROOM
AND SET COMPUTER-BASED
HOMEWORK
→ DISCRETE MODE


BLENDED LEARNING
WITH TABLET
COMPUTERS


WEIGHT & PORTABILITY
SHAREABILITY (TIM BRAY)
SPEED → CASUAL USE
COST
CONNECTIVITY


A 3
MODE OF BLENDED
RD

LEARNING
LEARN IN REGULAR CLASSROOMS
USE TECHNOLOGY
OCCASIONALLY & CASUALLY
SHARE

INTEGRATED MODE


INTEGRATED MODE

COMPUTERS MAY BECOME LIKE:
WHITEBOARDS
OHP/OHC


ANOTHER VIEW

E-LEARNING (AND MOST LEARNING) IN JAPAN TENDS TO BE
SOLITARY AND COMPETITIVE
SHARING IPADS CAN ACT AS A STIMULUS TO GROUP LEARNING.
REMINISCENT OF KEN BEATTY'S* FOCUS ON TANDEM LEARNING
WITH COMPUTERS.
VIRTUE OF NECESSITY.

Ken Beatty. 2003. Teaching and researching computer-assisted
language learning. Pearson Education.


Internal Research
Grant
• Received a university-internal grant
of 500,000 yen

• Bought 7 Wi-Fi iPads with cases
and software


Internal Research Grant

• Used iPads in groups in Integrated
Skills & Oral Presentation classes

• Usually 4 to a group


• What activities is it possible to
do using iPads?

• What activities is it useful to do
using iPads?

• What transformative activities are possible
using iPads?

• What practical and pedagogical
challenges do iPads present?


Activities
• Creating presentations
• Delivering presentations
• Reading e-books
• Creating podcasts
• Creating mind maps
• Playing word games
• Creating surveys
• Creating library tour guides


Creating presentations


• Used Keynote for iPad.

• Students worked in groups to make (a) a
simple presentation about a country of their
choice; (b) a more complex presentation on a
linguistic or cultural topic related to the same
country.

• Students presented to the whole class after
ﬁnishing their presentations, connecting their
iPad to a TV.


Delivering presentations


• Used Google Docs outside of class to
create a group presentation.

• In class, one student from each group
visited the other groups on rotation to give
their presentation.

• Students presented to the whole class after
ﬁnishing their presentations, connecting
their iPad to a TV.


• More traditional activity: most of the
e-learning part of the activity is
handed off to students to do as
homework.

• The iPads potentially serve as an
enhancement to the actual
presentation in class.


Playing word games


• Traditional word games:
Crosswords, Word associations,
Shiritori, Scrabble

• The iPad has a great variety of
games: Wordﬂick HD, Words HD,
WSolitaire HD, Scrabble, Boggle,
Ultimate Hangman, Word Abacus,
Wordlands, Word Zapper, Word
Magic


Word Zapper


Boggle


Word Abacus


Reading e-books


• Potentially useful for extensive
reading

• Books available include Oxford
Bookworms (at present Stages 1 &
2)

• Lots of enhanced e-books available


Creating mind maps


• Lots of dedicated mind map software
available: iThoughtsHD, iMindMapPro,
MindMeister. MindMeister offers free
accounts and has a browser-based edition.

• Mind maps can also be created with general
diagramming software: OmniGrafﬂe


Creating podcasts


• Students created episodes for a new
podcast (the PUK Review Cast), reviewing
iPad software

• Groups of 2 or 3 recorded a semi-prepared
discussion in class, using VoiceRecorder.

• The instructor uploaded episodes to the
podcast site after class.


VoiceRecorder


Issues


Conducting surveys


• Students used mobile Safari to create a
survey on Polldaddy.

• They used the Polldaddy app to record
other students’ answers and collate them.

• They examined the collated answers on the
Polldaddy site in mobile Safari and used the
data to create a presentation.


Creating library tour
guides


• Viewing angle (number of iPads)

• Sharing, transferring ﬁles

• Efﬁciency of group work

• Charging & syncing

• Time management

• Ownership, and problems with lending
in lessons only


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