HP Technology for Teaching Grant Project Page

update in September 2007

Institution Name
Howard University, Washington, DC
 
Project Name
Mobile Studio Classroom for Minority Students at Howard University
 
Project Abstract
This project awarded In March 2005 aims, using technology of HP tablets and an interface card, to create a mobile learning environment which eliminates the boundary between lecture and lab, theory and application, and of facility limitation in the student learning. The "anywhere anytime" mobile class pedagogy, realized with HP tablets, wireless routers, and measurement software has been applied to a few core courses and enthusiastically accepted by students. All core courses of electrical and computer engineering courses are expected to follow the suit of combining lecture and lab together.
 
Project Investigators
Dr. Charles Kim ckim@howard.edu
Dr. Mohamed Chouikha
Dr. Jianchao Zeng
Dr. Don Millard (RPI)
 
Cohort
Award Year - 2005
 
Impact on Learning
The eventual goal of the project is to improve the learning of the students and the betterment in conveyance of knowledge. The deployment of a mobile studio class does not solve every problem the engineering education faces. However, the alienation of application from theory and out of steps in lecture and lab of the traditional learning are slowly receding. Currently students learn knowledge with multi-faceted streams of lecture, circuit design, simulation, experiment, and output visualization. An initial survey conducted by a Howard collaborator in Education Department for Electronics I and Microcomputer courses showed very encouraging results. The survey showed that the students expressed very positive responses regarding the mobile studio classes in their courses. The students rated as quite favorable in terms of increasing their ability to apply the theory, knowledge of the subject matter and interaction with other students in the course. We plan to collect more data for summative assessment of the mobile studio class, and at the end of the project, we will perform formative assessment on the project. We envision, in the near future, we deploy the mobile studio pedagogy in a wider net with a Tablet PC to every student in our department so that all the lecture-lab classes are benefited by this "any place any time" learning environment.
Oluwafemi Akintilo and Nia Bradley are working together while Tolulope Onibiyo is mightily serious about solving a circuit problem.(Left). Hitting their Tablet PCs are, from left to right, Kayson Palmer, Pameshanad Mahase, Hassan Disu, and Nnaemeka Amazu. Obafemi Oteleja is working at the back (Right).
 
Kayson Palmer, left, reads measurement values for Stacie Calloway to write on her lab note. At right, Endor Cooper, Illium Williams and Hasan Disu, from left to right, are finalizing their circuit on the breadboard. Since the Mobile Studio Lab does not require lab equipment, they occupy a spacious table in the room for their work, while other groups still use the lab benches with equipment which they do not use.
 
Student Learning Survey Form and Survey Result
Impact on Teaching
The purpose of the project is to develop a mobile studio to provide students with a conducive and synergistic learning environment. For a teaching perspective, it also involves the improvement in the betterment of conveyance of knowledge. Lecturers are excited by the enable technology of Tablet PC and its writing table. A simple and fixed slide now can become just a template of a more dynamic teaching material with instant drawings, scribbles, and additions. We envision, with full deployment of the mobile studio in a wider range and a broader exposure, that more lecturers join us in this exciting teaching environment.
Dr. Kim is testing Annushka Chin Fong's microprocessor assembly code.
 
Quick Facts
 
Link to Details of the Project
Mobile Lab Activities Page