ATEP Technology
Initiative
Our Adventures So Far…
March 28, 2008
Kim 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 projects
or 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 practices
in 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 / Podcasts
http://www.bobsprankle.com/blog/C16972
18367/index.html
http://newanda411.typepad.com/mrbrand
ow/
• Class Wikis
http://stratford78logos0607.pbwiki.com/
http://terrythetennisball.wikispaces.com/
http://chooseyourownadventure.wikispace
s.com/
Project Examples
• Interactive Timelines
http://www.xtimeline.com/index.aspx?t=5
&l=en-US
• Community Walk
http://www.rebooting.
ca/place/
• Google Lit Trip
http://www.
googlelittrips.org/
Project Examples
• Oral History Archive
http://www.ourvoices.ca/
• Social Stories
http://www.symbolworld.org/stories/index.
htm
• Flicker Stories
http://www.flickr.com/groups/sixwordstory
/discuss/72157601185227439/
Project Examples
• Comics
http://stratford78logos0607.pbwiki.com/A
dam%20N%20:%20Anubis%20Pivot%20
Project
http://toondoo.com/ViewBook.toon?booki
d=453
• Bubble Ply
http://www.bubbleply.com/player.aspx?pi
d=b1bf700f-6f47-4364-9dd7-
e413706860b9
Project Examples
• Voicethread
http://voicethread.com/#q.b11753.i78007
http://voicethread.com/#q.b10257.i70748
http://voicethread.com/#q.b8909.i62826
http://voicethread.com/#q.b3352.i28616
(for education)
Project Examples
• Mapwing
http://www.mapwing.com/explore/view_to
ur.php?t=11GkktO2672t
http://www.mapwing.com/explore/view_to
ur.php?t=llcTuzcJccFre
• Movie Making
http://www.moviemaking.
ecsd.net/borrelli.htm
Thank you!!!
kim.peacock@ualberta.ca