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As part of the Tablet-Based Computing initiative, the following research
projects explore the potential of the Tablet PC in computing curriculum. Through these efforts, we hope to help make computing content and instruction more engaging and effective, resulting in higher success rates for students, the ability to attract more and better quality students to computing programs, and opening the world of computing to non-computer science majors.
2005–2006 Tablet-Based Computing Projects
2004–2005 Tablet-Based Computing Projects
2005–2006 Tablet-Based Computing Projects
A
Pen-Based Circuit Analysis Tutor
Thomas Stahovich, Robert Calfee
University of California at Riverside
 This project is focused on the development and assessment of a pen-based tutoring
system to teach fundamental principles of analog circuit analysis. The tutor will
teach students how to apply Kirchhoff’s current and voltage laws for nodal and mesh
analysis, respectively. It will also teach students how to simply circuits by identifying
parallel and series components, and by replacing current sources with equivalent
voltage sources, and vice versa. To solve a problem, the student will begin by sketching
a circuit and labeling the components. For mesh analysis, for example, the student
will then write a voltage law equation for each distinct mesh. The tutor will compare
the sketched circuit to the handwritten equations and provide feedback if there
are errors. If the student has difficulty performing the various steps of the analysis,
such as identifying mesh currents, the program will provide guidance. The tutor
will be used in EE 001A, a required, introductory circuits course for computer engineering
students at the University of California, Riverside. The educational benefits of
the tutor will be assessed by examining improvement in student performance on exam
questions.
Ink-a-Sketch:
Combining Model-Based and Sketch-Based Design of User Interfaces in the Classroom
Simone Barbosa
Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro
 We will investigate the usage of Tablet PCs in a combination of structured (shape-driven)
and unstructured (ink-driven) applications for teaching user interface design in
a Human-Computer Interaction class within a Computer Science course. The Tablet
PCs will allow students to record design representations and collaborate with other
students, discussing the underlying design rationale and formative evaluation issues
in various phases of the design process. We aim to address some challenges involved
in using desktop PCs and paper for different user interface representations, ranging
from groups losing track of their own design decisions to the lack of collaboration
between student groups. Students will be encouraged to keep track of the intermediate
(“rejected” or “to be refined”) material, together with the comments and reflections
on what should or shouldn’t be included in the final design, and why. Initially,
Microsoft Visio will be used for building interaction diagrams and Microsoft OneNote
as an annotation and sketching tool. We will analyze which tasks are well supported
by ink and sketching, and then elicit the requirements for a tool that will be developed
later in the project, to support the integration of structured and unstructured
(ink-based) representations for user interface design.
Developing
Tablet-Based Tools for Teaching Concurrent Programming
Lin Qiu
State University of New York at Oswego
 Concurrent programming is an important and difficult topic in computer science
education. It requires a way of thinking that is different from the one that students
are taught in the ordinary sequential programming model. This project will develop
a tablet-based software tool that allows users to easily sketch a thread interaction
diagram and correlate it with runtime visualization. Users can move multiple styluses
simultaneously along thread lines in the diagram to control thread execution. This
tool can be used by instructors to illustrate problematic runtime situations caused
by unlucky event timing. It can also be used by students to depict thread interaction
by creating diagrams that can playback a visualization of concurrent execution.
We will further extend the tool to support participatory simulation activities where
students role-play threads in concurrent execution and observe the behavior of the
multithreaded program. We believe the software tool, curricular materials, and pedagogical
strategies developed in this project will make the hidden behaviors of concurrent
programs visible and improve the teaching and learning of concurrent programming.
Evaluation of Tablet PC
Supported Pedagogy
Richard Anderson
University of Washington
This project is to conduct a two year classroom evaluation of Tablet PC supported
pedagogy. We will be using Classroom Presenter, a Tablet PC–based classroom interaction
system that we have been developing at University of Washington. This study will
concentrate on assessing the classroom impact of a style of teaching that augments
the traditional lecture by allowing ink-based communication between the students
and the instructor. We will build upon our pilot offerings of courses using the
technology, which gave us an opportunity to develop both curricula and a pedagogy
which incorporates students’ ink annotation into the lecture. The evaluation will
take place in regularly scheduled courses at University of Washington. Inside of
computer science, we will continue deployments in Data Structures, Algorithms, and
Digital Design courses. In the College of Forestry, we will use Classroom Presenter
in a junior-level sequence on Environmental Science and Resource Management. In
the two-year project, we will deploy Classroom Presenter in at least 12 courses,
evaluate and assess the classroom impact, and publish detailed findings on the pedagogy
and the technology.
An
Interdisciplinary Approach to Assess the Educational Value of the One-Tablet Classroom
James Ricky Cox, James Rogers, Ted Thiede, Terry Derting, Renee Fister, Maeve McCarthy
Murray State University
 This proposal addresses the need to develop and validate the educational value
of the one-tablet classroom in higher education. An interdisciplinary team of faculty
members at Murray State University, across and beyond Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics will be involved in a variety of assessment activities to measure
learning and course gains, student attitudes toward tablet instruction, and student
self-efficacy as a result of the one-tablet model developed at Murray State University.
In addition to assessment, an aggressive plan of dissemination will be implemented
to promote the pedagogical aspects of the one-tablet model and to allow other institutions
to adopt and adapt this model to improve teaching and learning across disciplines.
A Regional Tablet PC and Wireless Showcase will also be hosted at Murray State to
bring together university faculty, regional industries, and health care professionals
to discuss and highlight practical and innovative uses of tablet and wireless technologies.
Assessing
and Evaluating the Symbiosis of Tablet PCs and Collaboration-Facilitating Software
Julia Williams
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
 Our project leverages our previous award of Tablet PCs from Hewlett Packard with
our expertise and experience with DyKnow Vision software that facilitates collaboration
in the classroom. At Rose-Hulman we have developed curricula that use Tablet PCs
and DyKnow in five courses drawn from three disciplines. What we have observed is
that Tablet PCs and their pen-based capability cannot be exploited completely without
software like DyKnow that encourages many types of collaboration — between faculty
and students, between students, and between one class and another. Thus, our project
will assess and evaluate the impact of a symbiosis of hardware (Tablet PCs) and
software (DyKnow) on teaching and learning. In year 1, we will focus largely on
the two courses where we draw upon the most experience: Introductory Physics and
Technical Communication. In year 2, we will extend the assessment and evaluation
to include aspects of the entire curricula at Rose-Hulman. By the end of year 2,
this interdisciplinary project will involve faculty and undergraduate students in
most if not all departments at Rose-Hulman. The unifying principle throughout the
project will be our reliance on the assessment expertise of the Rose-Hulman Office
of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment (IRPA), a nationally recognized
leader in the field of teaching and learning assessment.
Educational
Value and Validity — Student Adaptation to Tablet PC Technology in Business
James Kraushaar, David Novak, Jeff Frolik, Thomas Chittenden
The University of Vermont
    The project will team faculty from BSAD and SoE to revise curriculum in several
courses and create a multi-prong assessment plan. The plan will enhance a survey
that has been given by BSAD to serve multiple disciplines. In addition, focus groups
will be conducted in BSAD and SoE to ascertain what about the tablets is effective
and why. These results will be disseminated within UVM through workshops and nationally
through conferences and journals in both disciplines. This work will also develop
training seminars on Tablet PCs and associated software. Both schools expect to
gather a better understanding of methodologies for using Tablet PC technology. They
will build on their experiences to further integrate tablets within business and
engineering curriculums and continue to disseminate the results of their work. The
schools will develop an assessment plan to specifically ascertain the benefits of
tablets to student learning and student adaptation throughout their academic experiences.
They hope to show the benefits of mobility provided by this tool as well as the
pen technology. We are confident this technology will continue to improve and have
a lasting impact on business and engineering processes which will benefit the “real
world” business and engineering communities.
Measuring
Effectiveness of Tablet PCs in Teaching and Learning Using AB/C-IT
Vincent DiStasi, Ananda Dushmantha Gunawardena, William P. Birmingham, Gary L. Welton,
David J. Ayers
Grove City College
     Tablet PCs are expected to significantly increase the effectiveness of technology
in the classroom. The promise of the Tablet PC is allowing students to interact
with the computer using multiple input modalities such as ink, text, audio, and
gestures. Each of these modalities brings a unique advantage compared to laptops.
However, no significant study has been performed to date which measures the Tablet
PCs effectiveness in both teaching and learning with a significant number of faculty
and students. Although anecdotal data suggest that positive learning outcomes are
possible as a result of using Tablet PCs, rigorous data collection and analysis
need to be performed to demonstrate this. The proposed project will measure the
effectiveness of Tablet PCs in education at an institution with a mandatory Tablet
PC program, deploying approximately 625 Tablet PCs to every incoming freshman class.
We will employ specific pedagogical approaches exploiting the advantages of both
the Tablet PC hardware and Tablet PC–based software. We propose to use two complementary
adaptive technologies: Adaptive Book for Pre-Lecture Preparation and Post-Lecture
Analysis and a Collaborative-Immersive Technology (C-IT), such as DyKnow and Classroom
Presenter for activities that are designed for effective delivery and interaction
of content in the classroom.
Real-Time
Collaboration: Tablet PC–Enabled Pedagogical Strategies to Enhance Nursing Education
Phillip Olla, Phyllis Brenner
Madonna University
  The project is a joint venture between the Departments of Nursing and Computer
Information Systems. This project will address the impact of technology on nurse
educators, students, and the nature of the interaction between the two. The overall
project aim is to investigate the adoption of Tablet PCs, utilizing various technologies
to enhance the learning environment for nursing students in the classroom, clinical,
and community settings. The overall aims of the project are to establish if the
use of Tablet PC technology by the faculty enhances active and collaborative learning
among students and timeliness of response to changing patient care scenarios, project
workflow by students in collaborative groups in addressing needs of vulnerable and
underserved populations in the community, and faculty and student confidence in
utilizing various application software encountered in nursing practice. An open
source content management system accessible from the Web will be used to store and
share teaching materials created for this project. Interested parties will be able
to download and upload materials such as syllabi, forms, freeware software utilities,
image databases, case studies, and templates for nursing informatics education.
Multimedia presentations tailored to Tablet PCs use for community-based education
will also be made available.
Evaluation of the Tablet PC in Undergraduate Engineering Courses at Howard
University
Veronica Thomas, Mohamed Chouikha, Velma LaPoint
Howard University
This project will evaluate the use of the Tablet PCs on teaching and learning
in undergraduate engineering courses at Howard University. The formative and summative
evaluation will examine how Tablet PC are being utilized in these courses, their
influence on students’ attitudes, behaviors, and learning outcomes, and their influence
on instructors’ attitudes and teaching practices. Based upon the findings of this
study, recommendations will be made for using and improving the use of Tablet PCs
in undergraduate engineering courses as well as other courses across the University.
It is expected that the results of this evaluation study will yield empirical data
that will contribute to the limited scholarship on the use and effectiveness of
Tablet PCs in undergraduate engineering courses. These results of this evaluation
will also add to the extreme paucity of empirical in this area with special focus
on engineering students from underrepresented groups. Several deliverables will
emerge from this project, including instruments for use in other technology utility
studies targeting diverse undergraduate student populations, a written report of
the study’s findings, presentations at professional meetings, and a manuscript submission
for publication in a relevant refereed journal.
Assessing
the Effectiveness of Tablet PCs in a Basic Computer Architecture Course
Joseph Tront
Virginia Tech
 In this study we will attempt to determine the efficacy of using Tablet PCs to
enhance the teaching and learning in a very basic course in computer architecture.
The course will be taught as a large lecture section (about 100 students) coupled
with small recitations (about 25 students). Students from one recitations section
will be loaned tablet PCs for the semester for use in taking notes in class as well
as interactively participating during in-class exercises. These same students will
also use their Tablet PCs in the “tablet” recitation section. This approach will
allow us to carefully monitor the difference in behavior and performance of those
having tablets. The common lecture allows us to subtract out the effect different
instructors may have on the amount of information absorbed. We expect to make reasonably
valid and highly focused observations about the advantages or disadvantages of the
use of tablet PCs. Similarly, we can also more easily observe the methods of student
usage of these devices and develop a list of methodology that can improve the effectiveness
of tablet use. Our deliverable items will include a report on tablet-based teaching
and learning efficacy as well as any observations on student or teacher best practices.
Student and Instructor Adoption: Maximizing the Impact of Tablet PCs in the Classroom
Beth Simon, William Griswold
University of California at San Diego
  We will explore the key obstacles to broad-scale student and instructor adoption
of Tablet PCs in the classroom using our previous work and experience with Ubiquitous
Presenter (UP) as a launching pad. Recognizing that the best instructors have well
established and valuable teaching techniques, we seek to increase the base of tablet-based
teachers by exploring and then developing support for a broad range of pedagogical
styles within UP. We will augment this process via outreach to and support of non-computing
faculty in exploring and analyzing novel ink-based pedagogies. Student adoption
will hinge upon the lecture-based integration of a number of tablet-engaging activities,
including active learning and electronic question asking — but integrated note taking
will be key. We will develop the potential of UP’s Web-based repository and support
for classroom interaction to enable student-centric, tablet-focused learning. We
will develop interfaces for note taking and review of course materials spanning
personal notes, instructor notes, classroom activities, and student-generated questions
and comments. Finally, we seek to engage other educators — in all disciplines —
to work with us in exploring the potential of the tablet in the classroom. We invite
those interested in sponsoring workshops for faculty training to contact us at
http://up.ucsd.edu.
Using
Tablet PCs to Support a Studio Course in Programming
Samuel Kamin
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Programming Studio in the University of Illinois Computer Science
Department (CS 242) is an unusual course recently introduced as a capstone to
our core freshman and sophomore courses. Its purpose is to boost students’
programming skills, in preparation for higher-level courses. It has the unique
feature of being organized around weekly discussion sections with no more than
five students, plus an instructor, in which students present and discuss their
programs. In this project, we will develop two Tablet PC applications to support
these discussion sections. We have found that the biggest challenge in running
this course is ensuring that the discussions remain focused, engaging, and
helpful. One of the applications will directly facilitate the discussions, while
the other will help instructors grade, thereby allowing them to keep their
attention on the discussion. The first application will facilitate code
walkthroughs by allowing for annotations, shared comments, and the like; it will
have a special role for the instructor, but will otherwise be a general
code-review application, and may be usable outside the domain of our course. The
second application will enable the instructor to make quick annotations about
student participation, to field anonymous questions, and keep track of student
commitments.
Comparative Evaluation of Four Modes of Tablet PC Use in
Undergraduate Education
Eric Hamilton
Center for Research on Learning and Teaching/IITA
A team of faculty members from the US Air Force Academy (USAFA) is conducting
a systematic evaluation of Tablet PCs in mathematics, physics, and engineering
mechanics courses. The project involves four modes of Tablet PC–mediated
learning and uses a mixed portfolio of four evaluation methods. Project
deliverables include publications and presentations at international conferences
in learning sciences and in educational innovation. One important deliverable
includes a “turnkey toolkit” that outlines human-computer interaction issues in
tablet use and the steps faculty elsewhere can follow to implement and evaluate
tablets from a learner-centered vantage. The intention of this project is both
to inform practice and build theory. The implementation modes range from use in
problem-solving sessions to integration in pedagogical agent networks over
collaborative workspaces. This evaluation is part of a set of projects supported
by USAFA, the National Science Foundation, and the Air Force Office of
Scientific Research. It is intended to fill a need for systematic evaluative
research for practitioner and learning science research communities
internationally. The USAFA team recognizes deeply the profound human form-factor
advantages that Tablet PCs offer and it is determined to find and share the
conditions under which these advantages can translate to authentic learning
gains.
2004–2005 Tablet-Based Computing Projects
A
Tablet-PC Based Teaching Platform for Portable Mixed-Reality Concept
Daniel Aliaga, Dongyan Xu
Purdue University
  We propose to create a new replicable undergraduate teaching platform
for the emerging computing concept of portable mixed-reality (PMR). The
platform deliverables include a PMR middleware toolkit, sample student
projects, and multimedia tutorials. It will provide students of both
computing and non-computing majors with hands-on experience of mobile
mixed-reality application development using Tablet PCs. PMR is a
fast-growing computing concept that combines traditional areas of
computer graphics, visualization, multimedia computing, and mobile
computing. As opposed to traditional computer graphics, which generates
only synthetic environments, PMR captures real-world imagery and
combines it with virtual imagery. The resultant mixed-reality imagery
will then be able to augment a user’s real-world perception as well as
the user’s interaction with other users or with the environment.
An
Ink Enabled Curriculum for Data Structures
Richard Anderson
University of Washington
This project will develop ink-enabled classroom materials for a data
structures course. The materials will include lecture slides designed to
be used with digital ink and electronically supported classroom
activities. The classroom activities will target settings where students
have networked Tablet PCs and will involve student submissions from
Tablet PCs that are communicated to the instructor and possibly
incorporated into the displayed material. Our goal is to develop a
curriculum that supports a pedagogy based on students using mobile
devices in the classroom to interact with instructional materials.
Digital ink plays an important role in this because of the flexibility
that writing provides to both students and instructors. Our hope is that
the increased interaction in the classroom leads to measurable gains in
learning outcomes. We plan to deploy the materials in courses at
University of Washington in Summer and Fall 2005.
PACT: A Pattern-Annotated Course Tool
John Canny
University of California at Berkeley
The Tablet PC is an exciting new platform for education. Tablet PCs
support active learning in the classroom. Rather than following a
text, Tablet PCs allow students to explore and discover, to discuss with
other students, and to more carefully reflect on their own learning.
These new methods have shown great improvements in learning, but the
challenge is to develop curricula that realize the potential benefits.
Most college instructors unfortunately have no preparation in active
(that is, learner-centered) course design. The goal of this project is
to develop an authoring tool and a course repository to allow
instructors to develop these new kinds of courses. The tool is called
PACT (Pattern-Annotated Course Tool). PACT addresses a significant
challenge. Learner-centered course design requires familiarity with a
rich set of learning objects (LOs) and with patterns of their use
(Pedagogical Patterns, or PedPats). These concepts are completely
foreign to most instructors who don’t have time to take in a course in
new pedagogy. PACT is designed as a learning tool for
instructors, to scaffold them in the design of leaner-centered courses.
PACT is also an authoring tool that accelerates course development. It
achieves both by exposing pattern annotations of courses, which show how
particular course structures embody educational principles.
A
Tiered Approach to Evaluating and Exploiting the Effects of Multi-modal
Communication on Expression and Learning in the Classroom
Bill Griswold, Beth Simon
University of California at San Diego
We propose a three-tiered approach to evaluating and exploiting the
effects of multi-modal communication (that is, oral communication,
text/typing based communication, and ink-based communication as
supported by the Tablet PC) on expression and learning in the classroom.
The three tiers are developing active learning curricula to support
dense computer science classes, such as Compilers and Computer
Architecture; generalizing this experience to the development of
teaching techniques incorporating multiple modes of communication; and
developing an empirically supported theory of the effects of multi-modal
communication on teaching and learning.
This work will take place in the context of the Ubiquitous Presenter system,
an extension of the Classroom Presenter system developed at the University of
Washington. We will produce a Web site of PowerPoint–based active learning
activities with supporting materials and a lessons learned document. These
materials will be specifically designed for use in Ubiquitous Presenter 1.0, due
to be released in October 2005, but will also be usable in UW Classroom
Presenter. Finally, an analysis of multi-modal student activities will explore
the pedagogical implications of Tablet ink-based, text-based, and mouse-based
learning exercises.
Toward the Dynamic Classroom: Utilizing the Tablet PC to Enhance Lectures and
Team Work Projects at Pace University
Jonathan Hill, Christelle Scharff, Dennis Anderson
Pace University
This project, undertaken by the Pace University School of Computer
Science and Information Systems with the support of Microsoft, addresses
a research initiative based on the effective integration of the Tablet
PC into CIS 101 (Introduction to Computing), a core course of the Pace
University Curriculum taken by all Pace University undergraduate
students (88 sections with approximately 2400 students in 2004–2005),
and using Microsoft Office applications along with HTML and JavaScript
in a technology product development exercise specifically designed for
this project.
The project’s goals are to (1) enhance the learning experience of
undergraduate students and provide them with a sound pedagogical environment to
utilize the flexibility and ‘real-time’ instructional benefits of the Tablet PC
during classroom lectures and presentations, (2) use the Tablet PC to apply the
key computing and technology concepts and techniques that students learn in CIS
101, and (3) test the benefits of conducting in-class team projects and
providing real-time feedback with the Tablet PC.
The project will have an important immediate impact on the CIS 101 course,
and, more broadly, on the Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS)
curriculum by involving three faculty representing the three departments of the
School of CSIS. Other outcomes include taking the best practices and integrating
them into the computing curriculum.
3D Journal for Computer-Aided Engineering Education
Hod Lipson
Cornell University
Three-dimensional sketching is at the core of mechanical engineering
design practice and pedagogy, yet sketches are currently not used as the
interface to Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools. We propose a new Tablet
PC–based sketching tool for designing and performing physical
simulations on 3D objects. The combination of sketching and physical
simulation allows for a revolutionary progressive design process: users
can sketch an object, gain immediate insight into its physical
properties, and revise the sketch until the design concept matures. With
no barriers between sketch and simulation, students can quickly explore
and understand the physical properties, advantages, and weaknesses of
their design. Instructors can quickly convey design concepts and
physical properties during lectures, making the classroom experience
more dynamic and facilitating learning. As enabled by the Tablet PC,
this iterative, sketch-based design process promises to fundamentally
change the way that engineers, designers, and architects work and teach.
The 3D teaching tool and one or more physical simulators will be made
available on the Web in binary form as source code under a public
license. The code will allow others to plug in other types of physical
simulation to expand the use of this platform for other engineering
domains.
Development
of a Targeted Tablet PC Software Development Course
Roy Pargas
Clemson University
 We will design and teach a new course entitled “CPSC 481/681: Tablet
PC Software Development.” This course is designed for senior
undergraduate/first-year graduate computer science students and offered
by the Clemson University Computer Science Department. This course
achieves two interrelated goals: (1) It teaches undergraduate and
graduate students the skills necessary to develop exciting and useful
Tablet PC software. (2) The software developed will provide new
instructional material supporting existing laptop-enhanced courses
currently being taught at Clemson University.
In a laptop-enhanced course, each student comes to class with a laptop
equipped with wireless access to the Internet. Such courses are being taught by
instructors (from many different disciplines) who are experimenting with novel
pedagogical techniques in an attempt to use technology (for example, laptops) to
deliver course content more effectively. The Tablet PC software produced by CPSC
481/681 students will supplement the material currently being used in these
courses. For example, in Fall 2005, we will target CS4 (that is, CPSC 481/681)
students will develop tablet PC software that will assist the CS4 instructor
teach data structure concepts, such as stacks, queues, lists, trees, and graphs,
as well as associated algorithms, such as arithmetic expression evaluation, tree
traversal, shortest path algorithms, and minimum spanning tree construction.
Use of a Tablet PC for Peer-Review Activities in CS1 and CS2
Manuel Perez-Quinones, Stephen Edwards
Virginia Tech
This project will introduce the use of the Tablet PC in CS1
and CS2 and will also evaluate how this tool impacts the learning objectives of
these courses. In this project we set out not only to explore the use of a
Tablet PC in CS1 and CS2, but also to evaluate how this tool impacts the
learning objectives of our CS1 and CS2 courses. We go beyond the now typical
“take notes” scenarios to explore where the Tablet PC can assist our assessment
efforts and where the Tablet PC can enhance our teaching by allowing us to
explore new types of exercises that were not possible before. We focus on
peer-review exercises for CS1 and CS2. We hope to produce a better understanding
of the peer-review process, modules that can be used in classrooms and labs for
CS1 and CS2, and software tools to support these activities.
Expanding
the Computing Curriculum Beyond the Desktop Computer
Jeff Pierce
Georgia Tech
 In order to train today’s students to create the applications of
tomorrow, we must move beyond the computer science curriculum’s
overwhelming focus on the desktop computer. We will incorporate tablet
PCs into three existing undergraduate classes in the College of
Computing at Georgia Tech. In the Introduction to Human-Computer
Interaction course, we will modify the semester-long design and
evaluation project so that students study existing note-taking practices
and the novice tablet PC user experience, design prototypes that improve
on the status quo, implement them, and evaluate them. In the User
Interface Software course, students will implement an application
incorporating the best ideas for their class project. Finally, students
in the Adaptive Personalized Information Environments course will
explore creating adaptive tablet PC user interfaces. Taken together,
these courses will enrich the human-computer interaction undergraduate
specialization at Georgia Tech and the educational experience of our
students. We will make the prototypes and reports, the software
applications, and the adaptive interfaces that students create available
free over the Internet to other researchers and educators. We will also
make available the course content we create, including lectures,
software infrastructure, and descriptions of the projects and their
milestones.
Tablet-Based
Annotation for Grading and Peer Review in Computer Programming Classes
Jeff Popyack
Drexel University
 The purpose of this project is to improve instruction, course management, and
student learning in large introductory computer programming courses, in a
placement course for advanced students, and in an upper-level software design
course. We will do this by adapting more directly to the Tablet PC environment
software tools (that is, Labrador, Gradesheet Generator) we have developed for
this purpose and by instituting pedagogic change facilitated by integrating use
of the Tablet PC–based software with a peer review/grading system. This
development will be part of the ongoing Project DUPLEX (Drexel University
Programming Learning Experience), which is developing and using technology to
redesign large introductory computer programming courses.
We propose modifications to our Labrador software, which currently works with
a course management system (WebCT) to facilitate grading through batch retrieval
of assignments from the WebCT system and allows conversion of source code to PDF
format for subsequent markup by graders. The modifications will permit
conversion to OneNote format, which provides similar functionality with the
added capabilities of interaction with the Ink data type and the Microsoft
Office suite. This will provide a seamless environment for program grading and
markup, with annotations visually enriched in meaning through their
context/location on the paper.
Short
Circuit—An Innovative Tablet PC Learning Environment
Fred Taylor
University of Florida
Despite the observation that America’s basic science and technology
enterprise are world-class, the attendant educational infrastructure remains
fragile and troubled. Warnings have been plentiful, beginning with the now
famous Neal Report that gave the entire scientific community a wake-up call. As
a consequence of the engineering academic community has been called to evaluate
their mission and honestly deal with a formidable list of problems. One problem
area is effectively delivering core undergraduate content in core areas such as
introductory circuit analysis. One of the apparent weakness in the current
pedagogical strategy is developing strong estimation and intuitive skills, the
hallmark of a successful engineer. The University of Florida has responded to
this challenge through the adoption of a studio-based instructional format which
makes use of authentic case studies. Successful circuit analysis requires that
students visualize connections between circuit topology and the underlying
circuit theorem. This requires circuit paths be isolated and analyzed,
operations resist the use traditional overhead transparencies in the classroom.
To overcome this barrier, project Short Circuit proposes to use a Tablet PC
enabled technology to graphically interpret circuits, signals, and make
connections to circuit theory and calculations. The enabling software
implementation technology is Microsoft’s venerable PowerPoint. PowerPoint is
used to rapidly prototype and animate circuits and enable embedded analysis
tools, permitting their study using pen gestures.
Investigating
the Effective Use of Tablet PCs in Computer Engineering and Computer
Science Education
Joseph G. Tront
Virginia Tech
 To facilitate general use of the tablet in the classroom, we will
develop software that will allow an instructor to make freeform notes
and sketches over the top a screen showing operating programs with the
purpose of providing instructive details describing the operations being
displayed. The instructors display will be available for projection via
a data projector, for transmission to tablet PCs being used by students,
or for archiving and future reply by students wishing to review the
session. In transparency mode, the user will have what amounts to an
electronic transparency laid over the top of an operating program in the
Windows environment. Electronic ink may be used to apply whatever
notation to the transparency which will align in registration with the
windows, icons, output waveforms, etc. of the operating program. In the
operate mode, the user will revert to the standard Windows interface and
be able to perform typical commands and operations within the working
program.
We are also experimenting with tablet techniques in the classroom and
will produce a large set of examples of how to use the Classroom
Presenter tool and the Electronic Transparency tool in typical computer
science and engineering learning environments.
A
Comparison of Educational Outcomes when Teaching Electronic Commerce Using
Traditional vs. Tablet PC-Enhanced Methods
Alfred Weaver
University of Virginia
 Tablet PCs running ConferenceXP 3.0 and OneNote have the potential to
revolutionize higher education for technical topics, especially computer
science. In one positive scenario, a tablet-enabled classroom may create
a richer, more interactive, and ultimately more satisfying real-time
educational experience, while simultaneously creating an archival
multimedia record useful for future review. In an alternate scenario,
the very existence of the archival record may alter educational outcomes
by reducing classroom attendance and decreasing group interaction. We
propose to determine what educational outcome differences, if any,
result when teaching an electronic commerce course the traditional way
versus the tablet-enhanced approach in the Fall 2005 offering of CS453,
Electronic Commerce.
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