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Project Details |
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| Rationale |
On a practical
level, mobile technology allows students an opportunity to apply
knowledge gained in the classroom more effectively in a field setting.
However, using mobile technology also serves a broader purpose. We
believe allowing students to use mobile technology in a field situation
both increases their comfort level with technology and inspires new and
creative applications of existing technology. The Wildlife Technology Program is dedicated to teaching students to apply concepts they learn in the classroom to real-world field situations. We pride ourselves in training students to be capable field personnel in the immediate future and innovative leaders in wildlife research and technology in the long term. The IST networking curriculum entails multiple networking courses that provide students the core competencies needed to be proficient IT professionals. Supporting the wildlife program's mobile classroom provides the IST students with an on-going support project that will enrich their studies. |
| Implementation (Pedagogy) |
We believe actual
application of methods in the field and in the classroom is the most
desirable way for students to learn. Lecture is currently the primary
mode of delivering information on field techniques to wildlife students
and user support to IST students. Using HP mobile technology teams of
wildlife students will actually be able to apply these techniques
concurrently and efficiently in the field. IST students will be
designing technology training exercises for the wildlife students. There
is no better way to learn about supporting end-users than to support a
real group of them! Students from two widely divergent disciplines will
be supporting each other and learning together! The Penn State DuBois campus has a full-time instructional designer on staff that specializes in the use of technology in the classroom. We have also used the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence as a resource. The Institute's mission is to promote and provide opportunities for the sharing of knowledge gained about the teaching and learning process. |
Implementation
(Technology) |
HP mobile
technology will be incorporated into the Wildlife Management Techniques
course in four specific ways: 1. Students will use mobile technology to collect, store, and analyze data on tagged animals in the field. Faculty and students currently use paper printouts to keep track of individual identification numbers and associated biometric data. 2. Students will create and apply an electronic directory of photographs of individual animals using mobile technology. We currently use a large three-ring binder of photographs to help distinguish individual spotted salamanders in the field. 3. There is currently a significant gap between learning bird songs in a classroom setting by listening to CDs and trying to identify birds in the field. Students will directly compare and contrast the sounds they hear in the field to audio files of bird songs loaded onto wireless HP Tablet PCs. 4. The introduction of a wireless network will allow Wildlife students to access internet resources anywhere and anytime in the laboratory facilities on campus. |
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Implementation (Customer Service)  |
The IST program
will focus on the human aspect of technology by providing customer
service support for the Wildlife students. There will be two main
functions IST students will perform: 1. IST students will provide user training for the Wildlife students. The IST students will run through the entire life cycle of user training: creation of a training curriculum, user documentation, and training evaluation. 2. IST students will also provide on-going technical support. IST students will create policies and procedures Wildlife students will follow if issues arise. In the technology field, IT professionals need to be proficient in three areas in order to provide quality customer service. The three areas are the technology you are supporting, the people that are using the technology, and the organization. In the training and providing technical support, IST students need to understand their customers in order to provide the best possible service. |
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"Use of HP Mobile
Technology in our wildlife classes will literally revolutionize how we
collect, share, and analyze data in the field." - Keely Roen |
| Impact on Student Learning |
Student learning
will be evaluated by traditional and non-traditional means. Traditional
methods will include evaluation through test and laboratory scores and
through student ratings of teaching effectiveness scores. Student
learning will also be assessed through qualitative evaluations which ask
students to evaluate their understanding and enjoyment of each
laboratory exercise as well as the course overall. Wildlife students are
expected to retain information from Wildlife Management Techniques and
apply that information in subsequent courses. Performance in subsequent
courses may be an indicator of the effectiveness of our new methods. We would also consider the project successful if we have students interested in using HP mobile technology in their own research projects through independent research course offerings. |
| Impact on Teaching |
Goal 1: Encourage
real-world application of principles, methods, and support. - Objective: Introduce students to technology which they will use in their professional careers. - Outcome: Wildlife Technology and IST students will learn about the technology involved in their specific fields. - Outcome: Wildlife Technology and IST students will learn about the teamwork and interdepartmental cooperation required when using such technology. Goal 2: Increase student comfort-level with technology. - Objective: Wildlife Technology students will become familiar with usage of new technology in the field. - Objective: Information Science and Technology students will become familiar with the maintenance of new technology and the training needs of those who use that technology. - Outcome: Students in both fields will exhibit proficiency in using the new technology in the respective settings. Goal 3: Inspire new and creative uses for technology. - Objective: Students in both fields will determine new uses and applications for mobile technology. - Outcome: Students will use these new applications in their own research projects. |
| Surveys |
Excerpt from
wildlife student pre-course learning perception survey:
Please
indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. (1 =
strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = no opinion, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly
agree) |
| Quick Facts |
Dept: Wildlife
Technology and Information Sciences and Technology Courses Impacted: 1. Wildlife Management Techniques # Students Impacted: 40 |
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