iWestminster - The Westminster Learning Surface

First Look, First Apps, First Impact

2. iWestminster The Westminster Learning Surface First Look, First Apps, First Impact Anne-Gaelle Colom, Philip Trwoga, Mark Clements ECS & LS
3. Outline –  Background –  First Apps –  First Look –  Student Feedback –  First Impact –  Future Steps –  Conclusions
4. Background –  Purchased 2 iPads with our previous WEX project in July 2010. –  School not printing meeting papers –  Used the iPads for meetings and storing/annotating documents –  School not printing lecture notes –  iPads for students?
5. Background –  Course Leaders of UG and PG courses in Mobile Computing since 2005 –  Developing Mobile apps since 1996 –  Teaching Mobile Computing Principles and Mobile Web since 2005 –  Teaching iPhone and iPad development since 2007 –  Developed Mobile Web and Native iPad applications
6. Background –  iWestminster idea emerged 2 years ago, and grew further with the iPad release. –  Marketing used the name ‘iWestminster’ for CampusM. –  We are distinguishing our project with “The Westminster Learning Surface”.
7. Background –  To succeed, students need to: – Learn/Study – Make the right choices • Course • Modules – Stay motivated
8. Learning – “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Confucius. – “People remember 20% of what they see, 40% of what they see and hear, but about 75% of what they see and hear and do simultaneously” (Lindstrom, 1994)
9. –  “Knowledge and Understanding can only be constructed by learners themselves” (Holzinger 2002) –  “Students consider interactivity extremely important” (Holzinger & Ebner 2003) –  “Memorable educational experience should be enriching and enjoyable” (Shneiderman 1998) –  Learning is an active process –  Student motivation is an important factor –  “Carefully designed interactive units can help the learning process” (Ebner & Holzinger 2007) Learning §
10. •  Grade app •  Course app •  Hands-on activity •  Lecture Notes/Video Study Read, Watch and Listen Study Engage in activity (doing) Stay Motivated Make choices
11. First Apps –  To succeed, students need to: – Learn/Study – Make the right choices • Course • Modules – Stay motivated Module Course Game Grade
12. First Look Module Course Game Grade
13. Student Feedback – MiCourse: “I wish I had had access to this tool when I was choosing my modules”
14. Student Feedback –  MiGame: “AMAZING!” “They are great concept to enhance the learning experience for the student” “I really enjoyed them, they were fun and helped with my understanding” ”Overall it was great and different from other modules a new technique of teaching students and a way of learning independently without feeling shy to ask anyone, and being able to do the puzzle and enjoy and learn at the same time in their own time.”
15. Student Feedback –  MiGrade: “ ? ” but hopefully will stop emails:  ”Just  emailing  regarding  the  calculation  of  the   final  year  grades.  How  are  they  done?”   –  MiModule: “ ? ” but hopefully will meet expectations of new generation of students
16. First Impact –  Now collaborating with Apple education –  Established relationship with other UK/ London Universities –  Better relationship between us and ISLS –  Informing University on strategy of data modeling for mobile app consumption
17. First Impact –  Raised interest by the students who saw the prototypes –  staff technical knowledge and the wider mobile application development field (informs teaching)
18. Future Steps –  Finalise the prototypes –  Deploy on 20/30 iPads –  Run trials with students –  Enable all Course Leaders in UoW to prepare their Course Data file for MiGrade and upload for their students
19. Future Steps –  Defining specific data format to ISLS for: – Course Information – Module Information –  Develop iPhone versions –  Make apps available to all UoW students –  Measure impact on student engagement, performance, progression and retention
20. Conclusions –  We have developed four application prototypes that provide students with means to: –  Study –  Engage with module activities –  Have a closer relationship with their course and modules (and be better informed) –  Capture their interest and motivation –  Full study will be carried out in 2011/2012 –  Also interested in finding funding to develop MiModule into a framework that will allow practitioners to develop easily their own learning units
21. –  Contact Details: –  Anne-Gaelle Colom –  School of Electronics and Computer Science –  Ext. 3853 –  Email: coloma@wmin.ac.uk Thank you for listening Questions?
22. Special Thanks –  Lesley-Jane Eales-Reynolds –  Gunter Saunders –  Will Whitlock