Technology and the Large Class
Bill Vining
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Celebration of Teaching, November 2009
TABLET COMPUTERS use a pen to
write on the screen during a
lecture presentation. Record the entire
Lecture: video of screen + voice .
Dealing with a large class? Technology can help:
1. Tablet computer develops material as you go and
records entire lecture. Students who miss class
can watch the lecture online and then come in
with questions.
2. Clicker use during class aids communication between
you and your students, and between students.
3. Online homework can serve as to keep students up
to date with material and you up to date with
their progress.
ONLINE HOMEWORK (OWL) serves to:
Give automatically graded
homework
Provide 1st-level tutorial help
Act as a mastery system
Provide students an indication
of their progress and
randomized study examples
Provide you data on:
- student progress
- time spent working on HW
- warning reports of all
students below a
certain level
- quick communication with
groups of students
based on progress
PowerPoint saves the handwritten
notes made on slides. You can post
both original and annotated versions.
Student response is highly favorable.
Question: How does this method of
lecture delivery compare with normal
PowerPoint use?
Much Better
Somewhat Better
Same
Somewhat Worse
Much Worse
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Percent Respondents
Producing and posting a recorded
lecture takes about 30 minutes of
computer time, but only ~2 minutes
of work.
CLICKERS use student-held response
devices where they “vote” on
questions you ask.
Uses:
Attendance
Quick check on understanding
Keeping class attention
In-Class quizzing
Getting student opinions
Drive class discussions
Students were asked (via clickers)
which aspects of the course best
helped them learn the material.
Homework was found most useful;
the physical textbook least useful.
Examples at: http://employees.oneonta.edu/viningwj/chem111