ACTIVE LEARNING IN CLASS: TEACHING WITH WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES IN LARGE SURVEY COURSES

Multi-colored textbooks, learning guides, course websites with PowerPoint presentations and posted class notes leave today's students little incentive to participate in large introductory science classes. The classic model of instruction before a passive audience, therefore, no longer sufficiently motivates students to learn and critically think through the arguments being developed. In many introductory science courses the concepts presented are still best illustrated using visualizations and/or demonstrations, but even the most stunning of images or spectacular exhibits offer only passive participation in the learning process. Coupling the use of interactive spatial concept challenges utilizing web-enabled wireless Pocket PCs (handhelds) and/or laptops and peer instruction techniques in large classes with today's technologically adapt audience, we use discourse and critical thinking activities to improve the student's capacity to analyze spatial information, while encouraging engagement and critical thinking. We will discuss our implementation and evaluation efforts of this IT-enhanced classroom, involving off-the shelf technologies for interactive quizzes, image manipulation and classroom feedback in large introductory classes at the University of Michigan. Our experiences show that use of interactive, wireless response systems requires a rethinking of the standard lecture approach and goals. In the web-enabled classroom it is not be possible to cover the conventional amount of material in each lecture, as student multitasking (listening, discussion, note taking and activities) is encouraged. While these changes to the classroom environment require that instructors teach in a more lively classroom setting and integrate basic hands-on activities and up-to-date imagery in lecture materials, they result in a more active learning environment that better engages today's students.