November 2003 — Features
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Portable Technology Comes of Age
The Utilization of Handhelds in a Pilot Teacher Education Program
The pda was originally conceived of as a portable handheld electronic device that provided a user with a tool to organize his or her life through easy access to a personal calendar, daily planner and address book. Over the years, these devices have expanded to include many new functions, which have helped more applications in diverse fields. This includes an increased interest in their use within K-12 and higher education.
During 2001-2002, PDAs for teachers had been integrated into 7% of all U.S. public schools. In addition, SRI International released the "Palm Education Pioneers Program: Final Evaluation Report" (2002), which reported on a large-scale study of the use of handheld computers in more than 100 U.S. elementary and secondary classrooms. Of the teachers who participated in this study, about 90% felt handhelds were effective classroom tools and had the potential for making a positive impact on student learning.
However, the majority of practicing teachers and prospective student teachers has had little exposure or experience with PDAs as educational tools. This article focuses on a study of the incorporation of the Compaq (now Hewlett-Packard) iPAQ Pocket PC into an introductory teacher education course at Brigham Young University. The study looked at two things:
1. How student teacher candidates voluntarily used the PDA for personal and educational uses.
2. Attitudinal changes that occurred during the six-week course regarding the use and effectiveness of handheld technology in the classroom.
Data Gathering Methods
A class section of a secondary education course in social studies was selected for the pilot program. The particular section was chosen because it integrated two additional strands of technology and creativity into the social studies methodology. This six-week course had 26 participants: 70% female and 30% male. Of the participants, 42% were juniors and 58% seniors; 89% were of ages 18 to 23, with 11% of the participants 24 years or older. Students met daily with university professors on campus and visited a public school weekly where they provided a classroom lesson. Once the iPAQs were distributed, the students were provided with initial training on how to use the devices and limited help with the actual set up.
This study used two primary instruments for gathering data. First, students were required to keep a daily log of how they used their PDAs. This log identified the type of use or function performed by the PDA and the amount of time actually spent in use. Second, a pretest and posttest were conducted using attitudinal scales regarding the effectiveness and use of handheld technology in education. Data was also collected on students' experiences with technology before taking this course. In addition, weekly debrief sessions were held in which students could share thoughts or feelings about their experiences with the iPAQ.
Pilot Program Results
