Evaluating Wireless PocketPC's in Introductory Geoscience Courses

在介绍性的地球科学课程中使用无线掌上电脑介绍性的科学教学，包括气候变化和自然灾害等其他引人入胜的地球科学主题，传统上依赖于静态的教科书和/或课程包，在被动的观众面前以独白（尽管充满激情）的形式进行演示。此外，广泛的课堂讲稿，现在可以在互联网上。许多学生几乎没有动力去上课，更不用说参与了。传统的教学方法并没有为学生提供太多的机会来批判性地思考正在发展的论点。在地球科学中，正在发展的概念往往是通过图像和/或动画很好地说明。但是，即使是最令人惊叹的图像或电影，虽然激励，提供学生只有被动参与他们的学习。该项目结合了地球科学的丰富图像，即将到来的技术进步和新的教学方法，旨在改善学生的学习和参与调查级地球科学课程。通过利用无线PocketPC计算机进行互动空间概念挑战，在密歇根大学的两个大型地球科学课程中使用了同伴教学技术。虽然要采用的技术（浏览器，PocketPC，无线网络）主要是现成的技术和同行指导技术在本科科学类的成功是有据可查的，组合并没有被广泛采用，由于成本，感知水平的努力，以实现和相对温和的数据量记录其对学生学习的价值。

EVALUATING WIRELESS POCKETPC'S IN INTRODUCTORY GEOSCIENCE COURSESIntroductory science teaching, including otherwise engaging geoscience topics such as climate change and natural hazards, traditionally relies on static textbooks and/or course packs, with presentation delivered as a monologue (albeit impassioned) in front of a passive audience. In addition, extensive lecture notes are now available on the Internet. Many students are left with little incentive to attend class, much less participate. Traditional instructional methods do not provide much opportunity for students to critically think through arguments being developed. In the geosciences the concepts being developed are often well illustrated through imagery and/or animation. But even the most stunning of images or movies, while motivating, offers the students only passive participation in their learning. This project couples the rich imagery of the geosciences, forthcoming advances in technology and new pedagogical approaches with the goal of improving student learning and engagement in survey-level geosciences classes. Peer Instruction techniques are being used in two large geosciences classes at the University of Michigan through use of interactive spatial concept challenges utilizing wireless PocketPC computers. While the technologies to be employed (browser, PocketPC, wireless networks) are largely off-the-shelf technologies and the success of Peer Instruction techniques in undergraduate science classes are well documented, the combination is not widely employed due to cost, perceived level of effort to implement and a relatively modest volume of data documenting their value to student learning.