E-books and Mobile Apps for Technician Education (E-MATE)

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A rapidly increasing number of students have strong connections with their mobile devices. To leverage this connection, this project is creating a generic framework for the development of e-books and mobile applications in STEM education. The framework is initially used to create e-books and mobile apps for Photonics and Networking courses in conjunction with content experts at two National ATE Centers of Excellence. The framework consists of templates, sample code, documentation and other materials that are enabling faculty and institutions to create their own e-books and mobile apps. The framework development is broad-based, covering iOS, Android, and web-based platforms for maximizing adoption. The two ATE Center partners work closely with the project's team to ensure the optimal integration of the best pedagogical approaches and technology to benefit student learning and to support faculty teaching using these new tools. Evaluation of the deliverables includes testing by both end users (students and faculty) and developers interested in using the project framework (other institutions), as well as assessing potential gains in student learning. The broader impact of the work is potentially substantial since users can download the e-books and mobile apps from the respective market places such as Apple's App Store, the Android Market, and amazon.com at much reduced costs than for traditional textbooks. Additional dissemination of the materials and framework is broad through the OP-TEC and ICT Centers, as well as a website and workshops, forums, and presentations at national conferences.