1. Teaching with Technology in First Year Chemistry
Bob Burk

2. Teaching with Technology in First Year Chemistry A 10 Year Confluence of Expediency, Opportunities and Demand
Bob Burk

3. Confluence of things… The need to use technology
The development of appropriate technology
Acceptance by students
Demand by students

4. Description of the Course
First Year Chemistry
> 400 students

5. Description of the Course
First Year Chemistry
> 400 students
Many electronic features
Classroom

6. Description of the Course
First Year Chemistry
> 400 students
Many electronic features
Classroom
Website

7. Description of the Course
First Year Chemistry
> 400 students
Many electronic features
Classroom
Website
Streamed lectures, tutorials

8. Description of the Course
First Year Chemistry
> 400 students
Many electronic features
Classroom
Website
Streamed lectures, tutorials
Podcasted lectures, tutorials

9. Description of the Course
First Year Chemistry
> 400 students
Many electronic features
Classroom
Website
Streamed lectures, tutorials
Podcasted lectures, tutorials
, MSN, Facebook communication

11. Instructors 4

12. Instructors 2 4

13. Instructors 1 2 4

14. Development of Appropriate Technology
TV Studios (presently 6)
Electronic classrooms (presently > 100)

15. Early Efforts

16. Early Efforts

17. Early Efforts

18. (AVU – Truly Distance Education)

19. Development of Appropriate Technology
TV Studios (presently 6)
Electronic classrooms (presently > 100)
Course websites, Web-CT

20. Development of Appropriate Technology
TV Studios (presently 6)
Electronic classrooms (presently > 100)
Course websites, Web-CT

21. Web site visits in one year…

22. …and in one month…

23. …and in one month…
Fewest Visits on Saturdays

24. …and in one month…
Most Visits on Mondays

25. …and in one day

26. …and in one day
Lecture Time

27. …and in one day
Midterm Test Time
Lecture Time

28. Final Exam

29. “…Grades will be posted on May 2…”
Final Exam

30. Procrastination can be measured

31. Procrastination can be measured
Day of Lecture

32. Procrastination can be measured
Day of Lecture
Monday

33. They get smarter…

34. They get smarter…
Midterm Exam
Study Period

35. They get smarter…
Midterm Exam
Study Period

36. They get smarter…
Midterm Exam
Study Period
Final Exam
Study Period

37. What they download…

39. Weekly visits, according to students

40. Weekly visits, according to students
24  = 52550

41. Weekly visits, according to students
24  = 52550

42. Website Visits

43. On-Campus
Website Visits

44. Students study at home!
On-Campus
Website Visits

45. Development of Appropriate Technology – Electronic Aids (1990 onwards)
TV Studios (presently 6)
Electronic classrooms (presently > 100)
Course websites, Web-CT
, MSN, Facebook

51. MSN Use Nobody chats before 8:30 PM Usage peaks at 9:30 – 10:00 PM
Group messages are possible
Up to 40 simultaneous conversations (just before an exam)

52. An actual MSN conversation…
Student: Bob?
Bob – No Hi’s, Bye’s or Thanks – Chemistry only!: sup?
Student: don’t get 9.23
Bob – No Hi’s, Bye’s or Thanks – Chemistry only!: plz bms
Student: P 100 x 2 hi
Bob – No Hi’s, Bye’s or Thanks – Chemistry only!: What value of R did you use?
Student: 8.314
Bob – No Hi’s, Bye’s or Thanks – Chemistry only!: Check your units
Student: lol! should be 0.082
Student: thx
Student: sorry
Student: cul8r

53. Facebook One of the newer social networking tools
Used also for simple communication

57. Development of Appropriate Technology – VOD, Podcasts (2003 onwards)
VOD = “Video on Demand”

58. Video on Demand
Recorded lectures are encoded, compressed and uploaded to a server
Lectures can be streamed out anytime, but not downloaded
$50 / student / course

61. Lecture Streams

62. Lecture Streams
Test
Test
Test
Test

63. Lecture Streams
Test
Test
Test
Test
Exam
Exam

65. Procrastination?
Day of Lecture

66. Procrastination?
Day of Lecture
Exam

67. Development of Appropriate Technology – VOD, Podcasts (2003 onwards)
VOD = “Video on Demand”
“Pod” refers to Apple’s i-Pod

68. Podcasting
Recorded lectures are encoded, compressed and uploaded to a server
A link is made in i-Tunes
Students download from the server to an i-Pod, Sony PSP, some cellphones or any PC

70. 10 GB/day
Lecture Downloads via i-Tunes

71. 10 GB/day
Globe and Mail Article
Lecture Downloads via i-Tunes

72. Lecture Downloads via i-Tunes

73. Visits to Course Website
i.e. students are not changing their habits,
just using a different device to see the lectures
Lecture Downloads via i-Tunes

75. YouTube

76. YouTube

77. YouTube

78. YouTube

79. YouTube

80. YouTube

81. YouTube

82. Confluence of things…
The need to use technology because of student numbers
The development of appropriate technology
On-campus technical support

83. On-Campus Technical Support
pre 2002 – 2 people
Presently: Educational Development Centre – many people
Many colleagues now supporting each other
Technical feedback from students

84. Confluence of things…
The need to use technology because of student numbers
The development of appropriate technology
On-campus technical support
Acceptance by students

85. Acceptance by Students
1992: 2 students out of 550 had
2007: 95% of CHEM 1000 students have fast internet access at home

86. Student Feedback
... helps us prepare for lectures and have questions ready
... good for big rooms like theatre B
... makes things easier to understand for visual learners
... students might get the idea that they don’t have to go to class. That’s what I did last year and that’s why I’m still in first year.
…chemistry didn’t suck as much as my other courses

87. Does any of This Make any Difference?
Survey of use of electronic features correlated with grades

88. Does any of This Make any Difference?
Survey of use of electronic features correlated with grades
Strong positive correlations with:
Total lectures watched

89. Does any of This Make any Difference?
Survey of use of electronic features correlated with grades
Strong positive correlations with:
Total lectures watched
Total assignment questions attempted

90. Does any of This Make any Difference?
Survey of use of electronic features correlated with grades
Strong positive correlations with:
Total lectures watched
Total assignment questions attempted
Number of optional tests written

91. Does any of This Make any Difference?
Survey of use of electronic features correlated with grades
Strong positive correlations with:
Total lectures watched
Total assignment questions attempted
Number of optional tests written
Amount of communication with instructor