Enhancing the Teaching of STEM Subjects using digital pen-enabled tablet technologies

Brief Description

Effective teaching of STEM subjects is a critical concern nationally and at AUT. STEM subjects typically have a large body of content and process knowledge, and direct instruction in a classroom or lecture environment has been a core component of pedagogical practices. While many aspects of these practices have proved effective, they are challenged by changes in educational environments and developments in online and digital technologies.


The Project will consolidate a number of different initiatives in the use of digital technologies, and pen-enabled Tablet PCs in particular.  It will support initiatives in:

  1. The use of pen-enabled technologies in a classroom teaching environment, aimed at establishing good practice guidelines.
  2. Development of digital online resources (and in particular, screencasts using pen-enabled Tablets and software including MediaSite DeskTop Recorder) to be used for independent study and formative assessment.
  3. The use of online collaborative environments that provide support for interactions using handwritten and hand-drawn material (OneNote, Bluebeam Revu).
  4. Digital workflows for assessments involving handwritten/hand-drawn material (Blackboard).
  5. Approaches to Postgraduate Supervision involving collaboration in pen-enabled environments
  6. The development of strategies for implementing the themes above in an effective teaching workflow i.e. re-engineering traditional STEM teaching strategies to take advantage of new technologies, while maintaining the effective elements of traditional pedagogical approaches.

Team members, their areas and roles

School of Engineering: David I Wilson (co-leader, third supervisor of PhD dissertation), Sarat Singamneni (co-leaders), Tek Tjing Lee, Roy Nates, Loulin Huang, Chris Whittington, David Nutt, Kosala Gunawardane, Krishnamachar Prasad, Craig Baguley, Tom Moir, Mike Protheroe, Thomas Neitzert, Sascha Kosleck, Jonathon Currie, Vince Middeldorp.


School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences: Robin Hankin, Kerri Spooner, Sergiy Klymchuk (primary supervisor of PhD dissertation)


School of Applied Sciences: Wendy Emson
Others (TBA)

Funding

Supported by a grant from AUT’s Learning and Teaching Development Fund.

Contact

Project Coordinator – Peter Maclaren, PhD student, Centre for Learning and Teaching peter.maclaren@aut.ac.nz