Department of Applied Sciences of Education

Media Education Centre

Minerva I-Trace Project

Interactive Tracing and Graphical Annotation in Pen-based E-Learning

Handheld technology and pen-based input devices (Tablet PC, PDA, Origami-UPMC, digital pen and paper, graphic tablets, pen-mouse etc.) provide novel opportunities to develop:

1) more natural interaction and collaboration,
2) multimodal, multi-party feedback and communication,
3) mobile learning

The impact of these changes on teaching, studying and learning process and communication depends on:

features of the software (e.g., representational capabilities, cognitive support, etc.), features of the learning tasks and domain (e.g. conceptual understanding, spatial reasoning, visual discrimination, design problem solving, mathematical problem solving, etc. ) and the pedagogical context (e.g., game-based, inquiry learning, problem-based learning, collaborative learning, project based pedagogy, e-portfolios, etc.).

Developing an understanding of these factors requires conceptual, methodological, pedagogical and technical innovation. This can in turn inform the design and development of next generation pen-based learning tools, going beyond simple sharing of digital ink between student and teachers to increasingly collaborative learning paradigms.

The research task of the University of Helsinki in the I-Trace project is to clarify the conceptions of teachers and students with respect to mobile teaching and studying using a tablet PC and pen-based learning technology. The aim is to improve ICT- and network-based dentistry education in Europe. The aim in general is also to create useful and appropriate pedagogical models and concepts for ICT- and network-based teaching, studying and learning. On specific goal of project at the University of Helsinki is to test the educational benefits, usability and functionality of both a software application for teaching cephalometry (I-Trace software) and of a mobile tablet PC in teaching dentistry. The initial research questions focus on the study techniques and methods used. This includes teaching, the equipment, the usability of information and communication technology (ICT), as well as the mobility in the teaching–studying–learning process.

For more information: www.itrace.ing.unict.it/i-trace/

Preliminary research questions
1. How, from the students’ viewpoint, do the techniques and study methods used support their learning and studying?
2. What features of ICT- and network-based education can be seen in the study module?
3. How, from the students’ perspectives, do the equipment (ICT tools) used (a pen-based tablet PC as well as the ICT-based cephalometry course module) support their teaching and studying?
4. What are the students’ perceptions of the usability of the software and platform?
5. How, from the students’ perspectives, does mobility support studying and learning?
About methods and data collection

The research will be implemented in the pilot study module of cephalometry, arranged at the Helsinki University by the department of the Dentistry during Spring 2007. The objects of the study are the students (N=XX) who are studying to become dentists, as well as the teacher of the module.
The research strategy is to link both qualitative and quantitative methods in the collection of data and analysis. The research orientation is mainly ethnographic. The research target will be examined in its natural operating environment by means of privilege participation observation during the entire study module. The objective is to achieve of dialogue-based mutual understanding with the community members being studied. In particular, the operations and reflections of the students and the teacher are the target of observation during the teaching— studying—learning process. The students’ studying process and teacher’s activity will be documented within the I-Trace software. The discussions will be documented by recording them on video and notes will also be made of the same. As data-gathering methods, also interviews and a web-based questionnaire will be used after the close of the study module. The web-based questionnaire which have been designed in Spring 2006 contains 60 variables. In the analysis of data, statistical analysis methods and qualitative content analysis will be utilized. The qualitative content analysis will be made up of the five working stages: from acquaintance with the text data (transcribed interviews, feedback discussions, open replies in questionnaire) to the creation of the main categories.

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