The use of tablets in class encourages studentsʼ attention and participation

The system enables teaching staff to use a tablet as an electronic whiteboard and as a presentation device in class, and provides students with a tool to present their works that does not need any other technological element.
The system enables teaching staff to use a tablet as an electronic whiteboard and as a presentation device in class, and provides students with a tool to present their works that does not need any other technological element.
Research
(23/04/2014)

Joan Guàrdia and Maribel Peró, researchers at the Institute for Research on the Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C) of the University of Barcelona (UB), and Carme Pineda, responsible for the Unit of Computer Systems at Mundet Campus, have made a proposal based on a protocol to use mobile devices and tablets for university teaching in coordination with Epson network projection and the software iProjection distributed by the former company. The system enables teaching staff to use a tablet as an electronic whiteboard and as a presentation device in class, and provides students with a tool to present their works that does not need any other technological element.

The system enables teaching staff to use a tablet as an electronic whiteboard and as a presentation device in class, and provides students with a tool to present their works that does not need any other technological element.
The system enables teaching staff to use a tablet as an electronic whiteboard and as a presentation device in class, and provides students with a tool to present their works that does not need any other technological element.
Research
23/04/2014

Joan Guàrdia and Maribel Peró, researchers at the Institute for Research on the Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C) of the University of Barcelona (UB), and Carme Pineda, responsible for the Unit of Computer Systems at Mundet Campus, have made a proposal based on a protocol to use mobile devices and tablets for university teaching in coordination with Epson network projection and the software iProjection distributed by the former company. The system enables teaching staff to use a tablet as an electronic whiteboard and as a presentation device in class, and provides students with a tool to present their works that does not need any other technological element.

The system enables teachers to move around the class keeping eye contact with his/her students and to use different materials in different formats without keeping next to any instrument. Moreover, it allows making bigger any part of the material showed to students —particularly, math formulas and graphs—, turning images or showing angles, writing on screened documents in any format and writing on a white page as if it was an electronic board. To add and delete text is easy and quick. It is important to highlight that the teacher can give access to those students who have a mobile device in order to show their material. Therefore, attention and participation increases notably.

The system requires a powerful connectivity network. Moreover, it must be borne in mind that this type of experience is difficult to manage in large groups.


The experience in the classroom

Since the academic year 2012-2013 until now, the software has been tested with different groups of students at the Faculty of Psychology, on degree, master and PhD sessions. Students knew the teaching innovation objective of the session; they could bring their iOS, Android or Windows smartphones, tablets and laptops.

The free app iProjection was installed in all devices. The class had wireless connectivity and the projector Eb-1995 which identifies the presentation devices connected to the network through the software EasyMP Network Projection.

Sessions were focused on Applied Statistics for Psychology, Epidemiology and Mathematical Psychology, which are subject areas that require showing math formulas and graphs, even 3D ones.