HANOVER, N.H. – As Dartmouth Professor G. Christian Jernstedt taught class in his psychology course last fall, students enthusiastically participated. Not only was there a lively discussion, the sound of tapping on PDAs (personal digital assistants) was also prevalent. Jernstedt and his students were taking part in an experiment in learning, and the research continues at Dartmouth in courses this year.
PDAs—palm-sized mini-computers—are critical to the experiment, and they are all connected by Dartmouth’s wireless network, the first of its kind in the Ivy League. When Jernstedt asks questions in his class, the students beam back their answers and see the results instantly tabulated on a giant screen. As a result, each student actively participates throughout the class.
"Using PDAs, I’m able to take advantage of the live classroom setting to provoke immediate feedback from every one of my students," said Jernstedt, principal investigator on the project, and also the Director of the Center for Educational Outcomes and Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth. "I ask a question and offer answers. The students then respond using their PDAs, and the results immediately appear on a screen at the front of the room. This provides me with instant information, so I can tailor the lecture and discussion for better learning. Everybody in the room is engaged in a real-time process that shapes participation in fascinating ways."
This PDA experiment contributes to Jernstedt’s ongoing research to better understand how people learn and what educational methods work best. "Not only are we supporting learning by utilizing computer technology in a new way, we are also gathering research data so others can benefit from what we are discovering," he said. "We know that most of the best ways of learning are enjoyable for students but require enormous time and effort from teachers. We are developing ways that technology can help both teachers and students."
The teaching and learning process is transformed when using the new PDA technology. For example, in the course last fall, Jernstedt showed his students a video clip and asked them to identify a psychological trait seen in one of the characters. The choices were displayed on a screen at the front of the class, and the students used the mini wireless computers to transmit their answers. Once everyone weighed in on the question, Jernstedt could judge immediately how well the material was understood.
"I can see and hear the buzz in the room as students make their choices," he said. "Then I see the hands go up after the results are displayed, so they can defend their answer. The discussion that ensues after each round of questions is enhanced by this technology."
Passively listening often fails to help students and professionals effectively digest the complex information that must be mastered in today’s world. "Many group learning experiences don’t take full advantage of the potential for individual engagement and interaction on the part of students," said Jernstedt. "Incorporating PDA technology to encourage real-time input from all students, triggers thinking in new ways." He added that this tool is especially effective with large classes where good group teaching and learning situations are very difficult to achieve.
"Memory is not something you access like a file system. When we remember we assemble bits of past experience, so people learn best by staying engaged in what they are doing," he said.
This project also touched professionals from outside the psychology department. Larry Levine, Director of Computing at Dartmouth, was excited about this innovative use of Dartmouth’s new wireless networking capability.
"We knew when we installed our wireless network, there would be applications we didn’t foresee. This project is one example of ingenuity and cross-disciplinary collaboration," said Levine. "We didn’t simply install the technology just because it’s available; we wanted to provide useful tools for our faculty and students both in and out of the classroom."
Handspring donated the Visor PDAs for the class, supporting research to help schools and businesses work creatively and constructively to instruct students, staff, and executives. Jernstedt and fellow research team members at the Center for Educational Outcomes, Virginia A. Reed and Stephen P. Ryan, Research Assistant Professors of Psychological and Brain Sciences, work in cooperation with colleagues from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and the Thayer School of Engineering.