Teaching Economics Graphics

WIPTE 2007 is almost here! In a previous post I referenced the excellent proceedings of much of the research from the WIPTE 2006 conference. This year I will be attending and offering a poster on my 1:1 computing experiment in econometrics.

On the program is a presentation (their second at WIPTE) on how pen computing and DyKnow Vision can lead to better results in teaching economic graphics. Mary Dixon, Kerry Pannell and Michele Villinski will present "Can Pen-Based Computing Enhance Graph Construction and Comprehensive in the Introductory Economics Classroom?" Mary shared a early copy with me and the answer is yes. "The group using pen-and-tablet note-taking technology earned better grades and made fewer graphing errors on the quiz. Despite the relatively small sample size, this study provides preliminary evidence that DyKnow Vision along with Tablet PC technology improves student outcomes in economics, particularly in graph construction and interpretation."

Elluminate + Tablet PC = Virtual Office Hours

I like using Adobe Connect for virtual office hours, but I came across this blog posting at Elluminate.edublogs.org featuring how Dr. Ricky J Cox at Murray State used both a Tablet and Elluminate to teach / tutor chemistry. The video on the link is very instructive, at least to me who has used Adobe Connect. One thing is clear, in economics (as in chemistry) there are plenty of questions that can not be answered without resorting to the pen and drawing the graphs and equations of the answer. I was intirgued with the Illuminate product as explained by Dr. Cox and think it is a great tool for distance lerning.

In a separate post here are some examples of how Elluminate is used for virtual classrooms.

Product website elluminate.com.

1:1 Computing and Econometrics -- in their own words

Eight graduate students in econometrics relate their experiences by answering a question on the last day in class after using their Gateway M285 Tablet PCs and DyKnow Vision for the past five weeks. This is the second of two classes so our students had Tablet PCs for only the 5 last (and most intense) weeks of a total of 30 weeks. So the question posed in DyKnow was ...

Describe how the use of the Tablet PC has assisted your learning of econometrics.

I received many different statements in four broad categories: (1) about the lecture, (2) about reviewing notes, (3) about mobile computing, and (4) a couple of general comments. I have quoted them closely, but changed the writing to be of one style to help you read through this list.

About Lecture

• I don't need to write too much during the class so that I can concentrate more on listening
• It is much easier to make notes, but the pen is really hard to use (and that is the only negative comment)
• The tablet PC assisted me in studying econometrics a lot. Especially in class, it helps me concentrate more. It helps me pay attention in class better.
• The Tablet PC has made learning more interactive especially during lecture.

Reviewing Notes

• The Tablet PC is very useful in that I could use DyKnow to reproduce notes and did learn better from seeing my hand written notes with the lecture notes.
• Having all the notes accessible on DyKnow Vision was the most useful aspect. I made many references to DyKnow notes.
• Note taking is enhanced through the ability to correct and move data easily.

Mobile Computing

• Having an electronic copy of all my notes as well as a portable computer increased my efficiency, desire to work, and number of locations where I am both physically and technologically capable of working and studying. This is especially true for SAS (our statistical software).
• Mobile technology is a great advantage in and out of the classroom.
• Having SAS on this computer saved much time avoiding trips back and forth to school.
• Having the screen directly in front of me made the material much more accessible.
• I can work at anytime. The Tablet PC reminds me to put more effort on econometrics because whenever I turn it on my assignments were shown instantly reminding me how much I had to finish.

General Comments

• I can communicate with the teacher more effectively.
• The statistics (from the polls) in class let me know what others in class are thinking about the specific questions.
• The Tablet PC is very interactive and I fell in love with it.

There you have it .. in their own words.

1:1 Computing and Econometrics -- last day

My intent to blog throughout this experience got way laid with the end of the semester pressures from school and elsewhere. The experiment is essentially over and the 8 students in my graduate econometrics course have now completed their last class using DyKnow Vision on their Gateway M285 Tablet PCs. Recall from previous posts that in about the 10th week of classes we assigned to each graduate student exclusive use of a Tablet PC. Overall I think this was a very successful experience and experiment and hope to reproduce it again.

At the heart of this experiment was two parallel experiences. The first was the introduction of problem based learning in a big way (second year for PBL). The second was the use of Tablet PCs and DyKnow Vision (first year for that). Both succeeded beyond my wildest dreams and in future entries I will begin to detail how it exceeded my expectations.

Let me go on record as having always opposed laptops in the classroom (including when I was CIO of this university). I thought curriculum had to be bent badly to allow their use and find it ridiculous to see students shove their laptop aside just to take notes on paper. I teach quantitatively demanding courses and other than the running of statistical programs and writing papers (both better accomplished outside of class rather than within) the laptop is useless. I am a huge fan of instructor used computers in the classroom and I have used a laptop everyday in every course since 1995 or so. I did so to display my lecture notes and presentations to the students, adding a digital tablet and later the SMART Sympodia, and later yet again I used the Tablet PC so I could digitally whiteboard. But I found no need for students to have laptops in class. I teach econometrics in a computer classroom and when needed had students on the desktops in the room for purposes of some joint learning. Using SMART Synchroneyes I could take control and display student screens as we jointly worked on programming problems.

In this 1:1 computing and econometrics experience, the success comes from the combination of the Tablet PC and DyKnow Vision. Students have the lecture notes or presentations displayed on their Tablet PCs and they can annotate them and take private notes by typing or with digital ink.

I will have much more to say on this, but for now let me call your attention to the graph at the top of this message. It is the last in-class anonymous poll that I asked my students. This poll followed a discussion of the usefulness of the Tablet PCs to each of the students, and their written responses to an open ended question. With little attempt to define carefully the responses A to E (with A the highest), the students were asked how the Tablet PC assisted them in learning econometrics, that is, how important was it to them to have a Tablet PC to learn economics. An answer of C or the middle response represents a student that reports a take it or leave it response, an answer that says regardless of how much I like the Tablet PC, I could have learned as well without it. Answers A and B report more learning of econometrics with a Tablet PC (and DyKnow) and no one chose the worsening of learning answers of D and E. While hardly scientific, the honest answers of the students show a very positive experience.

More later.