Is there still a place for PDAs?

Two things have happened in the last week. First, I’ve begun to formulate some ideas for a small research project at work, with the aim of constructing a classification matrix for identifying types of wiki use. Second, and quite unrelated to this (at first glance), I’ve started using my PDA a little more. Time for the History lesson!

Back in 2004, and after completing my undergraduate studies, I bought myself an hp iPAQ 4150. At the time, it was a pretty good piece of kit. As well as web browsing capability (using wi-fi or dial-up networking) and integrating with Microsoft Outlook (email, contacts and diary), the iPAQ has a variety of additional features including Bluetooth capability and the ability to put a variety of file types (including MP3s) on a removable SD card. The plethora of accessories (the 3-in-1 stylus, anyone?) and additional software applications, such as the excellent Spb Pocket Plus, has made this a useful companion. I continue to use the iPAQ on a daily basis, though moreso nowadays for syncing my diaries at home and work.

However, I recently started using a Nokia E65 mobile phone, which with wi-fi capability, allows me to connect to hotspots (for example, at work) to check email, in a variety of places. Best of all, it’s entire free, avoiding incurring any data transfer charges from phone network. More recently, I’ve played with a handful of the newer breed of handheld devices including an iPod, iPhone, a PSP and a Nokia N810 tablet. So, why still bother with my PDA? Its educational uses, particularly for collaborative activities, are still very much apparent.

A PDA can be used to take photos, allow students to access content in a variety of formats… and if availability of handheld devices is an issue, then content can be saved onto removable media. As a device for promoting greater collaborative activities, a case study from the University of Glasgow states the following:

For students with communication or confidence difficulties a PDA can provide assistance via its “beaming function”. … Therefore in class, students can write their questions out and beam them to their colleagues or tutor. This is helpful for anyone with a speech impairment as well as those who lack the confidence to ask a question in front of their peers… The increased opportunity for communication also provides the possibility of greater collaboration between students within lectures.

I can very much relate to the “speech impairment” comment as I have a stammer myself, so appreciate fully why use of PDAs might aid students.

Furthermore, with regards to the collaboration theme, some work has been done at the Queensland University Of Technology, where Pocket RikWiki, a mobile wiki for supporting online and offline collaboration, was created. Wiki pages were created/edited on the PDA, synchronising with the next the next time the student connected to the network. The ways in which staff and students at the University of Bath access the institutional wikis (Moodle’s dfwiki, and Confluence) is hopefully going to form a part of my classification matrix. I suspect however that this measure might be too difficult to track.

Where institutions, want to avoid issuing devices which have (a) playing music (and podcasts) as its primary function, (b) expensive phone tariffs and (c) a gaming console, the PDA still seems like a logical choice. As for my PDA? Yes, newer and sexier models are available. But for the time being, I’m going to stick with my trusty hp iPAQ 4150!

Exploring models for activities, collaboration and assessment in wikis

In preparation for some research project work that I’m going to be doing in relation to collaborating online using wikis, I’ve been reading 2007 a short paper by Edna Tal-Elhasid and Hagit Meishar-Tal from the The Open University of Israel.

The authors put forward a short description of teaching coordinators at the University who expressed an interest in integrating wiki usage into their courses. During the pilot project, teaching coordinators were given the freedom to design their own learning activities based on their own approaches and understanding. Following this work, authors put forward models developed during the course of the pilot, analyse the differences between them and the nature of the activities that took place.

In particular, I was interested in the collaborative models that the authors put forward. A summary of each appears below.

• Cooperation – In this model, most of the work is performed individually by students, who each create a wiki page. Only the individual writes or edits their own page. Their peers use it solely as a resource or product.
• Collaboration and Cooperation - All students work together on the same content, therefore increasing the level of collaboration. As a result of this, the context is edited and improved upon by the group. This is referred to as the process.
• Cooperation, Collaboration and Peer-assessment - Collaboration is implemented with respect to all dimensions: product, process and assessment. Students work in individually or together, upload information to the wiki, edit each other’s work as well as providing peer feedback. Given the complexity of the collaboration aspect, detailed planning of the assessment part of the assignment is required. Each student should feel comfortable enough to contribute, and the ability for one student to monopolise the assignment should be avoided.

Using this model, it should be relatively easy to identify which category a particular wiki falls into. At my own institution, The University of Bath, we’re looking to construct a matrix which will make classification of such wikis easier and possibly more fine-grained. It is the peer-assessment part of this model which I believe is the most difficult for individuals and the teacher to support. I remember hearing a tale of wiki use at another University where a particular group member became so protective of their contribution to a wiki, that they restored an original version of their writing (after changes had been made by a peer), marking it with “This is mine – please do not delete”.

A couple of questions begin to emerge. How can we begin to encourage students to work collaboratively online together, where they take ownership of the space as a collective group, rather than as individuals? What is the best way of promoting a “safe” environment in which students can do this?

What’s in a name?

Every blog has a first post, so here’s mine! I’m Nitin Parmar, a Learning Technologist within the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Office at the University of Bath. You can find about a bit more about me in the About section of this blog.

I’ve created this blog for a number of reasons. First, the name, colligo. What’s it mean? It’s Latin. The definition is as follows:

colligo : legi, lectum, to collect, gather together, assemble

In a word, colligo sums up what I hope to use this blog for. The intention is to get more of my stuff “out there”. By this, I mean things that I’m doing at work, some reflections, thoughts and the like. I’m hoping to develop a research interest in effective online collaboration and will use this blog to highlight things I’ve come across, such as good practice, relevant reading and useful website. I’m already a regular user of Facebook but I tend to this that as a more social activity — this blog is definitely work related, rather than anything personal.So there we go. That wasn’t so hard was it? I’m hoping to update this blog fairly regularly, usually during my two-hour slot for personal development time.