Education by Design Project Proposal

ETEC 510

iPads in the Classroom

Due Date: February 9- 2014

Randy Duggan
Catherine McConnell
Shannon Maion
Laura Yankov

Key frameworks
Research indicates that the iPad is not only looked upon as a fun, time
consuming toy, but instead, a versatile - powerful educational tool. A recent report
analyzing new technology in education identified the iPad as One of the hot trends for
technology adoption in schools in 2013 (NMC, 2012). While many parents have
concerns relating to the high cost of iPads in the classroom, students and teachers view
them as an essential tool for the 21st century classroom that facilitates communication
between teachers and students (Heinrich, 2012; Burden et al., 2012; Clarke & Svanaes,
2012).
One benefit offered by the iPad is the ability to collect and collate information
relating to students learning activities through an efficient network communication
connection. More and more schools are employing the use of an e-portfolio to monitor
the ongoing learning progress of their students. The iPad that is personal to the learner
offers not only a portal to learning but also a place where valuable data about the
learners activities can be stored and evaluated.
This design specifies the use of the Apple iPad for the benefits that it offers.
Integration of the iPad into the school curriculum is facilitated by the ease of use in
consistency of one operating system minimizing technical and security issues, app
compatibility facilitates communication with administration, all teachers and learners are
using the same tools. Apple also offers storage and backup options that may not be
offered on other devices (Heinrich, 2012).
The focus of this design addresses the topic of social studies at the grade 8 level
relating to the students knowledge building and advances in their learning tasks.

Through the use of the iPad "Notability" technology, rather than traditional pen and
paper method to participate in educational activities, students can collect and organize
their "evidence of learning" into an electronic portfolio that they can then share with their
teacher. The iPad/e-portfolio design offers participants many affordances both perceived
and actual. Reigeluth (1999) identified the notion of a "learner-focused paradigm" that
relies on technology-enhanced learning environments to facilitate and support
communication and responsibility. The combination of the app based forum "Notability"
and the iPad used in conjunction with web based systems such as Google Drive, offers
both students and teachers ease of communication facilitating sharing of documents
and projects, evaluation and feedback (Smarter Learning, 2012).
From a systems perspective as described by the Dick and Carey model (1999)
the learning process happens through a series of steps or processes involving crucial
components; learners, educators, materials and learning context and environment,
which aim to result in a successful learning experience. This model emphasizes
learning as a construct as new information is experienced, assimilated and stored.
Piaget (1964) defined knowledge as the ability to modify, transform, and "operate on"
an object or idea, such that it is understood by the operator through the process of
transformation. Piaget believed that learning happened accidentally through hands on
experience. Knowledge was built through an accumulation of experiences that within
scaffolding, was built block by block creating an understanding of the element or
experience. Similar to the vision behind Papert's "learning without a curriculum"(1980),
learners learn at their own pace through hands on learning, exploring allows the learner
to experience the notion, without any listed guidelines, learn "outside the box".

Through Self-directed learning the teacher creates the scaffolding acting as the
"guide on the side", students of this age 11- 15, learn through formal operations
development, being already tech savvy are able to navigate within many online forums.
Brain based learning theory( Educational Theories ) posits that when students are fully
immersed in the teacher supported educational experience, fear is eliminated while the
learner is challenged to consolidate, internalize and actively process, thus constructing
a platform for further knowledge building.(Educational Theories, NLG 1996) Learning
through a social cognition learning model, the designed, scaffolded learning
environment can be continually adjusted to the learners individual needs, producing
immediate results while supporting independent critical thinking (Educational Theories ).
As education is interdisciplinary, evaluation is best done through formative and
summative assessment with the goal of guiding the student in their learning journey.
The use of an e-portfolio provides both the learner and the educator access to the
learning achievements which identify the forward learning movement.
Intention and Purpose
The intent of this design is to construct a technology enhanced learning
environment using iPads to integrate e-portfolios into a social studies class for grade 8
students. This will allow teachers and students with little technology and e-portfolio
knowledge to integrate iPads and e-portfolios into their classroom and learning. A
creative integration of iPads into the classroom enables learners to communicate and
collaborate with peers, parents, teachers, administrators and the global community as
well as design purposeful experiences creating new levels of engagement (Berson, I.
R., Berson, M. J., & Manfra, M. M. 2012). The goal is to have students think critically

and reflect upon their course work by creating an e-portfolio using the iPad. Notability is
the specific application on the iPad which will act as the platform for the e-portfolio. Eportfolios create a sense of personal ownership over ones accomplishments as
ownership engenders feelings of pride, responsibility and dedication (Paris, S. G., &
Ayres, L. R. 1994, p.10). Using the iPad technology has the potential of addressing a
diversity of learners thus ensuring higher success rates by accommodating all ability
levels (Chau & Cheng, 2010). Using iPads to create e-portfolios affords the student
ability to showcase, communicate and share knowledge with a vast online community in
ways that were previously unthinkable (Chau & Cheng, 2010).
The purpose of the e-portfolio is for students to demonstrate skills and
intelligence not usually shown on a standard classroom test and develop 21 century
st

technology skills with the use of the iPad. Chau and Cheng (2010) report that
individuals have an increased responsibility and ownership for their learning in the 21

st

century. Building e-portfolios with iPads allows students to continually refine their
knowledge through ongoing formative assessment by communicating with an online
community of teachers and peers. Technology opens an abundance of opportunities to
support learning and empower learners which creates a shift in focus from teachercentered instruction to learner-centered curriculum (Chau & Cheng, 2010). In our
design, iPads used to create e-portfolios affords students a more personalized learning
environment and supports the development of a key 21 century skill the idea that
st

knowledge is socially constructed and negotiated (Berson et al., 2012).

Technology Employed
This design relies on the integration of three pieces of technology. The iPad is
the primary source for creating learning artifacts for the e-portfolio. The iPad has many
affordances that make it useful for our design. A vast number of learning resources
called applications create the opportunity for personalized instruction and collaborative
learning experiences (Berson et al., 2012). Integrating the iPad into the classroom
allows students to take advantage of social media and web 2.0 resources and
participate in social knowledge construction as they confront authentic, complex
problems (Berson et al., 2012, p.89).
Notability, the second piece of technology integrated into the design, is a
productivity application purchased on the iPad. This design uses Notability as the
platform which the learning artifacts for the e-portfolio are compiled. Notability can be
used daily in the classroom as students are able to use it for word processing, PDF
annotations, handwriting notes and linking audio to pages. The audio feature also
allows for formative assessment and collaboration as students and teachers can do a
voice over on top of specific learning artifacts. Web pages, video and images are other
sources of media accepted in Notability.
The third piece of technology, Google Drive, is integral to the design. Google
Drive is the space that will host the e-portfolios in student folders which will then be
shared with the teacher and classmates. Google Drive is free and its value in education
is described by Edudemic (Dunn, 2013, para.3) as project-based learning where
students can collaborate in real-time, hold chats, and even finalize a project from

different locations. The Android and iOS apps allow students (and teachers) do this
from virtually anywhere.
As with all technology there are potentially going to be reservations about using it
in the classroom. Chau and Cheng (2010) assert that scaffolding for technical support
and full understanding of e-portfolio use is required until students start to assume
responsibilities for learning. When technology is first introduced students need a lot of
guidance and support which involves a lot of time on the part of the teachers (Butler,
2006, p.4). The contents of the design project include video tutorials and handouts
which will help guide students and teachers through the process. Butler (2006) notes
that portfolios are difficult to assess and suggests using clear rubrics and a community
of assessors (peer, self and teachers) to help with assessment. E-portfolio assessment
rubrics have also been included in this design and will focus on formative assessment
taking place on a variety of occasions throughout the school year.
Supporting school district values
The design of this project coincides and supports the 2013/2014 vision, values
and goals of the Surrey School District in British Columbia while enabling students to
become:

Creative thinkers, innovators and problem solvers

Effective communicators and collaborators

Skillful at accessing, evaluation, synthesizing and presenting information

Flexible and adapt to change

(Surrey school district, 2014)

Key Concepts and Contexts

Key concepts that inform our design are based on the Constructivist model,
whereby knowledge is created through experience and engagement in activities, rather
than dispersed from teachers to students. Inherent to this concept are the theories of
Knowledge-building Communities, Activity theory, and Community of Practice.
To place this design in context, one must first look at the traditional learning
environment which we seek to replace by bringing iPads into the classroom. In the
traditional classroom, the teacher, coupled with textbooks, is the dispenser of
knowledge. We seek to change this learning environment of authoritarian knowledge
disbursement to a Community of Practice (COP) where students have access to
numerous experts, and must collaborate with each other to build what Scardamalia and
Bereiter (1994) call a Community of Knowledge. A COP is an environment where the
individual is an active participant in the practices of social communities, and in the
construction of his/her identity through these communities" (Wenger et al. 2002).
Through collective engagement, learners are focused on similar goals,
manipulate the tools provided following inherent rules, and rely on each other through a
division of labour to scaffold their learning to accomplish the variety of task set them.
This is Activity Theory in practice (Center for Activity Theory 2014).
By introducing iPads into the classroom, we seek to go beyond mere computeraided instruction, and embed the technology into the learning environment to facilitate
the creation of Knowledge Building Communities (KBC). Integral to KBC is "the
production and improvement of ideas of value to the community." (Scardamalia, 2001).

The constructivist learning environment (CLE) should foster exploration,

reflection, adaptation, scaffolding, collaboration, coaching all while pursuing authentic
tasks. Jonassen states that "rich sources of information are an essential part of CLEs
and that CLEs should provide learner-selectable information." When called upon to
research their topics using the internet accessed from their iPads, our students have
instant access to a plethora of experts that they can choose from. Students are not
merely recipients of knowledge, but rather, actively researching their subject, and
engaging in discovery learning through inquiry -based projects.
This design goes beyond what Scardamalia and Bereiter (1994) call "the pattern
of reinventing the familiar with educational technology." That is to say that using
Notability to create e-portfolios goes beyond paper and pen creation of artifacts that are
archived and later graded, rather it fundamentally changes the learning environment by
insisting upon peer and teacher input into each students work in a timely manner. This
allows for scaffolding of knowledge through reflection, reconceptualization, readjustment, and perhaps further exploration to fill in knowledge gaps.
Jonassen (1999) states that "a critical characteristic of meaningful learning is
mindful activity. For learners to be active, they must manipulate something, construct a
product, manipulate parameters, make decisions, and affect the environment in some
way." The iPad Notability app, as described previously, has a wide variety of functions
which engage the students to present their new-found knowledge in interesting ways.
Students attain the conceptual knowledge necessary to use the iPads, Notability, and
Google Drive through instruction, modelling, and instructor coaching. Through active
participation and practice, they will demonstrate their procedural knowledge by doing

research on the internet, and, using Notability, create artifacts that show the depth and
breadth of the knowledge they have attained. All students are engaged in the communal
tasks, and are called upon to further the knowledge of each individual student and
group.
Vygotsky (1978) posits that learning by appropriation through participation in a
community of practice." is what happens when one student succeeds at their task,
shares their experience, and participates in peer evaluation. They bring their new found
expertise to the community of learners, and raise the standard for everyone
participating.
Scardamalia and Bereiter (1994 p. 201) state that "To enable students to focus
on knowledge construction as a primary goal, computer-supported learning
environments help students to produce knowledge databases so their knowledge can
be objectified, represented in an overt form so that it could be evaluated, examined for
gaps and inadequacies, added to, revised, and reformulated". Such a model is what we
have created.
Interactivities
The final design projects interactivities will include a Google Drive class account
as a platform (managed by the teacher), where students will upload and share their eportfolios with the teacher and other students. Students must first create a personal
google account and start building their e-portfolio using the application Notability. The
Google Drive class account is currently under construction. To access the account, the
username is ss8portfolios@gmail.com - password: ETECH510.

Individual students will have a folder within the account, where they will upload
their Notability e-portfolio. The folder will be shared with other students and with the
teacher for collaboration purposes.
The Google Drive class account will also include a video tutorial to guide
students on the use of Notability and a document to introduce students to what an eportfolio is and the rubric for each component and assessment.
Based on the BC Social Studies 8 curriculum, we selected specific topics from
five units as our primary focus. The units and the prescribed learning outcomes we aim
to meet are shown below:

Topic

PLOs

Ancient
Civilizations:
Rome

Identify
factors that
influence the
development
and decline
of world
civilizations

Medieval
Europe:
Village
and urban
life

demonstrate
understanding
of the tension
between
individual
rights and the
responsibilities
of citizens in a
variety of
civilizations
compare the
changing
nature of
labour in rural
and urban
environments

Class Activities

Internet research: Emperors of the

Pax
Reading activities: Octavian Caesar
and Emperors of the Pax
Interview with a Roman Emperor (pair
activity)

Review of social/political structures in

the Middle Ages. Watch video:
http://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/the
-middle-ages/1312500/
Internet research on working
conditions of serfs during the Middle
Ages (rights, laws).
Class discussion: If you were given a
choice, would you have rather lived in
a town or a village during the Middle
Ages?
Compare/contrast the life on a manor
with the life of an urban resident in the
Middle Ages (Venn Diagram)
Discuss the life and working
conditions of a serf.

Assessment
(portfolio
artifacts)
Interview
criteria and
evaluation
Peer and
selfassessment

Completion
of blog entry
Venn
Diagram
comparing
life in the city
and life in a
village
Participation
in class
discussions.

Renaissance

Blog entry: My life as a serf in the

Middle Ages

compare
daily life,
family
structures,
and gender
roles in a
variety of
civilizations
demonstrate
s awareness
of artistic
expression
as a
reflection of
the culture in
which it is
produced

Readings from textbook and internet

research: life during the Renaissance
Taking a tour around the renaissance:
http://academics.triton.edu/faculty/fheit
zman/INT211%2006B%20The
%20Renaissance.pdf
My trip to Italy (5 blog entries
describing a trip to Italy during the
Renaissance)

describe a
variety of
diverse
cultural
traditions
and world
religions

analyze the
effect of
commerce
on trade
routes,
settlement
patterns,
and cultural
exchanges

World
Religions

World
Explorers

Participation
and
completion of
blog entries

Jigsaw activity to explore main beliefs

in several religions
World Religions Poster Project (group
activity) using Glogster.

Peer
evaluation of
posters.

Group activity: research the land or

sea routes taken by a different
explorer. Prepare a 3-D model
showing the routes to give a
presentation. The focus of the
activity will be How did physical
geography affect exploration and
trade

3-D model
presentation
Peer and
selfevaluation

Cooperative
group work

Support and presentation tools

Google Drive
We chose Google Drive as a platform account due to its potential in the
educational field. Besides allowing students to upload their e-portfolios and access them

anywhere with internet connection, Google Drive enables teachers and students to
view, share and collaborate.
The first step is to ensure all students can access Google Drive. It should be
simple to sign up for a Google account, and at the grade 8 level, students are old
enough to fill in their own information to apply for a Google account.
The sharing option in Google Drive is the key for classroom collaboration.
Students are all connected with their Gmail accounts, and the teacher has the ability to
provide feedback, clarify thinking, assist students with technical difficulties and monitor
their progress.
Notability
This application supports most of the note-taking needs: handwriting, PDF
annotations and word processing. Also, by using Notability to build their e-portfolios,
students can link their notes with audio in their presentations.
App Smash: Tellagami avatar, Explain Everything and iMovie
A Tellagami avatar was embedded into the video tutorial as a fun way to support
our learners and capture their interest. Textual information (translated into audio) was
used in conjunction with text using the application Explain Everything as a platform for
the avatars background. Individual video clips were saved and combined together in
iMovie for the final video tutorial.

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