Angie Wassenmiller, R.N., BSN

The Wolfram Demonstration Project is a free resource that provides interactive demonstrations related to a number of different fields. Check out this screenshot of their searchable topics, all of which expand to numerous subtopics:

The Wolfram Demonstration Project is an open-code resource that allows anyone to create interactive visualizations and publish them.  You can use these visualizations to illuminate certain course concepts.  Using the free Wolfram CDF Player, you can interact with the visualizations as well. Demonstrations and/or their source codes can be downloaded.

Clickers are often used to poll students in large classes. However, not everyone has clickers, or uses them enough to justify having their students purchase them. With Poll Everywhere, you can poll students and gather text-based feedback using just a cell phone or laptop… which, let’s face it, most of your students probably have!

Why might you use Poll Everywhere? Well, maybe you want to quickly poll students and find out what they already know about the topic on which you are about to present. Or, maybe you are going to present and you want them to be able to share their questions so you can address them after the presentation. Perhaps they’ve just completed an assigned reading or activity and you want to give them a little quiz question to see if it was effective. Maybe you just have some housekeeping to take care of, like figuring out a date that works for everyone to take a test. Whatever! The possibilities are endless.

How do you use it? Simply type in your question, how many times each person may respond, and the ways in which they may respond. These include text messaging, web link, Smartphone… even Twitter! Using their preferred method, they type in the code that matches their response choice (or, with open-ended responses, a code and their message) and the poll results are updated immediately. Once the poll is finished, you can even save it as a PowerPoint or Keynote slide.

What are the details? You can sign up for a free account, which allows up to 30 responses per poll, at www.polleverywhere.com. Standard text messaging rates would apply. This will not generally be a problem, especially for students who usually have generous, if not unlimited, texting plans. However, they should still be made aware and given the option of using a computer or (if they have one) their smartphone’s browser. If there are students who do not have phones or laptops, adjust the settings so multiple responses can be made per device and they can share with a neighbor.

The Omaha World-Herald has an article today on the use of iPads in schools. This particular article focuses on K-12, but the topic is relevant in higher education as well, where many institutions are piloting iPad programs. More importantly, there is a statement made in this article that I think applies to the use of instructional technology, in general.

“So far, there are no studies indicating whether iPads can make a difference in education…”

And there never will be. Ever.

As an instructional technologist, I hear comments all the time about money being spent on technology that does not “make a difference.” Well, guess what? It isn’t the technology that’s doing the teaching or learning! Putting iPads in instructors’ and students’ hands will never “make a difference in education” if they aren’t being used in a meaningful way. A pencil doesn’t make a difference if it’s being used to doodle on a desk, and an iPad doesn’t make a difference if it’s being used to play Angry Birds (an educational difference, that is… I know some of you are very proud of your Angry Birds accomplishments… I also know some of you have no idea what I’m talking about).

If you are a person who doesn’t like to use technology, then I get that (although I will try to convert you). However, let’s not blame the poor interactive whiteboard that’s collecting dust for not making a difference, because someone else on campus is using one in ways that do make a difference.

So, I must break the news to you that, should you find yourself with a windfall of iPads, they will not make a difference in your classroom… but the ways in which you choose to use them just might.