PERC 2009 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | The Influence of Tablet PCs on Students’ Use of Multiple Representations in Lab Reports |
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| Abstract: | It is often hoped that, as students are enculturated into the practice of physics, they will begin to use multiple representations for problem solving, sense making, and communication. This study examined how different tools influenced students' choice of representations when communicating with the instructor in a written lab report. In one section of an introductory physics laboratory course, every student had a Tablet PC that served as a digital-ink based lab notebook. With digital labbooks, students could seamlessly create hand-drawn graphics and equations, and write lab reports on the same computer used for data acquisition, simulation, and analysis. In another laboratory section, students used traditional printed lab guides, kept paper notebooks, and then wrote lab reports on regular laptops. Analysis of the lab reports showed differences between the sections' use of multiple representations, including an increased use of diagrams and equations by the tablet users. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Clarisa Bercovich Guelman CSU San Marcos 10615 Caminito Basswood San Diego, CA 92131 Phone: 619-5732124 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Charles De Leone Affiliation: CSU San Marcos Contact information: cdeleone -at- csusm.edu Edward Price Affiliation: CSU San Marcos Contact information: eprice -at- csusm.edu |
