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The Role of iPads in Constructing Collaborative Learning Spaces

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Abstract

Traditionally, research on technology in mathematics education focuses on interactions between the user and the technology, but little is known about how technology can facilitate face-to-face interaction among students. We will explore the role that iPads versus traditional laptops play in shaping the learning spaces in which students explore concepts in business calculus. We will present a system for coding student interactions with the technology and fellow classmates during classroom observations. Our main result is that introducing the iPad, a portable device with a tactile interface and intuitive applications, enhances collaboration by allowing students to transition back and forth from private to public learning spaces.

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Notes

  1. http://community.pepperdine.edu/it/tools/ipad/research/similarstudies.htm.

  2. http://community.pepperdine.edu/it/tools/ipad/research/.

  3. http://www.appcylon.com/graphing-calculator-hd/.

  4. http://faculty.pepperdine.edu/dstrong/Java/CalculusNew/.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Timothy Chester for initiating the iPad study at Pepperdine University and Dana Hoover and Janet Valencia for their involvement in conducting the university-wide study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mathematics Department, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA, 90263, USA

    Brian Fisher, Timothy Lucas & Araksi Galstyan

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  1. Brian Fisher
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  2. Timothy Lucas
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  3. Araksi Galstyan
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Correspondence to Timothy Lucas.

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Fisher, B., Lucas, T. & Galstyan, A. The Role of iPads in Constructing Collaborative Learning Spaces. Tech Know Learn 18, 165–178 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-013-9207-z

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