All sorts of electronic equipment can be brought into the classroom to support learning. The Faculty of Health has experience of a number of these and there are colleagues in other faculties that can also share their development outputs. Here are some example of hardware that can be put to use;

Tablet PC

LTU has a tablet PC which is available to loan to faculty members who want to trial its use in classes. This is a technology that is quite widely used in secondary schools - the computer is a fully functional computer but is roughly the size and shape of a thick tablet of A4 paper. It has no keyboard because input is made with a stylus directly onto the screen. It is equipped with wireless networking and this feature along with its size and light weight mean it can be handed from student to student in a class. A variety of different uses can made made of this. Here are just a few suggestions;

• Teacher mobility. It's possible to connect the tablet wirelessly to the projection system in the class so the teacher can run a lecture, including slides and whiteboard without being tied to the lectern.
• Student minute taking. Students may take turns at taking minutes during a lesson. The tablet can be handed from student to student easily and quickly and an electronic record is kept. This can make use of the Microsoft Journal tool which accepts handwritten notes which can be distributed as-is or hardwriting recognition can be used to convert to a word processor file.
• Electronic flipchart. A group of students can use the tablet like a flip chart. Optionally the chart can be projected on a big screen during the session and the Completed chart can be distributed in electronic format after the event.
• Note taking on field trips. It is possible to input text into the tablet PC without the need for a surface to rest on. So, it is ideal for a teacher to take notes on during field trips. The tablet is rested on one forearm, held steady with one hand and written on with the other hand.

Please contact Jon Maber if you would like to explore these or any other possibilities.

Voting devices

The University TEL Team has acquired 'Cricket' voting devices. These resemble very small television remote controls and are handed out, one per student in classes. They communicate with the teacher's PC via radio or infrared signals. Software is supplied for framing yes/no, multiple choice and other kinds of question and students respond by pressing buttons on the device. Responses can be obtained anonymously or you can record device ID numbers against names as you hand them out. There are numerous possible uses for this, for example pop-quizes, student feedback or student selection of lecture content.

Please contact Jon Maber if you are interested in evaluating this technology.

Audio Recorders

Recording audio has never been easier - LTU has four handheld recorders that use memory cards for storage. Sound quality is high, capacity is huge and recordings can very easily be transferred to a computer and from there to a web site or Email. They are often used by teachers to record feedback on assessments but they can also be used directly with students. For example,

• Simulated radio Interview. Students take turns to be interviewed on a prepared subject. Experience in Nutrition and Dietetics has shown that students find this kind of activity daunting but are motivated to prepare well and after the event report that it was enjoyable and worthwhile. The use of a simple battery powered recorder makes it possible to run this kind of class in almost any quiet location.
• 'Masterclass' A masterclass is where a teacher focuses on one learner and the audience gains insight from observing the teaching/learning process. Typically, the learner in the spotlight is a more senior or advanced student than those in the audience. An audio recorder can be used so that the masterclass can take place in a small venue and be accessed by other students later. Obviously, such a recording can only be used in this way with the consent of all concerned.
• Professional role playing Developing communication skills is a key component of many courses in our faculty. Students who practice these skills in classes can often benefit from reviewing their own performance by listening back to audio recordings. When a whole class is taking part in this kind of activity it is important that simple, inexpensive and portable recording equipment is available. Having good quality microphones built into the unit itself is a particular advantage.

Video Recorders

Video is becoming almost as easy as audio to record and it is possible to extend any of the techniques mentioned above into visual as well as audio recording. However, the additional technical demands mean that a move into video should be taken only if there is a clear need in your particular class. For example, if you have role playing exercises and the analysis of performance includes discussion of dress, body language, eye contact etc. then the extra demands of video will be worth dealing with. The biggest technical difficulty with video is the problem of distributing it. File sizes can be very big and there is often a need to convert between file formats.

Accessibility

Please give careful thought to the needs of disabled students when using technology in the classroom. For example, if you have a role playing exercise in which you review audio recordings together, a deaf student may be able to lip read during the exercise itself but will not be able to review the recordings along with the rest of the class. In this case you could arrange that a BSL interpreter were present.