Table of Contents s450

Research Proposal 2

Research Proposal:

Benefits of Integrating Technology: The Palm Pilot

Jennifer Feck

Angelo State University Research Proposal 3

Table of Contents

Introduction...... 3

Literature Review...... 5

Design and Method...... 8

Conclusions...... 10

References...... 12 Research Proposal 4

Introduction

With technology so big today, growing, changing, and dominating the business world, it is up to the schools to prepare the students for the work world. Integrating technology into curriculums and classrooms is one way to help students prepare for life after school. “The world is becoming digital. The students need to learn with digital tools in order to succeed. They can improve skills, find new learning opportunities, and prepare for the future with handheld computers” (A computer in every hand, 2002).

This study is being conducted because the researcher as a computer teacher knows how powerful and enriching technology can be in order to help students become successful in their education. This researcher has seen how all types of learners and students with various learning abilities have been empowered by technology. Each student brings their own style of learning and creativity when it comes to completing projects on the computer. For many students, they don’t see it as work, but as fun.

Technology is very motivating tool. Unfortunately for most schools when discussing technology and integration of technology into classrooms and curriculums, it all comes down to money. Desktop Personal Computers that are used in many classrooms today can be costly to purchase and maintain. “Recent studies show that although there many more desktop computers in schools then ever before, children aren’t using them much.”(A computer in every hand, 2002). Desktop computer just aren’t as accessible as other types of technology devices. The researcher of this study has always been interested in PDA’s

(personal digital assistance). This study will concentrate on the benefits of integrating

Palm Pilots, one of the many types of PDA’s, into the classrooms and curriculums. This research will look at the educational benefits and the cost benefits of implementing Palm Research Proposal 5

Pilots. While not always having the greatest confidence that Palm Pilots have educational benefits, the research and articles found have changed the viewpoint of this researcher.

Before beginning the study the hypothesis was that handheld devices like Palm Pilots were a waste of time and money. It was once believed that all they were good for was writing and answering emails, organizing ones day, playing games, and maybe once in awhile use it as a calculator in math class. In researching for this study, the researcher found various articles, literature, and web sites that support the idea that integrating Palm

Pilots will be beneficial to students and schools.

The procedures used for collecting data in this study will be observations of students and teachers, surveys completed by students, teachers, and parents, informal interviews, and collection of student work, projects, and test scores. The study will be conducted at a Junior High School in a small country community in Southwest Texas.

Participants participating in the study will include eighth graders, their teachers, and their parents.

It is so important for students to gain computer skills and knowledge while in school. It not only prepares them for life after school, but technology is a great resource tool that enables students to transfer learning and skills to their entire academic and even some non-academic subjects. Integrating technologies such as Palm Pilots can help build up student self-esteem, make students more responsible, provide equity for all students, builds higher level thinking skills and problem solving skills, and it enables students to work with and transfer learning to real life scenarios. All in all integration of technology is important because it empowers students. “The goal is to empower students so that they can apply what they are learning in authentic situations” (Garry, 2001). Research Proposal 6

This proposal will provide proof through articles, literature, research, and experiences of others that the integration of Palm Pilots will benefit students and their school.

Literature Review

Palm Pilots are a type of handheld devices that are lightweight and can be carried and held in one hand. Originally created to keep appointments for businessmen, educators are starting to see the benefits of Palm Pilots for students (Brown, 2001).

Before beginning any program or making a change, it is important to know ones organizational culture. Knowing how ones organization functions and who leads it can make the implementation of new ideas easier. “If the organization wants to maximize its ability to attain its strategic objectives, it must understand if the prevailing culture supports or drives the actions necessary to achieve its strategic goals” (Hagsberg &

Heifetz, 2002). Not understanding ones organizational culture could make it difficult to implement and make the changes necessary in order to improve or fix a problem.

The goal of this study is to integrate the Palm Pilot into learning. “It is about teaching students to use data and information to think critically, solve problems, and evaluate” (Garry, 2001). Palm Pilots are technological devices that are being found in more classrooms today helping student become better thinkers and problem solvers and helping students succeed in learning. In one research, 84% of teachers said the focus of learning moved from the teacher and became more student directed when students used the Palm Pilot. 77% said they saw an increase in students’ willingness to use Palm Pilots to learn. Almost 90% of teachers agreed that handheld devices are effective instructional tools (research based handhelds, 2003). Research Proposal 7

Technology and Learning website had an article that cited ten top reasons to use

Palm Pilots. They are as follows. 1) Accessibility – Since they are small and compact, students can take them anywhere with them. They can carry the devices with ease from class to class to use and even take them home to use. “The device’s portability gives them true anytime and anywhere access to a wide range of computing capabilities” (Tyre,

2002). 2) Immediacy – The Palm Pilot can always be with the student. “School computer labs, even laptop computers, offer students only limited access” (Brown, 2001).

3) Convergence – Students can just about do anything they would normally be able to do on a desktop PC. A student can use the handheld device to keep homework dates organized, take notes, or collect and store data needed to complete a class project.

4) Permanency – With the proper hook ups the Palm Pilot can store data and then that data can be transferred to a desktop computer to keep forever. 5) Malleability – The user can control the device's functions, which “in turn seems to empower students to take more responsibility for their own learning” (Tyre, 2002). 6) Simplicity – There is not a lot of need for training because it is not difficult for one to learn the hardware or software. 7) Pleasurability – “Students are first motivated by the ‘coolness’ factor, explains a teacher, but after that wears off, motivation comes from having no papers to lose or get messed up” (Tyre, 2002). Students love working with the device. 8)

Collaboration – Palm Pilots makes working in groups fun. Notes can be taken by one student and then “beam” the information to the others in the group. They can work together to create a presentation and then share the information with others in their class.

Students feel equal because the price of Palm Pilots is so cost effective compared to the desktop PC. It is easier for schools to equip each student with a portable handheld device Research Proposal 8 then a roomful of computers that can be transported. “They’re the right price, right size, and the right idea at the right time. Leaving no child behind means achieving digital equity” (A computer in every hand, 2002). Digital equity means that all students have access to information and communication technologies. 9) Invisibility - The Palm Pilot is always ready to be used. One of the drawbacks that was discovered is the battery life. If students use them all the time, constantly everyday, it would be a great idea to stock up on a supply of batteries (Crane, 2001). 10) Add-ons – There are a variety of hardware add-ons such as keyboards, memory devices, probes, and peripherals. Software add-ons enable the Palm Pilot to be used as a graphical calculator in a math class or as a stopwatch in a gym class.

Palm Pilots are also beneficial to a wide range of students. In a study conducted at a high school in Kansas, Palm Pilots were truly empowering to a group of special education students. Students who were having problems taking notes and reading them later due to illegible handwriting were able to the handheld device to type in their notes.

“Even when a student misses a class, if someone else takes notes on a Palm, the notes can then by beamed into the student’s Palm” (Crane, 2001). The special education students felt proud to be entrusted with the handheld device. It made them feel as a part of the school setting. It was also stated that they felt less pressure in class since they were able to use the Palm Pilot, “now legibility is not an issue, and grammar and spelling can be corrected when the pressure to pay attention to the lecture is off” (Crane, 2001). The students with in this group had levels of self-esteem to rise. They felt more able to rely on themselves to get the job done. “The Palm can be a powerful tool for teaching and learning” (Crane, 2001). Research Proposal 9

Another article showed where the use of Palm Pilots also helped improve test scores. The teacher comments that students seemed excited about using the handheld device to take quizzes. “I also noticed that they were studying harder for the quizzes”

(Hudgins, 2001). The handheld device provides immediate feedback, which give students a sense of control over their own learning and successes.

To find out how your students and school can benefit from handheld devices, they can complete a survey questionnaire online at www.palm.com.

Design and Methods

Permission will first be sought so that the researcher may observe students and teachers in which Palm Pilots have already been implemented into the curriculum and the student’s everyday school life. The researcher will observe and take notes on how students use the Palm Pilots in and out of class. The researcher will also observe and interview teachers in order to get ideas and help on how best to conduct the study at the researcher’s school.

The researcher will then seek school, teacher, and parent permission to conduct the research at a Junior High School in a small country community in the Southwestern part of Texas where computers and technology resources are limited. The design and method of this research will show the benefits of integrating technology, in this case

Palm Pilots. The design and method of this study conducted is to see if students’ attitudes become more positive toward school and their schoolwork. It will also be designed in order to see if there are better test scores, higher completion of homework, and development of higher order thinking skills and problem solving abilities. Research Proposal 10

Participants will include an eighth grade class, their teachers, and parents. The class will be made up of a variety of ability level students found in most classes today including honors, gifted and talented, grade level, and special education. Students and teachers will first be asked to fill out a survey in the form of a Likert Scale, which will identify their computer abilities and knowledge. The researcher will also informally interview the students in order to get to know the students and so that the students feel comfortable with having the researcher around observing their daily classroom routines.

Teachers, who have already been trained in the use of the Palm Pilot, and the students will all be issued a Palm Pilot to use for the remainder of the year. Since the students will be able to take the hand held device home, parents will be asked to fill out a questionnaire that will inform the researcher if parents are able to see a difference in their child’s attitudes towards school work and their work habits. The researcher will also collect student work and projects that were completed by using the Palm Pilot. Test scores will also be collected to see if the use of Palm Pilots were beneficial to the student’s success.

Test scores will remain confidential.

This study is worthy to do because technology grows by leaps and bounds everyday. Students will need the skills and experiences with technology in order to succeed in a work force that is being more and more dominated by technology.

Technology is also another resource that can help and challenge a student to solve problems and learn. The Palm Pilot is just that type of technology that is being used by people in the business world today.

The study will be credible because the surveys and questionnaires used will have been already tested and used by other schools where the student make up is the same and Research Proposal 11 where they have researched the benefits of integrating technology such as the Palm Pilot.

Tests scores collected and used will be a reliable source of information because the questions have already been tested and used before. Student work and projects will be reliable and valid because of the rubrics used to grade them have been used before, modified and found to be a reliable way of grading student work.

Ethical considerations will be made so no student’s learning or school experience will be harmed during this study. Parents, students, and teachers will be free to voice questions or concerns at anytime during the study.

Conclusion

The timeline for this study will be one full school year from mid-August to the end of May. The first month of school will be in observing two schools that have already implemented the use of Palm Pilots into their curriculums. The rest of the school year will be used to conduct the study at the researcher’s school. After all the data has been collected and analyzed, the researcher will use the findings by sharing them with the parents, students, and teachers who participated in the study. The researcher will also share the findings with the school faculty and administration. Experiences and results will also be shared at staff developments. The researcher plans to publish the findings in a technology/educational journal and website in order to share the results worldwide. The researcher would use the findings of the study in order to seek grants that would provide the school and school district with more Palm Pilots to be implemented in surrounding schools and their curriculum. Follow up plans would be made in order for the researcher to keep tabs on the continuation of the schools use of the implemented technology. The researcher would also follow up by visiting a year later informally with parents and Research Proposal 12 students to see if the use of the integrated technology was still a success. Future plans would be to conduct more research on the extra add-ons available for the Palm Pilot and their benefits to all academic curriculums and extra-curricular activities. Research Proposal 13

References

Brown, M.D. (2001, May 16). Handhelds in the Classroom. Educational World. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from http://www.education- world.com/a_tech/tech083.shtml.

Collaborative Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2003, from www.palm.com/pdfs/handheld_ed_colearning.pdf.

Crane, E. (2001, April). Independence in the Palms of Their Hands. Curriculum Administrator, 37(4), S6-S9.

Garry, A. (2001, November 1). What is Technology Integration and Where Does It Happen?. Retrieved April 12, 2003, from http://www.techlearning.com/scripts/verify/searchy2.cgi?queryText=PDAs.

Hagberg, R. & Heifetz, J. (2002). Corporate Culture/Organizational Culture: Understanding and Assessment: Telling the CEO his/her baby is ugly. Retrieved April 28, 2003, from http://www.hcgnet.com/html/articles/understanding- Culture.html.

Hudgins, B. (2001, December). Leveraging Handheld Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved April 12, 2003, from http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A3809.cfm.

Research based handhelds. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2003, from http://www.palm.com/pdfs/handheld_ed_research.pdf.

Top 10 Reasons to use Handhelds. (2003, April). Technology and Learning, 23(9), SS1- SS5.

Tyre, T. (2002, November). New report: handheld computers play a productive role in K- 12 teaching and learning: teachers are “overwhelmingly positive” about using handheld computers in their classroom, according to an SRI International report. District Administration, 38(11), S19-S22.