Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): The benefits, challenges and creative possibilities encountered by geography trainee teachers

Mobile devices are now a part of everyday life whether it is mobile phones, media players or hand held computers. This small-scale study examines the extent to which secondary school geography trainee teachers made use of a hand held computer during their PGCE course. Each trainee teacher was allocated a university loaned Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) in order to assess firstly, its usefulness in supporting the trainee’s organisation, learning and teaching during the PGCE course and secondly, the pedagogical potential of using PDAs with geography classes. After initial generic training on using a PDA, later workshops focused on mobile learning including the creation of virtual fieldwork tours and mediascapes. Data was collected via three online questionnaires and an end of course focus group to assess the trainees’ use of the PDAs. Results show somewhat limited use of the PDAs during the PGCE course in relation to personal organisation and management of teaching and learning. Use with geography classes in placement schools was limited by not having class sets of PDAs; however, the potential value of PDAs for mobile learning in out-of-class situations was seen as a key benefit of this type of mobile device. Drawn from the data, a number of factors, which influenced the trainees’ use of the PDAs, are discussed. These include the functionality of the PDA, the preferred familiarity of alternative digital hardware, the intensity of a PGCE course, the school and university environments. This work in progress raises important questions for teachers and teacher educators about how trainee teachers are introduced to and experience mobile digital technologies during a PGCE course. Introduction For the ‘net’ generation’ of young people in our schools today the use of digital technology is a part of everyday life. Research into 7 to 18 year olds’ digital lives by Green and Hannon (2007) suggests that using digital technology has been completely normalised by this generation. Working with such tech-savvy young people can present challenges for educators. One such challenge is for trainee teachers and teachers to be digitally literate, up to date with the increasing range of mobile devices available (Becta 2008). Mobile devices include mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and personal media players (Anderson and Blackmore 2004). This work in progress examines the use of PDAs, small handheld computers, by geography trainee teachers during their Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course. The trainee teachers assessed two aspects of having the PDA: its usefulness in supporting their organisation, learning and teaching during the PGCE course and the potential value of PDAs for pupils’ learning. Data collected throughout the year presents the trainee teachers’ views on the PDA functionality, the factors affecting their use of the PDA and the potential of PDAs or similar mobile devices to support teaching and learning. Comment [IS1]: This level of detail might be better in the introduction? GeogEd Volume 3, Issue 2 Article 2 www.geography. org.uk/geoged Finally, how teachers and teacher educators support trainee teachers’ developing confidence and competence with mobile technologies is considered. PDAs There is a growing literature base evaluating the use of PDAs in schools, colleges and higher education in the UK (Perry, 2003; Becta, 2004; JISC, 2005; McFarlane et al, 2007; Hadfield et al, 2009). Increasingly, trainee teachers are encountering the use of PDAs and other mobile devices in schools and therefore it is important that they can identify and critically evaluate potential benefits for teaching and learning. Research into the use of PDAs in primary and secondary schools has shown their value in supporting teachers in workload management and the organisation of information; however, it is less conclusive about the value of mobile devices for teaching and learning (Perry, 2003). Exploring the pedagogic value of schools’ students using PDAs includes large scale studies such as ‘The Learning2Go’ initiative in Wolverhampton which has funded the trialling of thousands of handheld devices in schools at all key stages since 2003. The most successful applications of handheld devices are seen through case studies which describe how teachers have changed their pedagogic practice (Learning2Go, 2007). McFarlane et al (2007) identified three main ways teachers in schools are using mobile devices: teacher–directed activity, teacher-set activity and autonomous learning activity. In any learning situation there is the potential for one or all of these types of activity to occur. In further and higher education PDAs have been seen to be valuable in encouraging learning where technology is not usually accessible (JISC, 2005). In schools, PDAs offer opportunities for innovative practice in geography lessons, both in the classroom and in out-of-classroom learning. PDAs can be used to Bluetooth files between devices and carry out internet research for geography classwork and homework (Thawait, 2009). PDAs have been successfully used in the e-scape project as part of GCSE controlled assessments, being used by GCSE students both to collect data in the field and back in the classroom under controlled conditions to record their responses (Martin and Lambert, 2008). Where teachers have successfully utilised commercially produced Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software with PDAs, this has had significant impact on learners’ engagement during fieldwork and in follow up lessons in school (Dunn, 2007). Benefits of using mobile devices for fieldwork include the speed and accuracy of data collection whilst developing students’ ICT skills (Steward, 2005). PDAs can also support virtual fieldwork in the school grounds including exploring personal geographies at KS2 & KS3 (Battista, 2008). If trainee teachers are to critically engage with the pedagogic potential of new mobile digital technologies, then Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses in partnership with placement schools need to provide this opportunity. The Training and Development Agency (TDA) notes that while hardware and internet access has risen in schools, developing classroom practice and improved outcomes has been slower (TDA 2004). Through continuing ICT funding opportunities for ITT providers, the TDA aims to support trainee teachers’ engagement with Comment [IS2]: And beyond? Comment [IS3]: There are also issues of quality of service, restricted access etc which limit the potential of computers/internet. And there are concerns about the negative effects of computers on children – health risks etc The point I am making is that it all sounds ‘very matter of fact’ – new technologies have much potential – which they have, but it would be useful to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It would only take a sentence to do this. GeogEd Volume 3, Issue 2 Article 2 www.geography. org.uk/geoged new technologies. The final report evaluating the impact of funding showed that during 20062007, some 13,222 trainees were involved in or beneficiaries of TDA funded ICT projects (Hadfield et al, 2009, p.3). Whereas approximately 74% of respondents in the final report were involved in projects with laptops and tablet PCs, only 18% responded as being involved in projects with PDAs. However, recent small-scale research has analysed how trainee teachers are engaging with PDAs. In a study of 14 science trainee teachers who were loaned a PDA throughout their PGCE year, having instant access to the internet for searching information at anytime, accompanied by the organisation tools of a PDA were identified as beneficial functions (Wishart et al, 2007). A further study of 7 Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) trainee teachers established that while the trainee teachers could see the potential usefulness of a having a PDA, the socio-cultural context of the schools and MFL departments were a significant factor in the restricted level of use (Wishart, 2008). This work in progress will contribute findings from 12 geography trainee teachers’ use of PDAs as part of their 20082009 PGCE course. Research method The 2008-2009 cohort consisted of 12 geography trainee teachers, all of whom agreed to participate in the study exploring the potential of PDAs for supporting learning and teaching. They completed an online questionnaire before signing an acceptable use policy, which also outlined the rationale for the study. Each trainee teacher received a university loaned PDA for the duration of the remaining 33 weeks of the PGCE course. Immediately following the completion of the initial questionnaire, the trainee teachers received a two-hour hands-on workshop. In this workshop, they were shown the basic functions of the PDA, how to use the accompanying cradle required for charging and then given time to explore the different functions. The PDAs used a Windows mobile operating system with which all trainee teachers were familiar. A number of geography specific university ICT workshops occurred later in the course focusing on using the PDAs in out-of-class learning. Two further online questionnaires occurred after the completion of the two school placements in January and June 2009. These included questions with single and multiple-choice answers, rating scales and opportunities to type unrestricted responses to more open questions. In June 2009, one semi-structured focus group explored emerging themes concerning the trainees’ use of the PDAs. The PDA used in this study was a HP ipaq hw 6910. It used a Windows mobile operating system (word, PowerPoint, excel spreadsheet, calendar, diary, organiser, note scribing), had Web browsing capability via wi-fi connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity (for file sharing), a photosmart camera with digital photo and digital video capability and built-in Global Positioning System (GPS). The built-in GPS had been an attraction of this particular model over other