A Qualitative Evaluation of Utilizing Dynamic Quad Screen Technology for Elementary and Middle School Teacher Preparation

Over the last eight years at Indiana University an innovative hands-on science course has been offered for teachers using interactive full motion 2-way audio/2-way video links. Presently teachers most often attend the course at a studio and at three remote school sites. Dynamic quad technology allows all four sites to be seen and heard simultaneously. A detailed qualitative evaluation of videotapes from a single semester of this course was carried out in order to (a) evaluate how the instructor utilized the dynamic quad technology, (b) provide constructive guidance to teacher educators as to how the technology might be most easily utilized so that student learning can be optimized, and add to the research base regarding how this technology is used. The assessment provides important guidance with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of the technology when it is used for teacher preparation. The videotape evaluation revealed that although this technology is ever improving it is exceedingly important for those using video and audio links to develop teaching techniques which foster discussion across remote sites. Also it is critical to equip all sites with added cameras and speakerphones. Doing so increases the chances of continuing a full audio and video link to remote sites when a technological problem occurs. Although dynamic quad technology has now been available for a number of years, little detailed evaluation of its use in real classrooms for teachers and teacher educators has been reported in the literature. Over the last few years there has been a great expansion in the use of distance education technology that can incorporate 2-way audio and 2-way video broadcasts. At Indiana University this technology has been used for the past eight years to present an innovative hands-on science class for elementary and middle school teachers. Several aspects of this course are unique. First, the class is broadcast from a studio on campus to multiple school sites simultaneously. Second, the class is an activity-based course during which both those attending at remote sites and those at the studio actively construct and test hands-on science experiments that will aid their science teaching. The use of a quad screen split enables all school sites and the studio to be viewed and heard concurrently. This means that all sites can communicate with any site at any time. This graduate-level class meets during 2-hour broadcasts, once a week, for a full semester. Although there are small variations in the equipment present at the studio and the three participating schools each year, sites always have a big screen television, microphones (i.e., hand-held, ceiling, table), and a document camera. The document camera is a stand with a small, vertically-mounted camera that enables detailed video shots to be provided from one site to another. For example, if a teacher is attempting to show how a simple electric circuit has been constructed, the document camera might be used. The big screen televisions at the studio and three remote sites broadcast all audio simultaneously, regardless of the video image being displayed. This allows all sites to be heard at the same time. Video images of all three schools and the studio can be easily displayed. Also, full-screen views of a particular school or the studio can be broadcast to every receiving site. The instructor, based on campus with teachers attending class at the studio, can quickly select the image to be displayed through t he use of a phone keypad. Previous Research A number of researchers have reported on the use of distance education for the training of preservice teachers and teachers. In these articles it appears that the technology used for broadcasts, in general, consisted of simple point to point broadcasts, thus there was no utilization of dynamic quad technology. A review of the literature reveals that when multiple sites (more than 1 remote site and a studio) have been linked for teacher education, sites are either displayed in a quad setting or single sites are simply viewable one at a time. …