For Better or Worse? My Experience of Teaching in the “Smart Classroom”

I was my pleasure teaching in the “smart classroom” during my first quarter in The Collins College of Hospitality Management  at Cal Poly Pomona.  The classroom installs four Apple TVs, which enable professors and students to stream the same (or different) content on four different screens.  And yes, if you wonder, there is an app for this “smart classroom.”

I think this is a very “cool” classroom.  It definitely provides more flexibility for professors and students.  To name a few examples, I was able to stream class lectures using the SlideShark app on my iPad, making it easier for me to walk around to engage with different groups of students or answer students’ questions.  When we were having a guest lecture session via Skype, I was able to keep one or two screens for the guest speaker (Skype) and at the same time, showed students relevant content on other screens. 

The “smart classroom,” however, is not always working for the better.  There were also a couple of times when Apple TVs did not function well (e.g., when Apple upgraded the iOS system).  I ended up giving a lecture without any visual assistance.  There were also a few times when SlideShark dropped from AirPlay too often.  I had to download the lecture file to a desktop and teach with a mouse and keyboard in the front.  To some extent, such technology failures remind me the challenges every service worker faces in the hospitality industry.  In front of the unexpected, we have to remain calm and come up with a creative way as soon as possible to fix the problem(s).

The biggest challenge actually comes from classroom control.  Because students were sitting in groups and they were “everywhere” in the room, I had to keep my attention on every corner of a big classroom no matter where I was standing.  I also needed to pay more attention to voice projection and repeat students’ questions every time before I gave the answers.  While I could walk towards those students who were wandering to “remind” them that they were being watched, I had learned soon that I should not move too often.  Otherwise, I would be “too busy” walking around, and those paying close attention might feel “too busy” following me.

Looking forward, I will continue teaching in the “smart classroom” during the winter quarter.  I am very happy about that, but at the same time, I would like to hear your feedback and suggestions.  If you have taught in a similar setting, what works for you? What lesson(s) do you learn?  Or, if you have attended a class in a similar setting, what do you like or dislike the most?  What suggestions will you make to your professors or guest speakers to enhance your learning experience?

Relevant discussion:

Learning while Tweeting: Why Not? 

Learning while Tweeting: Why Not?

Using smartphones in class?  Don’t students have enough distractions?  Doesn’t tweeting or texting make students disrespectful to the professor in class?

As a professor myself, I certainly understand how distracting a smartphone can be to a student in class, but at the same time, I also believe using smartphones and tablet computers can enhance students’ learning experience if they are used appropriately.  Here is my experience.   

When I taught at Texas Tech, I had a strict policy that prohibits students from using laptops and cellphones in class.  I adopted the same policy when I first moved to Syracuse University (SU).  It made sense at that time because I wanted students to engage with me in face-to-face and verbal discussion. 

Time has changed, however.  When I developed and taught the social media class at SU and RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology).  I turned to the opposite direction.  I requested to teach in a computer lab.  Students were encouraged to used laptops, smartphones, and tablet computers, and they were required to tweet during class.  I administrated class discussion on Twitter.  Afterwards, either a student or I would summarize the class discussion on Storify.  Students could refer to class discussions (notes) on Storify at any time.  It seems to me students were engaging on Twitter.  In the end, they also became very familiar with Twitter as a communication tool, which was also one of the learning outcomes of the class.  I have found it very helpful by allowing students to use tablets or smartphones in class. 

Will students take advantage of the lenient policy?  What if they also check on something that they are not supposed to, such as writing a none-class-related post on Facebook or shopping online?  I take it this way – if students are good at multi-tasking, which means they are able to engage on Twitter and do other things at the same time, I respect them and let them continue what they are doing in class.  If they are not participating, I will “pull” them back to the class by asking them to elaborate what is said on Twitter. 

Very soon, I will be teaching in The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona.  I feel fortunate that I can teach in the “smart” classroom, which can be controlled with an iPad and has multiple screens.  I am encouraged to replace the professor-centered idea with a student-centered pedagogy.  It doesn’t matter what subjects I am teaching, I will definitely encourage students to use smartphones and/or tablet computers to interact with me, in addition to face-to-face conversations.  I am looking forward to trying out new educational apps and new teaching tactics in the “smart” classroom.  Please stay tuned for more updates.

In the end, I would like to share with you a Wall Street Journal video, which is also about using smartphones in classroom.  In your opinions, should students be allowed to use smartphones in class?  Why or why not?  What are the best practices for professors to engage with students in class?

Relevant discussion:

The Challenges of Using Social Media in Teaching

Teaching Social Media in Business Schools: What Needs to Be Covered?

Text Messages that Teach: A Great Example of Entrepreneurship in the Mobile Device Market

Can a Tough Cell Phone Policy Teach Teenagers Cell Phone Etiquette?

Still Feeling Reluctant to Adopt a Social Media Strategy: Please Think Again

Reference:

The picture was downloaded from Kellimarshall.net 

Smart Marketing with Smartphones

Photo taken from www.glamour.com/

You’re waiting in the car at the gas station. You’re bored at the doctor’s office. You’re waiting for your professor to arrive to class. You’re at a party that’s lame. What do you do? 

You do exactly what everyone else does. You reach for your phone. You check your Facebook notifications, then you check the weather for tomorrow, next you see who won the big game.The list goes on. Anything you used to do on your PC, you now have the capability of doing on your smartphone. 

There are currently 4 billion phones in use, of these 1.08 billion are smartphones. 

How many applications do you have on your smartphone? How many do you think the average person has? And, what does it take for you to download a free App or spend money to buy an App? 

According to an article written back in 2009 on CNN Money, Apple employs 40 individuals to approve Apps for the App Store. Every week, approximately 8,500 applications are submitted to this team for approval. As of September 2012, 650,000 Apps were available on the App Store. 

Photo taken from www.thebreakfast.com

So, now that you have downloaded the Twitter, Facebook, Yelp and GoogleMaps you only have 56 more to go to reach the number of Apps the average person has downloaded. 

Restaurants, movie theaters, television shows, airline carriers, travel agencies, banks and retail stores are all utilizing SMS advertising and mobile applications to generate leads, traffic and add new customers. 

But, why are companies investing billions of dollars into this new platform of advertising?

Companies understand the ROI on the mobile movement. Nine out of ten smartphone searches results in an action. For instance, going to Starbucks because FourSquare offered you a coupon or going to the movies because you watched a trailer on your Fandango App or trying a new restaurant because you saw great reviews on Yelp. 

What are your favorite Apps you have downloaded or purchased? Which Apps do you use on a daily basis? And, what companies do you think are leading the mobile movement? 

Check out this video for a better understanding of the mobile movement. 

 References:

Costello, S. (2012). How Many Apps Are in the iPhone App Store. Retrieved from http://ipod.about.com/od/iphonesoftwareterms/qt/apps-in-app-store.htm

Elmer-DeWitt, P. (2009). 40 staffers. 2 reviews. 8,500 iPhone apps per week. Retrieved from http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2009/08/21/40-staffers-2-reviews-8500-iphone-apps-per-week

 Olenski, S. (2012). American Express Looks To Shake Up Mobile Advertising. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare/2012/06/05/american-express-looks-to-shake-up-mobile-advertising/

 Perez, S. (2011). App-ocalypse. Retrieved from http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/18/app-ocalypse/ 

Pham, D. (2011). Smartphone user study shows mobile movement under way. Retrieved from http://googlemobileads.blogspot.com/2011/04/smartphone-user-study-shows-mobile.html