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When a new technology comes along, it is
automatically integrated in the rationalization paradigm. In
this paper, as a contrast to rationalizing, the ExCon project
suggests that mobile computing can help educators assess
students in a different way. We have designed and
developed a software package for a mobile computer,
Newton ( www.newton.apple.com). The objective with the
software is to enable the educator to keep notes about
students and groups with the purpose of communicating the
notes back to the students as feedback.
Keeping notes about individual students performance
and group projects is nothing new. Neither is keeping the
records in an electronic format, e.g., a small database on the
desktop computer. Of course, the limitation with
conventional computers is apparent. They are not mobile
enough to easily bring along to seminars, on the train etc.
The ambitious teachers start out with a well designed
database and high intentions. However, after some time the
record about the individual student as well as the different
groups is a dispersed mass of database entries, manual
notes, and mental notes.
ExCon is a part of a larger effort to create a collaborative
learning environment. Computing and communication
technologies such as electronic mail, bulletin board
services, computer conferencing systems, and the WWW
are having a profound effect on education [1]. Asynchronous
learning networks (ALN) is a means to create this feeling of
a true group of people who are learning together [2]. A
central factor in ALN is the capability for learners to learn
anywhere and anytime and still be part of a community of
learners.
Methodologically, the ExCon project is intervention
with the premise that examination in higher education must
focus more on process and less on product, and that this
can be supported by mobile computing. The paper is
organized as follows: First a short methodological
discussion. This is followed by a two sections, one about
learning, and one about examination. Mobile computing is
then briefly characterized. The software prototype, Tracker,
is then outlined and the initial evaluation is described. The
paper concludes with a discussion.
Research Method
The natural choice of method in an intervention is action
research. In action research the researcher takes an active
role as an interventionist and uses her own experience.
According to Patton [3], the purpose of action research is to
solve a problem here and now. A key assumption is that
people in a setting can solve problems by studying
themselves. The standard for judging action research is the
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Abstract
In this paper it is claimed that traditional examination often
is destructive to the process of learning. It does not matter
how good intentions educators have, it is the way they
examine students that will have the strongest impact on
how the students learn. The goal of the ExCon project is
intervention in traditional examination. The paper
discusses an alternative model for understanding assessment
and examination of students. Product assessment is
questioned as an appropriate approach. Instead it is argued
that educators should, to a larger extent, provide the
student with questions and other types of feedback during
the ongoing activity and use communication as an
important element of the examination. For this purpose, a
software prototype for a mobile computing device to
support the educator was designed and developed. An
evaluation of the prototype was performed and the paper
ends with some thoughts on the viability of the prototype
in supporting alternative assessment and examination.
Keywords
Assessment, examination, feedback, Newton messagepad
Introduction
For many years, educators have tried to improve education
with different technologies. The reason for using a specific
technology varies, but it is not controversial to suggest that
the main objective has been rationalization. Computing
technology in education has been, and still is, a tool to
rationalize teaching. Two approaches dominate: First, as a
tool for the educator to distribute facts and information to
passive students. Presentation software and recently the
World Wide Web (WWW), offers an opportunity to
present the lecture and course related information in an
appealing format. Second, as an alternative to the teacher so
the students can practice on their own. There is a growing
number of educational software packages available. Most of
them show strong similarities with Skinners behavioristic
ideas about the teaching machine. These approaches will do
little but speed up ineffective processes of teaching as they
reflect an objectivistic model of learning
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