Quick Check and Quiz Functions

As I continue to explore the online text offered by Atomic Dog publishing, I have found two useful tools that I will describe in this post. 

The first tool is called Quick Check.  The main idea behind this tool is to encourage students to read through each chapter.  For example, one of the first topics in most statistics text books is the idea of visually displaying information.  This textbook provides this lesson very early on in the text.  My experience has taught me that the UG students I work with tend to pay little attention to this concept at the beginning of the course.  I believe Quick Check would be useful as I can add ungraded assessments at the end of each page.  I believe adding an ungraded assessment after each section will accomplish a minimum of two things.  First, students who glossed over the reading will be encouraged to go back an reread the information.  Second, I can pull the results of the Quick Check responses and identify difficult concepts so I may address them in future classes.

The second tool provided in the text is the Quiz function.  The fact there is quiz functionality should not be too surprising.  However, the instructor has the ability to edit the quiz or add new questions as he or she sees fit.  This is especially important in a field like statistics as we tend to use different terms to describe the same concept.  For example, the terms outcome variable, dependent variable, and response variable all mean the same thing.  If I use one of these terms in class, I can make sure the same term is used in the quizzes.  Very cool.  This will enable me to use a preexisting tool without having to change my vocabulary or style of teaching.  See ya.

'Learn More' Function

One of the first criteria I employ for selecting a text book is price.  Our current department 'common' text goes for $130 which I think is outrageous.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am reviewing Introductory Statistics: Concepts, Models, & Applications.  The electronic version of this text sells for $58.50.  As a bonus, you can add the paper text to the electronic version and receive both for $67.75.  Personally, I feel like this is a pretty good deal. 

Of course, the textbook needs to be effective as well.  With this in mind, I have been testing the functionality of the electronic text in order to identify advantages of electronic over paper.  The AtomicDog Publishing company appears to provide standardized tools for each of their textbooks.  One such tool is the 'Learn More' function.  This function enables the instructor to add references to additional content within the text.  For example, I commonly use YouTube videos in class in order to engage students in meaningful discussion.  The electronic text enables me to add a note to particular sections of the text asking students to do additional work beyond the text.  For practice, I embedded a note directing students to a specific URL and asked them to view the video so we can discuss in class.  The student will then go to the end of the text and notice a '+' sign indicating to them the professor has added content.  The students then click on the link the instructor created (and named) and the instructions and URL pop up.  I am not sure if you will be able to see this, but I am pasting the URL to the note a student will see:

http://www.atomicdog.com/MyBackpack/ContentDisplay3-0/main.asp?book=ds-5-2-10035&Session=091A90E3-2AC6-4E5B-987F-FD39FBE826BC

Of course, the link name is given a title so they do not see the address as you do.  I must say I really like this tool and can see using it in both my UG and Grad courses.  See ya!

iPad as a Textbook

My intent when I began this blog was to learn about and share the strengths and weaknesses of a specific textbook provided by a specific publisher.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, my research has taken a detour as I have begun to look at the iPad.  The Chronicle of Higher Education provided an article today focused on institutions that provide incoming students with iPads. 

http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Classroom-iPad-Programs-Get/27046/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

The area of most interest to me is the use of an iPad as a textbook.  Like the Kindle, the iPad textbook application allows students to add notes within the text.  Additionally, the iPad enables the student to communicate directly with the professor to ask questions or seek clarification.  One example in the article indicated that a professor at the University of Seton Hill actually enters the students virtual textbook and reads the marginalia (student notes in the margin) in order to correct misinterpretations the student may have. 

Although some may see this as a privacy issue, I see an application for my statistics course.  For example, I asked my students during class to calculate a z-score related to their own ACT and asked them to describe the results.  Nearly 1/3 of the students described the results incorrectly.  Knowing this, I was able to address the issue in class which improves the actual learning.  Obviously, reading student notes would help to achieve this same goal without using class time to complete an assignment.  My office will be receiving an iPad shortly so I will try to test this functionality shortly.  See ya!

Online Textbook Technology

For the past few years I have been considering adopting online textbooks for my classes.  On Friday, the Statistics department I teach for put a call out for proposals to select a common textbook for the Statistics I course offered at UST.  As such, I intend to explore the idea of using an online textbook rather than the paper version common in higher education.  In part, I chose this area for my blog topic as many of the faculty in my department believe our students do not read the current paper text.  Perhaps the adoption of an online version will change this perception of the faculty. 

My initial search has led me to Atomic Dog publishers, which specializes in online textbook technology.  The textbook I have begun to review is called Introductory Statistics: Concepts, Models, and Applications by David Stockburger.  This particular text offers interactive tools such as statistical calculators, glossaries, and end of chapter quizzes.

Please check back as I will explore these various interactive tools in order to develop my proposal.   As I do so, I intend to share my findings within this blog.  If you have specific questions you would like to have answered, please let me know and I will do my best to respond.