Benefits and Limitations of iPads in the High School Science Classroom and a Trophic Cascade Lesson Plan

ABSTRACT

This study explores the utility of a set of tablet-based personal computers in the K–12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classroom. Specifically, a lesson on food-chain dynamics and predator–prey population controls was designed on the Apple® iPad platform and delivered to three sophomore-level ecology classes (roughly 30 students per class with six iPads). Questionnaire feedback indicated that most students greatly enjoyed and were engaged in the activity. Further, student understanding of core concepts generally increased after participating in the tablet-based activity. Here, the iPad was essentially used as a data generator for a calculation-based activity, which is one of many potential applications of a class set of tablets. The collective results of this study indicate that student engagement and concept building is enhanced by immersive, tablet-based activities and a lesson plan that can be readily used in K–12 science classrooms is provided.

Key words: :

• tablet
• iPad
• mobile
• STEM
• K–12
• ecology
• food chain
• trophic cascade
• lesson

Acknowledgments

Funding and support for this study was provided by the National Science Foundation GK–12 program and the University of Washington Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence.

FIGURE 1: Timeline for a two-part lesson on trophic energy transfer and predator–prey population dynamics. The activity was conducted during a 2-h laboratory period with a debriefing and final assessment in the next 55-min class period.

FIGURE 2: Students were given one iPad per group of three to four students.

FIGURE 3: During Part I of the activity, students collected ecological data while playing the Food Chain—The Game iPad application.

FIGURE 4: The relationship between a student's score on the warm-up exercise (preassessment) and their improvement in understanding (i.e., differences in postassessment and preassessment scores). A student's understanding was assessed on a scale from 0 to 3 (n = 49; see Table I for rubric scale).

FIGURE 5: The relationship between a student's improvement in understanding (i.e., difference in postassessment and preassessment scores) and their critical thinking level. Critical thinking levels were determined by a student's ability to rationalize and explain the meaning of Growth Efficiency, a term that they have never heard before, but were instructed how to calculate during the lesson (n = 28; see Table II for rubric scale).

TABLE I: Student score rubric for preassessment and postassessment.

TABLE II: Student score rubric for critical thinking assessment.