Kindles in the ClassroomGrinnell College

Grinnell, IA

Mike Conner (Curricular Technology Specialist)

Amy Roberson (Reference & Instruction Librarian)

Grinnell College Background

• Four-year, private liberal arts college• Approximately 1,500 students• Inquiry-based learning• Tutorial courses for First-year students

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtellin/3620076901/

Inception

• 15 Kindle DXs donated to the college

• Larger than Kindle 2• Built-in PDF reader  • Auto-rotation

Support

• Dean's Office• Academic Resource Centers 

o Libraryo Curricular Technology Specialistso Writing Lab 

Project Goals

• Introduce e-readers (Kindle DX) to classroom environment

• Investigate pedagogical implications of e-readers• Evaluate potential of Kindle to meet goals of

Tutorial course• Conduct Assessment of student and faculty

reactions

Providing Students with Texts

• Navigating Amazon licensing• Email account for each Kindle• Amazon account with each Kindle• Removed credit card info• Support provided by faculty

Device Management and Distribution

• Encourage critical and active reading• Facilitate drawing connections between texts• Facilitate interactions among students about

texts

Pedagogical Considerations

Technical Obstacles

• Ability to interact with other Kindle users not part of the design process

• Annotations are stored in a single text file• Cannot annotate PDFs • Kindles do not have page numbers, only location

IDs

Instructor Feedback

Question: Since the beginning of the semester, have your students changed the way they take notes?

Answer:“Yes. Originally more on the Kindle. [Now] more on paper.”

Instructor Feedback

Question: Since the beginning of the semester, your students have had the opportunity to use a Kindle; has the Kindle had an effect on the way your students read?

Answer:“I believe that they have learned to compare texts better as we have moved through the semester.  I think that this has been due to the way assignments have been structured, which is in part due to the Kindle.  At this point, I believe that the same goals could be reached to the same level without the Kindle.”

Student Feedback

I take notes in the kindle...Allows me to have notes near the actual text.

I use the Kindle in addition to hand written notes, depending on the type and frequency of comments that I make.

Student Feedback

I still take notes solely in my notebook. The only time exception is when my Tutorial professor requires the class to take notes in our Kindles. Even then, I usually write the notes down in a notebook just because it is easier to reference notes written there.

I found it really hard to take notes on a kindle.

Student Feedback

When reading [on the Kindle] you can't quantify the number of pages you need to read.

I find I use the definition function and wikipedia function of the kindle when reading, and it is much easier to clarify sentences I don't understand.  However at the same time, due to the nature of annotating in the kindle, I find I make significantly fewer notes than I did when reading from paper back.

Student Feedback

I have to think a little bit more carefully about the material that I'm reading for the sake of taking clear, and concise notes..it is a pain...typing on the Kindle..however, while taking notes on it I've noticed that the difficulties presented in typing forces me to be more precise in my note taking...and if I feel like ranting or have a sudden rush of ideas I just bust out my notebook...

Lessons Learned

• Kindles allow students to carry many books around• DX may have been too large• Note-taking cumbersome• Kindle does not currently support conversations• More suited for "traditional" interaction with texts

Next Steps...

• Wrap-Up Current Studyo surveyso focus groups

• Plan for Spring (3 Groups)o Kindle o Course reserves (print & electronic)o "Traditional" books