Journal article
Students' experiences with PDAs for reading course materials
J Waycott, A Kukulska-Hulme
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing | SPRINGER LONDON LTD | Published : 2003
Abstract
The availability of text reading and editing software for Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) makes it timely to consider whether PDAs are useful tools for reading learning materials. This paper describes a study that evaluated the use of PDAs for reading by students on a Masters course run by the UK Open University. The evaluation consisted of pre- and post-questionnaires, and follow-up interviews. In addition, students discussed their experiences in a computer-based conference. Findings show that while the portability of the device was welcomed by students, and the electronic format was advantageous, limitations such as the small screen size, navigation difficulties, and slow and errorprone..
View full abstractGrants
Funding Acknowledgements
This evaluation project was funded through the award of an Open University Teaching Fellowship in 2001 to the course and presentation team, 'for innovation and excellence in global online course delivery.' We would like to say a special thank you to colleagues in the Institute of Educational Technology who gave us vital technical and logistical support throughout this project: Will Woods, Phil Downs, Helen Cottrell and Liz Burton-Pye. Thanks are also due to Gill Kirkup for providing feedback on an earlier draft of this paper and to Eileen Scanlon and Ann Jones who provided helpful advice during the project.