A new research project that gives students smartphones to tackle algebra, geometry, and other math courses is showing measurable results. Students in a handful of North Carolina school districts are participating in Project K-Nect, which is grant-funded and was launched in 2007. Results from that first Algebra I group showed that the Project K-Nect students outperformed other Algebra I students at the school taught by the same teacher on the state end-of-year exam and on final grades. The 2008-09 survey showed similar results.
The project began with a million-dollar grant from Qualcomm to improve student skills in science, technology, engineering, and math. Project K-Nect students receive special smartphones made by the mobile-technology company HTC that have their calling and texting features disabled, but allow instant messaging, video-camera capability, and Internet access. Students have IM access to teachers and other students in the project, as well as short instructional videos to help explain concepts. But more importantly, students have embraced video blogging, which lets them ask for help on problem or explain solutions to other students.
According to project organizers, students have pushed the technology even beyond the original vision. Some scoffed that students would not use the video blog, but during the first week of the program, there were 75 student blog posts. Some students are actually making mini-movies about math problems to share. The concept combined with the smartphone is completely in sync with the way high school students function on a daily basis.
The program is not without issues. First, training time for teachers and students is intense—nine hours for teachers and four to six for students. Plus, teachers need to adjust their teaching styles to the smartphone, which can be a challenge. And then there is the temptation to repurpose the smartphone … on the student's part. One student spent the wee hours instant messaging a friend on the device … and the student had a 12-page printout of the conversation on the student's desk the next morning. Students' Project K-Nect smartphones are constantly monitored, and teachers have remote access, much like they do in a computer lab.
For the complete report, published in www.edweek.org, click here.
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