First-Year Engineering Student Perceptions and Use of iPad Technologies: A Quantitative Investigation of Mobile Learning

Abstract

(FYE) courses as "iPad-designated" sections. Instructors teaching these sections were provided with an iPad and some training in an effort to support the use of the iPads in these specially designated sections. While research exists on the use of iPads and other mobile devices in higher education, research specific to iPads as part of an engineering curriculum is limited. This study expands upon existing research by focusing specifically on FYE. This was accomplished through a survey project aimed at the FYE autumn 2018 students and instructors. The project goals were to identify attitudes about the iPad and its use in the FYE courses, and provide insight about how the iPad tools can improve the student experience with regard to learning new material, teamwork, and communication in FYE. An understanding of student perceptions during the first year of implementation will allow the EED to identify opportunities to increase positive student learning outcomes. As these findings are incorporated in the planning and design of future FYE courses, it is expected that there will be greater use and acceptance of the iPads in the engineering curriculum. The results of this study support the findings in literature that applications for note taking, drawing, and file sharing are well accepted and support student engagement with mobile devices. The need for more robust applications that are aligned with engineering student requirements was also uncovered. Some examples are MATLAB and SolidWorks. New insights are that students report a high level of use of the iPad for FYE purposes outside of the classroom, a moderate to high level in the classroom, and a low level of use for FYE laboratory activities. A comparison of the ratings on five value perception statements indicates that students who were part of the iPad designated courses perceive a higher level of value in the use of iPads versus those in non-iPad designated sections. These iPad section students also report more frequent use of the iPads both in the classrooms and in the FYE labs, a higher level of use of iPads for learning, reflection, and collaboration activities, and a stronger preference for using the iPad in other courses. They also rate their professor's comfort level with the iPad higher than do non-iPad section students. Among all FYE respondents, a positive relationship was found between the student's perception of the iPad improving the FYE experience and their likelihood to use the iPad in other courses. No correlation was observed between student perception of the iPad as part of the FYE experience and the student's final reported course grade. These insights support a continued focus by the EED on integration of the iPad in the FYE curriculum. A more thorough analysis of additional software and hardware needs is recommended. It is believed that emphasis on iPads in FYE, similar to the autumn 2018 iPad designated section focus, along with a resolution of some of the technology gaps identified in this study, will result in positive student perceptions and...

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