Instructional Technology
Conference 2007

Title: Using Technology to Enhance Student Understanding:
Experiences from the Tennessee Governor’s School for the
Agricultural Sciences

Name: Joey E. Mehlhorn, Ph.D.; Tim N. Burcham, Ph.D., P.E; Philip L. Smartt, Ph.D.
Audience Level: All

Audience: faculty

Length: 1 hour

Abstract:
During the summers of 2005 and 2006, high school students from across the state of
Tennessee attended the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Agricultural Sciences at the
University of Tennessee at Martin. Students were issued Tablet PCs as part of their
college immersion experience. The level of Tablet PC integration varied from minimal to
full. Students found that the Tablet PC did enhance their experience and increased their
understanding and perception of technology.

Description:
The Tennessee Governor’s School for the Agricultural Sciences (TGSAS) began in 2004
to expose Tennessee high school sophomores and juniors to the agricultural sciences.
TGSAS was designed for students ranking in the upper 10% of their respective classes.
The demographic make up of the applicants were from all three regions of the state, with
a majority of applicants being female. The first TGSAS class consisted of a mixture of
traditional educational paradigms enhanced by experiential learning opportunities.
Beginning in 2005 and continuing in 2006, scholars were issued Gateway M275 Tablet
PCs for use during the duration of TGSAS. The goal was to integrate technology into
every facet of the TGSAS experience. Instructional technology personnel trained
scholars on how to effectively use the Tablet PC features to enhance their classroom
experience. All scholars were enrolled in six credit hours of college courses. Each
course utilized Blackboard course management software to deliver digital notes and
assignments to scholars. The most common feature was the use of digital ink for students
marking up their notes. This was particularly useful for students as they followed along
with faculty lectures in class. The integration level for the Tablet PC in the classroom
varied from three types: minimal use, medium use, and full Tablet PC integration.
Scholars were surveyed to determine their acceptance of the technology in the classroom
and determine if any educational benefits resulted from use. The full integration class
completed all assignments, quizzes and exams digitally using the Tablet PC. Findings
from the surveys revealed mixed results on the effectiveness of the Tablet PC technology
on student educational enhancement. A majority of the students were found to not fully
use the digital ink features of the Tablet. Students cited that they could type faster than
they could write on the Tablet PC. Students did reveal that the technology did enhance
their overall TGSAS experience. The information from this experience is useful to
departments considering a mandatory laptop or Tablet PC program for their students.
There were positives and negatives with using Tablet technology in the classroom. A
more complete description of full survey details and findings will be presented in the
completed poster.

Session Type: Poster

Contact information/affiliation:
Joey E Mehlhorn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Agribusiness
University of Tennessee at Martin
Brehm 265
Martin, TN 38238
731.881.7257
mehlhorn@utm.edu

Tim N. Burcham, Ph.D., P.E.
Parker Chair of Excellence
University of Tennessee at Martin
Brehm 254
Martin, TN 38238
731.881.7275
tburcham@utm.edu

Philip L. Smartt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Natural Resource Management
University of Tennessee at Martin
Brehm 266
Martin, TN 38238
731.881.7266
psmartt@utm.edu