oa iPads for Innovative Knowledge Creation

Academicians, researchers, and practitioners agree that computer technology has an important role to play in the classroom, with the main ingredient for successful technology integration being pedagogy. The more recent trend receiving attention is mobile learning, particularly with the hype that the iPad is getting and its strong push to access educational systems as the 21st century tool for learning. The current poster will report preliminary results assessing the success of two project-based interdisciplinary collaborative activities that were implemented with 41 undergraduate education students at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. The design made use of various theoretical frameworks including constructivist learning theories, student-centered principles (APA, 1997; Laurillard, 2002; McCombs & Vakili, 2005), motivational theories (Greeno, Collins, & Resnick, 1996; Hickey & Zuiker, 2005), project-based learning (Blumenfeld et al., 1991), and cooperative and collaborative learning theories (Bruffee, 1993; Johnson & Johnson, 2008). The project was employed in two courses, namely Early Childhood Mathematics and Science and Literature for Children and Adolescents. In addition to course specific assignments, students completed the following two collaborative iPad-based assignments across both courses:

- Arabic Scientist/Mathematician Biography: students had to make use of the basic principals of writing biographies to design and develop a media product to teach young children about an Arab scientist/mathematician. For this assignment, the students were given full freedom to decide on what form of media product they want to present their biography with.

- E-book fairy/folk tale: students had to create e-book for a fairy/folk tale for young children that teaches or addresses mathematical concepts such as numeracy, shapes, patterns, and measurement.

The poster presentation will offer preliminary findings based on the data collected from interviews conducted with the students after the completion of the courses. Interviews probed students� perceptions about lessons learned, successes, challenges, and suggestions for future iterations of the courses. Moreover, a number of the projects will be actually showcased during the poster presentation by some of the students. In their presentation, students will discuss their own experience with the iPads, the applications they used, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them.