e-Measure Survey

E-MEASURE SURVEY for Science Teachers

SUMMARY

The Science Education Program at UT-Dallas conducted a voluntary survey about the use of electronic measuring devices in science classes in October 2002. The sample consisted of 73 professional educators with an average of 12 years experience (ranging from 1 to 37 years). Most taught science at the secondary level in large, suburban schools.

About half of the teachers used electronic measuring devices (scientific probes, sensors, and dataloggers) in their teaching. An overwhelming 88% of those who did not, said that they would like to integrate e-measurement options into their teaching. General comments included:

I do not use them as often as I would like because we do not have enough probes to use them effectively.
We have so little money I would rather spend it on something else.
have had some experience but not enough.
Other teachers use them at the school but we do not have enough to go around. I would like activities that pertain to biology that use probes.
I have worked with T.I. graphing calculators in the past. I only have one device available to the entire school; does not allow for effective use.
We do not have a large enough supply to effectively use.
need the equipment and training.
Would love to, not much available here.
We don't have any electronic measuring devices.
We have in our school 9 sets of scientific probes & sensors I just don't know how to use them in the classroom!
we have only had the equipment for less than a month... getting trained next month.
if they were available because they are in my TEKS.
I have been to a workshop on e-measure. However my budget doesn't allow me the fund to get the probe ware.
We do not have any available.
We would love to use e-measurements but can't afford the equipment.
With a science budget of $636 we can't even get started.
Not a great deal of usage.
I would need instruction.
I would need instruction.
I have just this year moved up from 8th grade science to high school. I am at XXXXX High and teach Physics. I am learning, but am finding it a little hard to teach with little equipment. I am looking for graphing calculators... we have probes.
I have low students and they can barely use the calculator.
We only have one class set of this equipment to share with the department. Not enough training.

Vernier and Pasco were the most common brands used. Usage was reported to be less intuitive for the students than the teachers. Devices were typically not available in the classroom all of the time. More than 5 of the following types of devices were reported as used in classrooms:

Computers (for data collection/archive/manipulation)
Microscope projection device (ie, VideoFlex camera)
Dataloggers (for data collection) and Sensors: Absolute pressure, Acceleration, Barometer, Carbon dioxide (CO2), Colorimeter, Conductivity, Dissolved oxygen, EKG, Force, Heart rate, Light, Magnetic field, Motion, pH, Photogate, Relative pressure, Sound level, Temperature, Voltage/Current

According to the respondents, e-measure device usage most commonly (over 50%) occurs in a laboratory and is integrated across many lessons in conjunction with traditional sampling.

Students report and manipulate data manually (using worksheets, lab book, paper/pencil).

e-measure devices are not used in formalized testing (quizzes, midterms, finals).

Students understand what the data mean, but not where they come from (in other words, they don't seem to make the connection as to how it applies to what they've just done in the collection phase).

Overall, e-measure training experiences were attended and rated as fair in terms of equipment use/care, Curriculum integration/ teaching style, Assessment/evaluation, and Technical Support. Teachers reported that e-measure devices impacted class time by making data collection and display, exploration, analysis, and clean-up better; while set up was the same.

Teacher preferences were neutral concerning using e-measure devices over traditional sampling methods for the following reasons:

Applicable to real world.
At this level, students need to use both.
Because it is more reliable and accurate.
Better use.
Disparate availability; lack of support & ancillary material; lack of reliable hardware.
Don't know how.
Ease of collecting many points.
Ease; student choice; accuracy of measurements.
Holds the students interest more.
I have found that it is difficult to set up. The computers take up lots of space in my cramped classroom. I seem to spend lots of class time trouble shooting computer problems . I have had whole class periods taken up trying to fix problems with computers or sensors and no data was collected.
I teach very low level students who have difficulty understanding what should be done.
I think if used in conjunction with traditional sampling techniques it does a better job of teaching the concepts of accuracy and precision.
It is due to the low level of my students.
it is just more state of the art "measuring".
its more accurate and what "real" scientists use. It's also fun.
Materials not always available.
More accurate data.
More training needed with more hands-on experience.
not available.
Quicker, allows for more trials.
Saves a great deal of time on AB block with AP Chemistry.
Set up time.
sometimes more trouble.
Students need to be totally aware of all measurements and equations.
that is what student's will see in industry and in many college lab settings.
The devices are my own earned through a Eisenhower grant program, and there are not enough to use for a whole class.
There are not enough to set up on a regular basis.
Tight curriculum to cover in a short period of time.
Too much prep time and they need to know the traditional method first.

Students more often prefer e-measure devices over traditional sampling because...

anything electronic is good.
faster results.
frustration with sometimes malfunctioning equip.
Fun.
its fun to use.
it's not as tedious.
makes it easier and more accurate, no color changes to detect, etc.
Most of my students prefer anything electronic. They feel it is " easier" then doing it by hand.
New and fun.
not available.
Quicker, allows for more trials.
See the excitement in the use of the equipment.
Simpler easier to use and it takes less time to collect data.
The write-ups are awful; sharing resources (probes, interfaces, computers). is cumbersome; & glitches/technical-problems are frustrating.
They do not use them often enough to get used to them.
They feel comfortable with electronics and like the ease of data manipulation.
they feel like they are using the "cool stuff".
They lack just basic skills using a calculator.
They like all technology that allows them to skip traditional calculations.
They like technology.
They like the devices but I can't trust them to handle them properly.
They need a variety of learning methods.
way of the future, hands on experience.

Teachers felt e-measure devices sometimes enhance student learning because...

any use of technology enhances learning.
best when they see that it matches what they have done before.
Data is clearer and more precise.
hands on, real life.
helps for future, college, etc.
I would like the students to use them more but often use them only as demos.
Most students have never made observations first hand; the scale and output from electronic devices further removes the experience from real world phenomena.
Sometimes I think that it takes them to far away from the data which makes it difficult from them to really understand what the data means.
Sometimes students use e-equipment just to finish a lesson quicker.
They are not used very often.
They can see instant changes in data, say a temperature change or how a motion immediately affects a graph.
They could immediately see the information.
velocity and forces.
What gets them more interested will help them learn.
wouldn't know.

Thanks to those who were able to participate! Your input is appreciated and valued.