70 | JADE
SARAH L TAYLOR
when out and about in the field. However, the list was very generic,
e.g. birch, and so we could not distinguish further. From FSC we
would use the other apps.”
3.3 Does a mobile digital device facilitate collaboration
and impact learning?
The pre-study assessment of the capability of an “iPad to facilitate
collaboration” highlighted a degree of variability in student opinion,
with only 50% of students agreeing that devices would facilitate
collaboration (Figure 5b). Comparison to the post-study assessment
revealed that one third of respondents had increased their ranking
and no students disagreed with the statement (Figure 8). Reasons
for the change in stance on role in facilitation included:
“[facilitates] if limited in numbers and required to share. Increasing
devices would discourage teamwork.” [changed from disagree to
agree]
“it has showed me that there is disagreement in certain plant
identifications” [changed from disagree to agree]
Unlike collaboration, there was not a predictable change in stance
on whether tree apps improve species ID, with two students
lowering their score and three marginally increasing it (Figure 8).
The proportion of agree or strongly agree was slightly down on the
pre-study assessment (83% vs. 92%, respectively). Reasons for a
change in stance were:
“it brings the focus away from the trees and getting to identify for
you, like leafsnapHD” [changed from agree to disagree]
“I think it could be helpful, but some apps, such as leafsnapHD, don’t
actually force you to learn about the trees” [agree to neutral]
“Some of the apps were quite accurate” [neutral to agree]
“More useful than I thought it would be” [agree to strongly agree]