As a better way to access data collection and decision-making in the classroom, the Integrating Technology Assessment and Action Research project educates teachers on a popular use of technology, the Personal Digital Assistant.

ITAAR, which was funded by a federal PT3 Grant (Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to teach in Technology) is a $1.5-million project to help teachers make decisions through the use of solid data, said Jason Underwood, technology coordinator for the ITAAR project.

Initiated in the fall of 2003, the eight members of the ITAAR staff have already completed their first workshop, in which faculty and supervisors learned of the ITAAR model as well as some handheld technologies. Handhelds can be useful for teachers to gather data and track student performances, Underwood said.

“We look to technology to make the process of gathering data more efficient, effective and meaningful,” Underwood said.

Underwood said one or two more workshops will be held over the next two years.

Another training project using handhelds is “Ecove-” a project directed by Tris Ottolino, an instructor for the program of the hearing impaired, to teach students to become future instructors of sign language.

Ecove, which was initiated this fall, uses Zire 71 Palm Pilots as a visual way to show teachers how many verbal ticks in sign language they use when practicing, Ottolino said. Verbal ticks include words such as um, like, you know, etc.

She said by putting these documents from the palm pilot onto an Excel chart, students will visually be able to see their improvement.

Wei-Chen Hung, assistant professor from Educational Technology, Research and Assessment Department of the College of Education, said about 65 percent of his students use handhelds in the classroom. In a survey conducted by the Northern Star, only four people out of 100 in other departments used handhelds.

Ileia Luke, a freshman biological sciences/pre-pharmacy major, said she purchased a Casio brand palm pilot in January 2004 and only used it on and off to put in schedules, phone numbers and appointments.

“I never use it anymore,” Luke said. “It was such a pest. I found it easier to write my thoughts, memos and reminders down on a piece of paper or in my cell phone.”

Greg Rupsis, a freshman pre-elementary education major, said he owns a Hewlett Packard Pocket PC and uses it occasionally to organize important events.

“Palm Pilots and Pocket PC’s are more of a revelation for the business man or business woman who is in need of a smaller, more portable electronic computing device,” Rupsis said.