The Limitations of iPads: Practice Still Makes Perfect

Is "Mere Understanding" Enough?

I have been writing about how my hope and expectation is that the  iPad will bring "deeper understanding."  I think that it does.  I have seen it.  I tell my students, "If you cannot explain it then you don't understand it."  I still agree with this.  I have seen the products of the student created screencasts.  They marvelously explain difficult concepts like VSEPR theory. Yesterday we used iPads to create a screencast of three net ionic equations. When I asked my students if using the iPad helped them better understand the concepts they overwhelmingly say "Yes!"   Only one student in my 1st semester General Chemistry class said no.  When I asked them if they think that the iPad experience will help them on the next exam two said "I don't know" and the rest said "Yes."  This is out of a total of 22 students.  In my preparatory chemistry class we used iPads to create screencasts of students performing mole calculations and drawing a Lewis dot structure of an assigned molecule.  I asked them if using the iPad helped them understand the chemistry better.  Here are some of the students' comments:

"When you can explain something you learn it better."

"I was able to hear myself do equations step by step. "

"I'm a visual learner so seeing step by step of something really helps."

"This taught me that I must have all units and watch what I do. The slightest error can ruin the entire problem."

Even a student that was unsure if it helped commented:

"It wasn't that helpful to learn chemistry better, but on the other hand was helpful to learn how to explain my work"

And of course explaining the work was the point. In that class 23 out of 24 students completed their assigned screencast.  When I asked them if it helped them learn chemistry better 12 said yes, 7 said they were not sure and 2 said no.  The two that said no were two of the last students to complete their work in the three hour time given (actually they went over by a half hour).  I think they were struggling with the technology as much as the chemistry.

But I think the data and comments overwhelmingly show that the students felt the iPad helps them understand better.

BUT!

But this just does not seem to be reflected in exam scores in the lower classes.  In my higher level class, 2nd semester General Chemistry, I do think that the students understand VSEPR and Valence Bond Theory better after using the iPads and it does translate into better exam scores.  But this just does not seem to be the case in lower level classes.

So here is my hypothesis.


I don't think understanding is enough.  Maybe that is one of those "duh" statements.  It takes more than just understanding to be successful.  Of course this is true.  If I want to be good at anything I have to PRACTICE.  If I want to be good at baseball I do need to understand the game.  I need to understand on what count to steal a base and on what count not to.  I need to know where to throw the ball with men on base when there are no outs vs. when there are two outs.  But it takes much more than understanding.  If I want to be a good batter, I have to practice batting.  There is just no way around it.  And I think practice deepens understanding to a whole new level.

A person could really think they understand a particular piano sonata by Chopin.  But when they sit down to play it, wow!  It seems impossible!  But after much practice it gets easier and easier.  Eventually someone who has practiced a lot might even say the piece is easy to play.  The average person might say this about driving or riding a bike.  At first it seemed so hard but eventually it just becomes easy.  And that is what we want.

One of the biggest complaints about chemistry is that it is just too hard to understand.  But those same students the next semester simply laugh when they reflect on the previous semester and the concepts or problems they used to think were so hard.  There is just no substitute for practice.

Can the iPads help with practice too?  Yes I think they can.  But I also think that the students would need to take the iPads home.  And at this point mine cannot.  But I also need to say that my exams are not on the iPad as of now.  They are paper exams. So in order to be authentic, I think the students need to practice on paper.  The students need to practice in the same way they will be tested.  But I still think the iPads could play a supporting role in practice.

Now the important part.  Practice "stinks" sometimes.  Practice can be boring.  It can produce little fun.  So here is the role of the teacher.  I do not think that technology will replace the teacher.  One of our primary roles is to motivate our students to practice.  So if there is no substitute for practice on the part of the student then there is no substitute for motivation on the part of the teacher.

Motivation to practice something that seems impossible must come from inside or "from the heart" as we often say.  I think one of my biggest roles is to know my students and what makes them tick and try to motivate them from that point.  Motivation and inspiration are a big part of what is meant by the "art of teaching."  I think one of my biggest jobs is to be a "student of my students."  I need to get inside their heads and hearts and find out what motivates them and causes them to really want to learn and to see the point of it all and to actually enjoy it.  If I was to give advice to a new teacher today it would be for them to lean how to motivate their students.  This sounds like a lot of work, but actually it is the root of the joy of teaching.  Getting to know my students as real people, as individuals with real needs is just a wonderful challenge and a thrill to me.  Getting to know my students and how to motivate them to concentrate on difficult (dare I say boring?) chemistry problems for hours and hours and even get to the point where they enjoy it so much that they will arrange their life around it...that is the essence of the journey of teaching.