Abstract
In the past, a classroom interactive system is helpful to students and teachers. However, the traditional classroom interactive systems cost a lot of money in both hardware and software investments. In addition, an adequate space and equipment maintenance can be influential to the use of the interactive system. To take advantage of the wireless technology to eliminate the limitations of traditional classroom interactive system, the researcher has developed a system entitled Wireless-Connected Classroom Communicator (W3C) as a solution. W3C system mainly aims at 3 objectives: (1) Integrating the prevailing hand-held devices, including cellular phones, PDAs and laptop computers owned by most of the students as response units; (2) Reducing additional expenses on the system’s construction and maintenance, and dispensing with students’ response units and the signal receiver, etc; (3) Reducing pre-class workload for teachers, with the use of W3C, teachers don’t have to set up any special equipment in the classroom and install any special software on their computers. With the high prevalence of the cellular phones and fast growth of WLAN, GPRS and 3G Service in Taiwan, there will be a possibility that these hand-held devices could be widely integrated with the W3C classroom interactive system for more educational applications nationwide. Moreover, In order to understand the effects of using the W3C classroom interactive system in the actual classroom setting, the researcher conducted one year-long study to evaluate the integration of the W3C system into two courses in undergraduate level in a university in Taiwan. The results of the study are as follows: (1) Most students were positive toward the interface usability of W3C system; (2) W3C system engaged students more actively in learning and activated classroom climate; (3) Students showed positive attitudes toward the potential uses of cellular phones for educational applications. W3C system would be a good substitute for traditional classroom interactive system. More suggestions on future applications of the hand-held learning devices in association with the W3C and the visions of wireless technology enhancing learning activities are given for further studies.