Probeware integration in the science classroom : the impact of a six-hour professional development workshop that combines technical instruction with implementation planning

Abstract

The impact of a six-hour professional development workshop on probeware integration was researched. The workshop combined technical probeware instruction with strategies on how to integrate probeware into the classroom and culminated with participants creating personal action plans for using probeware immediately following the workshop. Data was collected from four workshops with a total of 48 participants. The effectiveness of the workshop was assessed by measuring the participants change in comfort level using the probeware and tracking the use of the equipment immediately following the workshop. The data revealed that the workshop had a positive impact on most participants. The participants' average comfort level using the probeware increased 3.8 points on a 10 point scale, 94% of participants agreed that they were ready to use the probeware in their classroom, and 65% of participants used the probeware within six weeks following the workshop. Probeware integration was most successful in schools with staff who worked together to learn the technology and in schools that had the equipment installed, organized, and easily accessed. The six-hour training had a positive impact, but was not sufficient for complete probeware integration.