November 2004 — Features

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Putting Tablet PCs to the Test

This use mimicked blackboards or overhead transparencies when teachers drew on their slates or blank slides, annotated PowerPoint slides or other documents, or drew models or math equations. Students watched and participated with software that shared access to the projected image. In classrooms where only the teacher had a tablet, it was often passed to students to participate in an activity. The images created in class were then saved and stored on the network in order for students to review later on or when they were absent.

In addition, group work was most successful in classrooms where every student had a tablet. Students collaborated on writing or graphics work, passed documents electronically for revision, and posted or presented them for the class to discuss. Students also collaborated with other students who were not in the same room. With Internet access, this meant collaborating with students anywhere in the world. However, group work was less successful in classrooms where students shared tablets because most screens were small and had limited viewing angles.

Students took notes, performed research, read and shared their work with the class. Software allowed teachers to poll students to ensure they were on task and understood the material. Many schools that required tablets or notebooks for all students used them to take quizzes and tests, or to provide immediate teacher feedback. The computers were an integral part of the curriculum and assessment.

Textbook makers took part in pilot projects and created digital text as well as rich interactive multimedia for learning using the tablets. All of the notes students made by handwriting or typing were searchable. Reading on tablets also supported students with vision and hearing impairments through the easy modification of text size, color, contrast, and the audio recording and playing capabilities.

Simplifying Data Collection

The collection of classroom data was easier with tablet PCs than with desktops or laptops because of their form factor and pen input. Using slate mode with a pen, it was simple for students to take tests, fill out surveys, and then send those forms to their teachers over a network. Since the forms and data were electronic, data could be easily extracted, compiled and distributed. For grading, teachers easily annotated both text-based and graphical digital documents, then returned them to their students electronically. This kind of feedback was done right in the classroom, or students would place their work in an electronic “drop box” where teachers retrieved it, marked it up and returned it electronically.

Another type of data that was input easily using a tablet in slate mode was attendance. This data was uploaded to servers instantly and compiled into a larger database more quickly than delivering attendance sheets to an office. Some teachers even made seating charts that included student pictures to get to know names more quickly.

Exploring New Frontiers

Schools that acquired tablets in lieu of desktops or notebooks wanted them to be fully functional computers. They often favored built-in drives, larger screens and docking stations. Schools that wanted to input text primarily from the keyboard looked for easy keyboard access, a good pitch for typing, and balance when used in that mode. Students who were required to purchase tablets as their primary computing machine wanted to be able to view videos and multimedia, play music, and use IM functions - not necessarily classroom requirements, but critical for student acceptance.