From School Computing

by Demetri Orlando Creative Commons 3.0 copyright release: non-commercial, share-alike, attribution

Tablets provide all the functionality of laptops with the added capability to "write" on any electronic document. Tablets are a natural evolution from laptops, as word-processing software was an evolution from the typewriter. With a tablet, students can manipulate hand-written notes and drawings with the same kinds of electronic advantages that make word-processing better than typewriters. These advantages include revision, moving things around, cut & paste, emailing, resizing, multiple permutations, etc. In addition to annotation of any document, students can use the notebook software which includes many capabilities not possible with paper-based note-taking. These and other advantages are described in detail below, but they fall into four general categories:

• Combines access to all resources in one convenient device
• Promotes collaboration, engagement, interactivity
• Supports multiple learning styles
• Provides unique capabilities

Tablets have many capabilities which suit them to educational settings. This list attempts to articulate reasons why tablets are superior to laptops...

• Smaller, less obtrusive form factor: The tablet is smaller and lighter than most laptops we currently use. It can be used as either a normal laptop, or it can swivel into tablet mode. Writing notes with the stylus is quieter and less obtrusive than typing. With regular laptops, students' heads can be hidden from view behind the screens. This does not happen while in tablet mode because the tablet is either flat on the desk or cradled in the students’ arms.

• More natural interaction with the screen: Controlling the screen with the stylus is a direct method of interface manipulation, as opposed to a mouse. The tablet allows users to write and draw on the screen. This informal means of text input (vs. keyboarding) is more conducive to certain types of writing, such as note-taking, diagramming, and journaling.

• Combining access to resources: The ability to have every document, note, communication, audio/video files, and information resources (websites, electronic texts, online databases, etc.) on the tablet provides organizational benefit and streamlines the research & writing process. It could also facilitate a “portfolio assessment” process. The multimodal nature of the tablet may contribute to a greater level of use of resources as there is no division between note-taking, accessing internet resources, using productivity tools, and using educational software. This ubiquitous access may promote a critical synthesis of resource and tool use.

• Supporting multiple learning styles: Being able to draw and write notes supports and engages visual and kinesthetic learners. Using multiple pen colors improves emphasis of important points and understanding of categorized concepts. Audio capabilities support aural learners.

• Conversion of hand-writing to text: The tablet’s input panel and other applications convert hand-written notes to editable text. Email messages can be “written” with the stylus. No “recognition training period” is required.

• Powerful projecting: Connected to a projector, the tablet allows teachers to show anything, and manipulate and interact with it. Teachers can prepare material in advance or write “on the fly” during class as one would write on a blackboard, which is particularly useful for material that requires interaction – e.g. illustrating how to solve equations or illustrate dynamic processes. Teachers can easily re-display previously covered material that would normally have been erased on a blackboard. By standing to the side, the teacher never blocks the screen and can maintain eye contact with students while teaching. This method supports spontaneous or “teachable” moments of instruction by providing an easy way for the teacher to write and draw on the board, easily saving, moving content around, using multiple colors and multiple sources of content. Wireless projecting: Using a wireless projector increases a presenter’s ability to interact with and engage the audience because s/he can roam amongst students or pass the tablet around. The projector software can be on all the computers so that users can take turns connecting to the projector.

• Collaborating:
  • The tablet form factor encourages more collaboration because students can gather around and work together on one tablet and (in conjunction with a projector) display their group’s work to the classroom. It is easier to collaborate on one tablet than on one laptop. The screen can easily swivel and angle to face individual(s). The stylus can be passed around, and is easier to use than a mouse from any angle.
  • Notes, drawings, diagrams are inherent to the brainstorming and development process. Being able to share and collaborate electronically on any document promotes this skill-set. The tablet encourages active collaboration in the creation process. Users can communicate and share from within their notebooks, and import content from other applications into their notebooks.

• Ink annotations: The ability to insert ink annotations in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel allows teachers to put editing notes into those documents or other annotation activities such as diagramming sentences, interacting with PowerPoint images, etc.

• Note-Taking Capabilities: The applications Windows Journal (single sheet of paper) and Microsoft OneNote (3-ring binder) allow students to take notes and organize them for each class or subject.
  • Ease of erasing and making changes: The ability to “undo” changes, erase writing, and move things around enables students to take better notes, and allows re-using of examples.
  • Expanded note-taking: Writing with a stylus broadens the scope of note-taking by allowing diagrams, graphs, symbols, foreign language characters, and a wide range of scripts and notations that are inconvenient with a keyboard.
  • Organization: Journal documents can be saved into folders for projects by subject area.

• Microsoft OneNote Capabilities:
  • Search notes: Regardless of whether notes have been converted to text, they can be searched globally.
  • Flagging notes: Flags can be placed on notes to mark important items as important or as needing follow-up action. The notes associated with those flags can then be displayed as a list by notebook section or for the entire notebook. Clicking one jumps you to that section of the notebook.
  • Record audio: The tablets have built-in microphones. The OneNote application includes a recording feature that will record audio in sync with the note taking. This audio can be played back in sync with the notes, or the student can jump to specific parts of it. This supports auditory learning. Students can search their notes, even the handwritten portions, and subsequently replay the audio portion of the lecture associated with that item. This capability could aid the process of out-of-class study and review.
  • Side-note screen clippings: Users can drag text and images from a website or any other program, then annotate, save, and share them with other students. (URLs are automatically recorded).
  • Email notebook pages: Notes can be sent to classmates.

• Seeing the sequence of note-taking or diagramming: Some of the note-taking applications (OneNote & DyKnow) allow for replaying of the note-taking session in sequence.

• Write on any document: Any document from any application can be written on (and saved) by “printing” it to Windows Journal or other virtual printers.
  • PDF files from our electronic textbooks become digital worksheets. The images can be used for labeling and diagramming purposes.
  • Highlighting on web pages: web page content is an increasing form of research/content. Being able to use highlighting is an important element of absorbing this content.
  • e-books, educational software, pictures, and scanned images.

• Reusing templates: The notes and writing on a document can easily be erased (or not saved) to leave the document in its original state, to be re-used with another class, or for another purpose.

• Emailing documents: Any of the items mentioned above can be sent by email. The recipient does not have to have a tablet in order to be able to view the documents. Students can write further annotations on top of the existing file.

• Posting to the web: Any of the “inked” documents created in OneNote, Journal, Word, or other applications can easily be saved as ready-made web pages on a website.

• Screen-capture software: Teachers can capture a video clip of their writing on the tablet and record their voice in sync. These clips with audio narration can be shared online.

• DyKnow screen sharing: This software allows the teacher to monitor all student screens and share notes and choose which screen to project to the class. During class it is used for interactive problem-solving and promotes student engagement and time-on-task. The Dy-Know application also saves the series of screens on each student’s tablet for future review.

• Manipulating electronic presentations and textbooks: With a tablet you can annotate, manipulate, highlight and interact with content which transforms it from a static into a dynamic artifact. While it may be possible to use other devices for sharing annotations (such as “insert comment”), the physical form factor of the tablet (comfortable to hold and easily passed around) and digital ink (allowing highly individual annotations and mimicking students' existing "interface" with the content) together make the interaction fluid and natural.

• Subject Area Examples/Uses:
  • Mathematics: The ability to write math problems, equations, and diagrams (in Journal or OneNote) is much easier than using the equation editor or mouse on a regular laptop.
  • Language Arts: editing with ink annotations on Word documents, highlighting electronic texts
  • Art: Using the stylus on the tablet allows art classes to create and manipulate digital images more easily, naturally, and precisely than with a mouse. The tablet supports pressure-sensitive input.
  • Geography: The ability to easily label, color, and write on maps is useful.
  • Grammar: Diagramming sentences

• Unique applications: There are a growing number of applications for the tablet platform. These tools make the tablet more powerful in the day-to-day management of data and provide new forms of interactivity. So much of what we used to do on paper and have to organize and carry around can now be done on the tablet and stored in one place.
  • GoBinder
  • Microsoft Education Pack includes:
    • Ink Flash Cards
    • Equation Writer
    • Snipping Tool
  • Math Journal (x think)
  • Physics Illustrator
  • Chempad
  • Alias Sketchpad
  • Corel Graphigo
  • MasterPoint

Also see: Tablet Computers