Use of wireless tablet PCs as an effective learning and teaching enhancement tool

Abstract

This paper examines the concept of using Tablet PCs as a potential effective learning and teaching (L&T) enhancement tool in classroom environments. It reports on findings and recommendations of a faculty sponsored L&T enhancement project in the Faculty of Engineering and Surveying at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), which aims to investigate the role of wireless enabled Tablet PCs as a L&T enhancement tool and its impact on student retention and progression. The project has identified scenarios of using Table PCs by educators in classroom settings. These include using Tablet PC as a presentation medium with hand-drawing functionality, an electronic assignment marker, a lecture recording tool, and a wireless video projector. Pedagogical aspects of wireless tablet PCs are widely exploited in this paper. It has been discovered that the use of tablet PCs as a teaching tool helps improve on parity between on-campus and external students, improve on interactivity between teachers and students, illustration of concepts, and turnaround of marking assignments.