Using a tablet PC in bioscience instruction amongst diverse student cohorts

Abstract

Tablet PC technology has been adopted in many fields of scientific instruction, including chemistry, biochemistry, physics, engineering and maths and provides a number of benefits over traditional electronic teaching. Over the last 3 years I have used Tablet PC technology in the teaching of bioscience courses to both nursing and biomedical science students. The learning and teaching of science courses to these two student groups is inherently different and can be particularly difficult in under-graduate nursing programs. There are unique problems of pedagogy associated with applied chemistry and biochemistry for nursing students as educators are faced with the fact that these students can have a wide range of different educational science backgrounds and life experiences. The teaching of many chemistry and biochemistry concepts is a dynamic process and traditional lecture methods can present many obstacles to effective teaching due to the reliance on static PowerPoint slides. This presentation will outline various strategies using Tablet PCs that I have implemented to assist learning for both nursing and biomedical science students. The first case study centres on the how I have used the technology as a means of levelling the learning experience for nursing students who have no prior science background. The second case study focuses on how I have used Tablet PC technology to increase student engagement and participation in microbiology lectures and practicals through the use of concept mapping and flow chart exercises. The impact of these teaching and learning approaches on student experience will also be discussed.