16-05-2013, 02:19 PM
The Tablet PC For Faculty: A Pilot Project
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ABSTRACT
This paper describes a pilot project with the purpose of evaluating the usefulness of tablet PCs for
university professors. The focus is on the value of tablets primarily with respect to teaching and learning
(and not for research or administrative work). Sixty-four professors, distributed across the various schools
of a university, were provided with tablet PCs and were trained in their use. A survey was distributed to the
participants at the end of the semester. There were 59 respondents, and of these 45 used the tablet in at least
one of their classes. This paper describes the pilot project and the survey results. We observed that a) only a
fraction of faculty are motivated to use tablet technology: roughly a third of faculty expressed an interest in
replacing their notebook computer with a tablet computer and b) generally, participating faculty did indeed
use tablet functionality in their classes and were convinced that this use resulted in a meaningful impact on
teaching and learning.
Introduction
A tablet PC may be defined as “a type of notebook computer that has an LCD screen on which the user can write
using a special-purpose pen, or stylus. The handwriting is digitized and can be converted to standard text through
handwriting recognition, or it can remain as handwritten text.” (Webopedia 2004). There are two basic versions
of tablet PCs, one that includes a keyboard and one that doesn’t. The keyboard variety doubles as a standard
notebook computer, with the screen swiveling and being laid flat over the keyboard when utilized in tablet mode.
The model without a keyboard, also termed a “slate”, sacrifices functionality for lighter weight and smaller size.
Generally speaking, tablet PCs command prices some several hundred dollars higher than comparably equipped
(in terms of processing power, RAM, hard drive capacity, etc.) standard notebooks. Targeted commercial
markets for tablet PCs include healthcare, insurance, sales force automation, finance and manufacturing/design
(Himmelsbach 2004, Niccolai 2003).
Background
Seton Hall University (SHU) is a research and teaching-oriented university with some 10,000 graduate and
undergraduate students. It has had a major focus on instructional technology for almost a decade. In the fall of
1995 SHU instituted a pilot project for evaluating a notebook/mobile computing environment (Weitz 1997); this
pilot project resulted in notebook computers being distributed to all full-time students and faculty, and the
implementation of an infrastructure – technical, administrative and instructional – to support them. In 2003, for
example, more than 2,000 notebooks were distributed to freshmen, transfer students, faculty, and administrators,
and almost 1,000 notebooks of sophomore students were “refreshed”. (Notebooks are replaced with current
models every two years.) The campus has extensive wireless coverage, Internet2 connectivity, active use of
standard course management software, and a center supporting numerous faculty instructional technology
initiatives. SHU has ranked among the top 15 most wired universities in the United States in Yahoo! Internet
Life's survey of technology on college campuses.
The Pilot Study – Fall 2004
As stated previously, SHU provides all faculty and undergraduate students with notebook computers and these
computers are replaced with new models every two years. In the spring of 2004 faculty eligible for notebook
replacement were asked to express one of the following preferences: they could 1) exchange their current
notebook computer for the new model notebook, 2) keep their current notebook for another year, or 3) apply for
a tablet computer. If the number of faculty requesting tablets exceeded the maximum, about 60, an application
procedure would be established as it had been for the pre-pilot.
The specifications of the two machines were made available to the faculty, both via TLTR events and via the
Web. Aside from tablet functionality, the essential differences were that the tablet had a smaller screen than the
notebook, and an external CD/DVD-RW drive as opposed to an internal one for the notebook.
Conclusions
Despite well-intentioned efforts to limit class sizes at many colleges, the lecture remains in place
as the primary teaching format. The economics of higher education are such that few institutions
can afford to discard lecture courses altogether, however much a small seminar is preferred by
students and faculty members alike. With only one paid teacher and a large roomful of tuitionpaying
students, how can you beat the numbers?