Tablet PCs in the Classroom Sam Kamin, Chad Peiper

1. Tablet PCs in the ClassroomSam Kamin, Chad Peiper Lecturingwith Tablet PCs Learningwith Tablet PCs A Tablet PC enhances instruction by combining the advantages of using a blackboard and having prepared slides. The instructor can start from a blank screen or import PDF or PPT. In a classroom equipped with networked Tablet PCs, learning can be enhanced in numerous ways. • A dynamic alternative to paper • As natural to use as paper • As quiet as paper (unlike keyboards) • Students can receive content from instructor For teachers, improves transparency of class. • Instructor can monitor student progress and adjust teaching in real time using a “teacher’s dashboard.” • Our research: Studying ways that computer analysis of students’ writing, and better user-interface design, can make a dashboard faster and easier to use. • Better than blackboard • Projection: Easier for student to see • Save, correct, and post notes to website • Incorporate difficult-to-write material: images, graphs, statistical tables, etc. • THE BOTTOM LINE: • Improved learning through better communication • Opportunities for creating a communicative classroom, where learning is enhanced by continual interaction with teacher and among students, are endless: • Students can ask questions privately in class. • Students can “live blog” a class. • Teacher can assign collaborative, in-class exercises. • and many more...! • Better than PowerPoint • Adds flexibility to slides • Improves pacing of class • Encourages note-taking • Keep record of the teaching process For more information, see slice.cs.uiuc.edu, or contact Prof. Sam Kamin at kamin@cs.uiuc.edu Support received from and the Computer Science Dept.