Essay on Tablet
Tablet PCs are gaining increasing popularity in various areas of human activity, including education. The demand for these devices is determined by their versatility and high computing power comparable with that of laptops and traditional PCs, and the ease of use, portability and extended drawing capacity compared to that of a sheet of paper (Vander Ark 14). Tablet PCs are easy, lightweight and can be carried on to different classrooms and locations by the students; moreover, tablet PCs provide extensive interactivity: students can draw on tablets using their hands or special pens. As tablet PCs enter educational setting, it is important to consider advantages of using these devices, new educational possibilities and effectiveness of tablet PCs in education. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role and effectiveness of tablet computers for teaching reading and mathematics.
In order to teach reading and mathematics in an effective way, teachers need to create an environment which allows to maximize learning opportunities for students, encourage self-directed learning and provide reasonable and timely feedback (Galligan et al. 38). Several advantages of tablet PCs make the particularly suitable for instruction: software for handwriting recognition (and software for recognizing mathematical input), wireless communications and interaction, and ability to share information instantly and annotate it. According to the research of Fister and McCarthy, students learning mathematics and science found the following features very helpful: archived notes and lectures for student learning, colors used to emphasize work, increased interaction and classroom participation, use of different software to enhance learning (internet resources, virtual labs, interactive textbooks, etc.) and increased ownership of learning process (p. 286). Tablets can be used both for one-to-many lecturing sessions and for interactive collaboration between students in the classroom.
The study of Galligan et al. identified the following advantages of tablet PCs for teaching mathematics: lectures are easy to see and understand for all students, revision of lectures is available, lecturer can respond to questions and illustrate own answers, reflections on difficult points can be posted during lecturing, and the explanations for recorded (or pre-recorded) lectures are clearer and more personalized for the distance learning students (Galligan et al. 42).
Fister and McCarthy compared the results of learning math using tablets with a similar group learning mathematics the traditional way. The comparison of math exam scores for a non-tablet class and for class working with tablets showed that the scores for the “tablet classroom” were 16% higher (Fister and McCarthy 289). Moreover, the students showed high rate of satisfaction in the tablet-enabled classroom, and indicated that the effectiveness of their professor as well as the effectiveness of their learning increased.
Diverse software for reading and sharing information increased the effectiveness of teaching reading; learners can use built-in dictionaries, use text-to-speech features, highlight passages and even see the frequently highlighted phrases. The latter software feature has been marked as a great conversation starter even for second-graders (Watters 37). Moreover, the use of eBooks and interactive software for teaching reading in K-12 schools had a significant impact on literacy scores and on the process of teaching reading in classrooms (Felvegi and Matthew 46).
A recent trend in education are digital textbooks: many publishers already launch both print and online versions of textbooks, with website companion materials; moreover, high interest to tablet PCs stimulated the creation of interactive textbooks. Textbook publishers are preparing separate textbooks for educational units. The initiative of Apple – launch of iBooks author software in February 2012 – should be specifically noted; this program led to creation of numerous applications and interactive books for iPads. By the end of February, more than 1.5 million of iPads and more than 20,000 of applications were used in educational settings (Kaufman n.d.).
From the student perspective, tablet PCs make learning reading and mathematics more engaging, responsive and interactive. Students can explore the materials, solve tasks and consider important issues faster and more convenient compared to traditional learning methods. From teacher’s perspective, tablet PC software and interactive textbooks for learning math save a lot of time on showing key materials, checking assignments, showing different aspects of the topic, etc. During mathematics classes, interactive products (for example, FluidMath by Microsoft) allow students to “play” with the graphics and quickly switch between graphic, algebraic and table representations, watch animations, enter handwritten expressions and solve them, etc. Other well-known products for teaching mathematics using tablet PCs are Wolfram Alpha (online version), MathPad and xThink MathJournal (Vander Ark 58). Practical benefits for teachers also include the opportunity to add extra in-class time through making lectures more like tutorials, and pre-recording typical tasks, questions and explanations.
Further research on using tablets to teach reading and math showed that students had expressed more independence while using tablets for in-class learning and lecture review (Bonnington et al. 13). Students for whom English was second language expressed an extremely high level of appreciation of tablet use, and especially noted the availability of lectures which could be downloaded and re-listened (Bonnington et al. 14). Distance learning students indicated that tablets were also very effective for online group chat sessions, collaborative problem solving, and for arranging consultation sessions with their teachers (Galligan et al. 49).
Along with the various advantages provided by tablet PCs to the students and teachers, there also exist particular challenges created by the use of multiple tablets in the classroom. Works and student responses submitted simultaneously might lead to software errors, and wireless connectivity issues might also emerge (Fister and McCarthy 288). Sound quality video size and download speed for pre-recorded lectures might also add to technical issues while teaching mathematics using tablet PCs.
A specific challenge is related to the fact that when lecture recordings are provided to the students, some of them might choose not to attend the lectures (Bonnington et al. 9). According to Bonnington et al., about 80% of information are provided by body movements and gestures of the teacher, and the students who choose not to attend, might significantly reduce the quality of their learning (Bonnington et al. 10). There also exist issues associated with lecture recording for instructions who actively use gestures and movements in their teaching style, as technology reduces the expressiveness of this style.
Thus, analysis and research of use of tablet PCs for teaching reading and mathematics shows that use of multiple tablet PCs in class is viewed as highly effective and beneficial by both students and teachers. For students, the greatest benefits are interactivity, availability of pre-recorded lectures, notes and explanations and increased collaboration, and for teachers, technology is saving time and providing multiple new methods of teaching. Additional effects of use of tablet PCs for teaching reading and mathematics are increased student independence and knowledge ownership, along with higher interest to mathematics and greater engagement into learning process. Tablet PCs are particularly beneficial for distance learning students, students for whom English is a second language, and for students with disabilities or limited abilities. Research results show that tablet PCs are highly effective not only for teaching reading and mathematics, but also for interdisciplinary learning (Fister and McCarthy 290). The technology of tablet PCs is very promising, and it is highly likely that schools and universities in near future will equip their students with tablet PCs packed with various educational software instead of textbooks.
