Abstracts
Use of Wireless Tablet PCs as an Effective Learning and Teaching Enhancement Tool
Monday 4 May 2009, 1400 - 1430
Presenter: Wei Xiang
University of Southern Queensland, QLD
Presenter Biography
Dr Wei Xiang is a lecturer of computer system engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Surveying at the University of Southern Queensland. He is interested in pedagogical and technological aspects of engineering education. He received his PhD, MEng. and BEng. in 2004, 2000 and 1997 respectively from the University of South Australia and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.
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.
