TABLETS: A BETTER PROSPECT FOR EDUCATION?

• April 5, 2012
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Tablets have captured the imagination of customers. It is one of the most popular products in the market these days and has taken portable computing technology to new heights. Tablets have indeed become one of the best selling gadgets of all time in the shortest period.

A Tablet offers most of the advantages of the notebook PCs used in the classroom and some more. They in fact have become a tool on the other side of the desk as a way for teachers to use multimedia content as a learning aide in a classroom. According to recent trends in education, Tablet has a lot to offer in the context of student behavior. Let us explore some of the ways tablets can impact the way students learn.

• Tablets can add a lot of power to textbooks – Tablet can offer a better look for books in the form of ebooks with additional features of audio and video. For example, look at the picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. and hear his “I Have a Dream” speech. The result is a wonderful integrated learning experience. That’s the power of technology. Also, reading through ebooks through tablet can save so much of paper and in turn trees. It has recently been announced that by 2015, South Korean students will replace textbooks with tablets.

• Tablets fit students’ lifestyle – They’re lightweight and thin, carrying them is so easy. Tablets allow students to listen to previous lectures or lessons that they have missed, highlight text, take notes in the margin and a complete access to dictionary. Tablets match almost everything that a traditional classroom offers.

• Availability and content readiness – Tablet manufacturers are mushrooming everywhere. There are so many options available in the market now with varied prices and features. Increased competition will drive the prices down in the near future. In addition, content developers are scrambling to adapt their content for the tablet platform. Over the coming years, expect to see more and more tablets popping up in the schools.

• Mobile tablet trolleys – Some schools have started using mobile tablet trolleys with 30 – 40 tablets that move from classroom to classroom in a bid to save space that will otherwise be required for a computer lab. Students can sit in their own desks and access interactive content to learn concepts.

 Great, so are there any things to be worried about tablets?

While tablets can be a boon for education, it can also impact negatively unless sufficient care is taken.

• Most importantly, there needs to be good access control software that helps to control the content accessed by the children to ensure that they do not get exposed to undesirable sites.

• With the advent of calculators, many students stopped applying their minds for calculations and started depending on calculators for simple arithmetic results. Similarly, tablets could take a toll on students using their hands to write things with pen and paper.

However, with proper controls and with the right guidance, tablets will add a lot of value in the way our children learn.

We always look to the upcoming and ask “What’s next?”. The technology that we have right now can help create better, smarter and more informed students with so much resource.