iPad+Research

Steinweg, S.B., & Williams, S.C., & Stapleton, J.N. (2010). Faculty Use of Tablet PCs in Teacher Education and K-12 Settings. //TechTrends, v54n//3. 54-60.
 * // Article 1 //**

** Article Summary ** The authors of the article discuss how new technology is being introduced almost daily for all level of learners, the impact this has on educators acquiring 21st century technology skills, and primarily examines the use of Tablet PC’s in a K-12 educational setting. With so many tools available for educators, they are continually being evaluated to determine the potential use in an educational setting. As the percent of classrooms with internet access increases to nearly 95% in 2005, (Wells & Lewis, 2006), educators are re-examining their methods for presenting information to students and colleges are assessing teacher training needs for new educators. One of the technology tools that many college students use for both personal and educational applications is now being considered for K-12 classrooms. With recent software developments, Tablet PC’s offer multiple options as a classroom learning tool.

Steinweg, Williams, and Stapleton describe how the Tablet PC’s are comparable to a laptop computer but they provide a touch-screen display that is used with a digital pen rather than a full keyboard found on a laptop. This makes the Tablets lighter and smaller in size but since there is no full keyboard to access, there is limited uses compared to a standard laptop computer. Text may be created or added to an existing document with the use of the stylus. Users have the option to save the handwritten information in digital ink format or convert it to typed text. Text may also be created through more traditional means with the use of a digital keyboard displayed on the screen. Electronic text storage is available for all options. The ability to use voice recognition on some Tablet’s adds a great deal of potential use for special education needs. Other educational functions of the Tablets PC’s include internet access for research, the ability to open multiple files, and the option to connect with printers, CD/DVD drivers, USB ports, and projectors for presentations. All of these functions are important in any learning environment and the ability to use electronic methods for sharing information is essential with collaborative student acidities. Tablets may eventually result in reduced costs of materials and supplies for schools districts. Software is also available for the PC’s that link the teacher’s desktop with student computers, allowing the teacher to monitor student activity, take control of the PC’s when needed, open and close applications for the Tablets, transfer files to students and broadcast the teacher desktop to student’s computers during lessons.

There were a number of teacher benefits discussed throughout the article. When student are absent, it is difficult to recreate teachable moments and catch them up on missing assignments. A Tablet PC provides the option for teachers to share lessons and have students submit missing work electronically. Feedback can also be given to students electronically. With reduced funding available for schools Tablets offer alternative options such as virtual class field trips, electronic books rather than individual class sets and electronic assignments to avoid the hassle of duplicating worksheets for missing or lost work. Student benefits include creating electronic portfolios documenting progress from grades K-12, increased collaboration and participation in lessons with the added ability of electronic note taking, math calculations and editing that can be saved for future reference. Student may email assignments to teachers, receive electronic feedback and reminders from instructors posted in documents, and create multiple revisions or drafts for submitted documents. With digital inking available, drawings and illustrations may be added and stored electronically. Tablet PC’s provide the ability to impact all different learning styles through the use of colors, capacity for highlighting, and the ability to add notes to lesson for emphasis of materials. I found there was limited research available since the concept of using Tablets outside of post-secondary education is a fairly new concept. Having no experience with Tablets for personal use or educational applications, I found the article was an excellent resource as it described the product and clearly listed both instructor and student benefits of Tablet PC’s for the educational purposes in a primary and secondary educational setting.

The article leaves some questions unanswered. No cost analysis was provided and therefore it is difficult to determine what type of funding is necessary to purchase this type of technology for a classroom or building or any potential savings based on reduced costs associated with using the Tablet PC’s. There was also no reference made to any type of case study that could be used for analysis or comparison purpose that may assist with guiding a district with the decisions to move forward with such an expensive purchase. One final unanswered question is whether or not the positive impact on student achievement from using Tablet PC’s is substantial enough to justify the investment. There were also no tools suggested in the article for measuring the positive effects of using the Tablet PC technology with students and there were no clearly defined advantages of using a Tablet PC over a laptop for student use.

**// Article 2 //** Waters, J.K. (2010). Enter the iPad (or not?). // T.H.E. Journal, v37n6 //, 38-45.

** Article Summary ** The author focuses on the pros and cons of iPads in the K-12 setting by comparing it to laptops and netbooks, the existing educational computing devises being used. The iPad is being praised for having a superior design that makes it portable and simple to use while boasting hundreds of applications that are easy to download for educational student use. Multiple references were made throughout the article to school districts that are piloting the tool for various applications including ESL (English as a Second Language) students. The iPad can be set to various languages and text can then be translated to speech through the downloadable translator application. One District leader felt by using a small target audience it would be more effective when analyze results, determining the level of success and establishing best practices for the district. All district representatives in the article felt the iPad and other Tablet PC’s should not be viewed as a replacement for full featured computers that are still necessary for extensive research, large projects and activities associated with a large amount of text. It was suggested that the iPad be considered as a companion for laptops and desktop computer to complement existing technology; it is not a replacement option.

The author goes on to compare Windows and Netbooks with the Mac platform that supports the iPad. The general consensus from the author’s point of view and school the districts mentioned in the article was the technology transition for iPads would be easier for those schools using Mac platforms in order to utilize the full functionality of the iPad. Those districts using a Windows environment will have a more difficult time with such a transition and may see greater benefits from a Windows based Netbook. The cost for the iPad is almost $200 greater than Windows based Netbooks that are also more practical for comprehensive text projects. Other pros besides cost for the Netbooks include battery life, size and weight (compared to laptops). Cons include size (compared to iPad), small keyboards and screens and video capacity. The iPad offers a touch screen and a more attractive look and feel than the Windows based products. This is an important consideration when the ultimate goal is increased student achievement results. Other iPad pros include transportability, availability of applications, simplicity, battery-life and online accessories. While the cons include price point, lack of support in a Windows environment and no keyboard availability. Elizabeth Knittle from Barnstable Schools in Hyannis MA stated “This is really about finding the right tool for the right job.”

The article included a table with detailed comparisons of laptops, Netbooks and iPads. The data included price point, battery life, weight/portability, storage capacity, processor speed, input options such as keyboard/touchpad, the number of downloadable applications available and design features. There were also Pros listed for each category group.

The article provided important information for those school districts considering an investment in the iPad. This is a fairly new product for educational technology purposes but has powerful implications for the future. It is the responsibility of educators to prepare students with 21st century technology skills and as a result all tools should be evaluated. It is difficult to find current research trends when tools have just recently been introduced, but Waters considers some critical issues district leaders must evaluate such as the impact on Windows versus Mac environments, iPads versus Netbooks and laptops and how the research can be measured. There are also many helpful references to districts that are piloting programs for iPads and Netbooks throughout the article and their analysis of the results. Using this information will help make sounds decisions for schools considering purchases and creating best practices for the using these tools.

Some additional questions regarding the use of iPads in the K-12 educational setting are still pending after reading through Waters’ research. Expanding the information regarding specific applications beyond ESL and special education uses for those schools piloting the iPads would benefit others trying to analyzing potential uses in schools, considering the large investment involved. Although the market is changing quickly, supplementary information regarding the expanding product options for student computing would also be a commendable addition to the information in the article. There are many products entering the market that compete with the functionality of the iPad, including a touch screen and sleek design but few references were made to such products. Further explanation of specific educational applications available for both Windows products and Mac products would assist with making a much more informed decision for those considering a pilot program. What applications are available for educators to consider? How would these applications enhance student learning? What population of the students would benefit from the applications? An addition questions to consider is the level of difficulty and expense associate with having two operating systems within a school district. Are those districts that are supporting a Window environment really having difficulty interfacing with the iPad with existing equipment? Is there a large expense associated with supporting desktops, laptops and iPads? Overall, the article offered a good insight for those districts considering the addition of iPads to their existing technology tools. It also looked a such and investment from a different perspective than the previous article, rounding out the level of information provided.