Laptop? Tablet? PDA or touch
As part of the ITGS course we have been looking at IT and Education. The students were investigating which technologies they would like to use for University in two categories of use.
The first use was the classic lecture style idea of taking notes and the second category or use was the broader perspective of including text processing and also data processing, media communication and collaboration and internet access.
The students were provided with the opportunity to investigate the following technologies:
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Laptop (Lenovo R400)
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Tablet PC (Lenovo X61)
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Netbook (Asus EeePC)
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HP IPAQ PDA
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iPod Touch
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Livescribe Pen
The students first considered the use of the technology in processing text, in the premise of lectures etc.
The Students ranked the assembled technologies as follows:
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Tablet PC
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Livescribe
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Laptop
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Netbook
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PDA
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Touch
The students had a clear preference for the stylus as a mode of data entry and the link between the audio and the written text in the livescribe was very powerful and attractive for the students.
When the students were asked to look at the broader picture of use, they considered not only functionality, but cost, reliability, durability processing power the results were interesting.
- Laptop
- Tablet
- Netbook
- Touch
- PDA
- Livescribe
With Livescribe the race was unfair so it is no suprise that it came into place, but the distance between the top three (laptop, Tablet and netbook) and the other three was huge (touch, pda and livescribe).
The students quickly discerned that the hand held devices lacked the performance and power that the students required and wanted. They would like one but not as there primary tool.
The Netbook came a distant third to the laptop and tablet. The laptop was considered by most of the students to be the prefered selection even with the obvious and very well liked advantages of the stylus entry mode. They valued the processing power, price point and feature set (particularly the optical drive built into the laptop) of the laptop over the tablet.
An interested exercise.
As to the Apple vs Windows debate, the senior students can bring in any device they like to school and the proportions are 1/3 Apple and 2/3 Windows. Many comment here about the cost/price point of Apples compared to a Windows machine.
An interesting exercise from a learning perspective and also from a broader management perspective too.
June 12th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
After having a tablet/convertible for nearly 18 months I wouldn’t have anything else. The keyboard is there when you need it, the pen is outstanding with software like Journal, OneNote, EverNote and InkSeine. When I’m due a new PC I’ll definitely get another tablet.
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June 12th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
A rousing “here, here” for teachernz’s comment. The teachers in our district have tablet pcs and most of them could not, would not live without them. Our dream would be to put tablet pcs in the hands of every single student. I would choose a tablet over laptops, PDAs, Touch, netbooks, IWB…anything! I only wish the price would come down…then our dream might become a reality.
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andrewch Reply:
June 13th, 2009 at 7:40 am
I have a tablet and a laptop. I find each has there place – my biggest disappointment with the tablet is the lack of power and an optical drive. It is a brilliant tool in meetings and the classroom. I heartly agree with you on the price and I suspect this was a major influence on the students when they looked at the laptop they could get for the same price as a tablet. The laptop is leagues ahead in terms of power, performance and storage, and they valued this over the stylus entry mode which they rated highly for text entry. Very interesting
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teachernz Reply:
June 13th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
My tablet has a DVD writer, 250gb of storage and enough processing power to do anything I’ve thrown at it (except Bioshock, which it runs clunkily in windowed mode). Maybe convertibles are the way to go? The only gripe I have is battery life.
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June 14th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
With rumors of a cheap, robust 7 or 9″ Apple iPod touch nipping at the heels … my guess is that the landscape will change again.
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June 14th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
We have spent several years thinking out of the box with regard to how students will write notes in the future. Many people tend to think of writing notes on computer in terms of being able to do on a computer what they used to do with a physical pen and paper. With that approach they often conclude that they can use any word processor or organizer software. They often view something similar to what they are used to, like use of a pen or stylus, as an advantage.
We took the approach to ignore how people used to write notes and instead take a new look at how computers can be used to help students write notes. We quickly realized that the goal of software to help write notes is not just to allow students to write and store their notes in digital format. Rather the goal is to help students to learn well and pass their exams. In other words students do not need a writing tool, they need a productivity tool.
You can think of it like this – a simple program like MS Paint allows an artist to draw on a computer instead of on paper. However, professional artists use sophisticated graphics programs that helps them do all sorts of things that they just could not have done with pen and paper. Similarly, a productivity tool for studying could do things like test the student after she enters a table of information. This sort of functionality was not possible with physical pen and paper.
Do you not think that when teachers and students consider what type of equipment to use for writing notes, they should also consider what type of software to use?
(Disclosure: We sell a software product called Wiznotes – a digital notebook that is specifically designed to help students to be successful in their studies)
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andrewch Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Hi Eli,
This was a fast and dirty survey, but these students are extremely well versed in the use of a wide range of software tools. We have a general principle of “the best tool for the job” and we support this by providing the students with a wide range of tools to use. For example the students use any one of these brainstorming tools as the case/need dictates
mind manager
free mind
c-map
smart ideas
mindmiester
So the students decisions and comment actually reflect their preferences from a basis of experience.
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June 19th, 2009 at 3:11 am
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