Promoting Interactions with Technology: Review of a College-Wide Tablet PC Program

Abstract

In this paper, we describe findings from an empirical review of a college-wide Tablet PC program at Virginia tech five years after the program’s inception. Data were collected through a student survey (n=1090) and focus groups with students (n=21) and semi-structured interviews with faculty members (n=4) were conducted. The findings suggested that the use of Tablet PCs with collaborative software promoted various types of faculty-student (e.g. real-time feedback, active engagement) and student-student interactions (e.g., online collaboration for co-located teams, virtual meetings). Additionally, students who use Tablet PCs in more courses showed higher level of engagement in classroom interactions. Recommendations for incorporating Tablet PCs into classrooms based on the findings are discussed.