More Tablet PC Research

I just received Dave Berque, Jane Prey, and Robert H. Reed (eds.) The Impact of Tablet PCs and Pen-based Technology on Education, Purdue University Press, 2006. This is an excellent compilation of papers presented at the first WIPTE (Workshop on the Impact of Pen-based Technologies on Education) held last year at Purdue.

The book has 21 short papers from a variety of disciplines (including Economics thanks to Mary Dixon, Kerry Pannell, and Michele Villinski of DePauw, who contribute "From 'Chalk and Talk' to Animate and Collaborate...", pp 49-55.) The reviews I have read are from encouraging to overall positive that the Tablet PC is an evolutionary leap in a technology that will assist student engagement and learning. More research is on the way from many sources, but the same conference will reconvene this year.

There is a current call for participation for the June 11-12, 2007 WIPTE and that deadline is February 1, 2007.

Dan Talley (Dakota State) and I did a review of Tablet PC value and made some suggestions for assessment research at the ASSA Annual meetings to the AEA/Computer Assisted Instruction group just a few days ago. More on that later when I get things posted.