The Tablet PC classroom: Erasing borders, stimulating activity, enhancing communication

In fall 2006, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology launched a mandatory Tablet PC program for incoming students. As I prepared to teach my first all- tablet class, my reaction was mixed. Although the idea was exciting, facing a sea of computers on each student desk meant leaving my comfort zone and testing new classroom methods. Would this new mix of technology and pedagogy really help students learn? Could I adapt my teaching style to such a classroom? This paper discusses my attempt to address these questions by developing a Tablet PC classroom built upon the dual foundation of DyKnow presentation and monitoring software and the WebCT course management system. My overall objective for this tablet project was to use the new technology tools offered by the Tablet PC-DyKnow-WebCT trio to enhance a teaching and learning pedagogy that had long served me well, namely, Chickering and Gamson's classic "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education." More specifically, I wanted to create a Tablet PC classroom able to empower students with enhanced active learning skills and erase borders between them with improved communication.