Assessing the effectiveness of Tablet PC-based instruction

Engineering professors in a number of universities have begun using Tablet PCs in the classroom. A literature search shows that there are a number of articles describing methods and tools for Tablet PC use in the classroom, but that there is very little literature on objective assessment of the effectiveness of the Tablet PC as a teaching and learning tool. This paper describes the mode of Tablet PC use in teaching an electric circuits class. It also compares course delivery metrics between an instructor who used a Tablet PC to teach the circuits class and an instructor who did not use a Tablet PC. Student achievement data from the cohorts of students associated with the two instructors are presented and analyzed. Some of the variability between the populations in the two cohorts is removed by using student grades in the prerequisite calculus class as a basis for comparison. The study shows that Tablet PC use by the instructor as described in the paper leads to savings in class time that can be devoted to additional problem solving and testing opportunities for students. It also shows that such Tablet PC use resulted in significant improvement in the performance (measured by the overall numeric course score) of above average students.