I was asked to speak at a 30 Clicks Clark College Library lunchtime event on the subject of computer tablets for educators and students. These are the notes and research for that event.
- A tablet is a mobile computer that relies upon mobile apps to function. The screen is typically 7 inches or wider.
- Smartphone is a mobile computer that relies upon mobile apps to function. The screen is typically 5 inches and smaller.
This is the basic description of a tablet, once known as a handheld computer. Featured on the original Star Trek television show, and in all the series that followed, the padd set the standard for what would become today’s computer tablet.
Personally, I’ve had just about every computer out there, and when I discovered handheld computers, which eventually became mobile computers, smartphones, and tablets, I was in heaven. In the beginning, these small mobile computers fit in the hand and were excellent for reading ebooks. As they became more powerful, they became laptop replacements.
Above all else, the greatest reward of moving from laptop to tablet was weight – and portability.
This article is not designed to be a complete dissection of how to use tablets in education, but to represent a few interesting tidbits I uncovered while preparing for my presentation on using tablets in education, specifically for college students and educators.
The article is divided into three sections, all specifically targeted towards the student and educator:
Learning from Lorelle 