use of tablet PCs, or personal computers, has been investigated in many disciplines such as engineering, mathematics, science and education, but we wanted to explore student and faculty attitudes and experiences in veterinary medical education," said Hong Wang, coordinator of instructional technology and design at the veterinary college and co-principal investigator of the grant that led to the journal article. The other authors of this study were Bonnie Rush, professor and head of the clinical sciences department; Melinda Wilkerson, professor of immunology and clinical pathology; and Deon van der Merwe, associate professor in toxicology.
The College of Veterinary Medicine converted to a paperless classroom format when it began issuing tablet PCs in fall 2007 to incoming veterinary medicine students of the class of 2011. The tablet PCs are used by students to download, write and organize notes. These laptop computers include a touch screen and a digital pen or stylus that can be used for handwritten notes and drawings.
"Our study reports that the use of tablet PCs allows students to organize and search course notes more efficiently," Rush said. "The tablet PC program provides our faculty the potential to pursue technology integration strategies that support learning outcomes and provides students with problem-solving skills that support lifelong learning.