Math with a twist
Tablet laptops allow students to take notes on screen
By Linda Evans
Editor, RichmondNow
Students in John Hubbard's scientific computing class intently watch him solve problems, take notes for further study and respond to questions.
But they do those things with a twist-a twist of their computers, that is.
Hubbard's students are the first college students in Virginia to use IBM X41 tablet laptops equipped with DyKnow software, which allows them to write directly onto their computer screens with a special stylus and then save the information, including Hubbard's notes, to study later.
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John Hubbard, Lester Caudill and Sean Sneeden, '09, work out a problem using new tablet computers. |
The computers have screens that twist and fold to accommodate writing, are completely portable and are connected wirelessly to each other and to Hubbard's computer, which is programmed to monitor each students' screen.
A $100,000 grant from the National Science Foundation allowed the University to purchase the computers. Hubbard, professor of math and computer science, and Lester Caudill, associate professor of math and computer science, applied for the grant. Caudill plans to incorporate the computers into his scientific calculus courses next fall.
"Students will spend less time taking notes and won't get erroneous notes," said Caudill. They can also edit their notes on the spot, allowing more flexibility, "which is one of the things I'm looking forward to most," he said.
Mark Nichols, computer lab manager in Information Services, helped Hubbard and Caudill identify the hardware and software needs for their classes, load all the needed software and then test the functionality of the tablets. "Once John was satisfied that the system met his needs, we then assimilated the remaining tablets so that they were all identical. This process means that each student computer and instructor tablet will function exactly the same way for every class."
Hubbard is using the tablet computers for the first time this semester, and because of their portability, he hopes to incorporate them soon into all his courses. Last fall, he used the DyKnow software on nonportable, lab computers for a calculus class.
"The potential for the tablet computer to help educators achieve active learning inside as well as outside the classroom is very intriguing," said Nichols.
The tablets allow students to incorporate features that formerly would have been provided on paper handouts, said Hubbard. And, because data is saved onto the University's DyKnow server, "students can download and rerun a derivation, or embed Web pages or PowerPoints," he explained. They also can check out a tablet computer for up to two days for individual study.
"The ability to write on the screen in any orientation that I choose is my favorite feature of the tablets," said Kris Gerig, '09. Since he can keep everything he does on the computer, "There is no paper involved."
One of the features that Hubbard likes and has used is the software's anonymous polling feature. "I can question students" about the course, a particular problem or the technology and get answers from students who "might be reluctant to answer" otherwise, said Hubbard.
The primary downside to the new technology, Hubbard said, is that it takes 10-15 minutes at the beginning of class to get the computers out of a cabinet, boot them up and access the software. However, the students are motivated, he said, and usually come in early to get started.
DyKnow was invented by a scholar at DePauw University in Indiana, and most universities using it now are in the Midwest, said Hubbard. Some prep schools and even elementary schools are using the software, so he believes it won't be long before students coming to Richmond will already have been exposed to it.
"The combination of the DyKnow software with the tablet computer produces a learning environment that is both active and collaborative," said Nichols. Information Services is watching this new technology closely, and "we are very optimistic with the possibilities."
Nichols said faculty members in the business school and the chemistry and biology departments also are looking at how they can incorporate the technology. "I can see the tablets being used in many different disciplines to accomplish a variety of objectives," he said.
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