Rationale Over the two previous years, the Eller College of Management surveyed over 4000 undergraduate students through surveys, focus groups, and course evaluations. Through this process, students helped us to identify several instructional challenges: one-way instruction with little student participation and interaction; lack of business-related technology skills; minimal practice of concepts in and out of the classroom; and absence of problem-based learning. The use of mobile technology via the Tablet PC Initiative sought to dramatically improve the quality of the undergraduate core business experience by addressing several learning and teaching issues: instruction in large impersonal classrooms, lack of course/program integration, minimal exposure and application to business technologies, minimal student engagement in learning processes, traditional and rigid course delivery methods, wasted out-of-class time, and lack of learning technology utilization. Additionally, we sought to enhance students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills by incorporating the use of information and data in decision-making processes, ultimately producing better thinkers and future professionals that will lead with technology in the workplace. Our Initiative had three primary goals: to increase active student learning and engagement; to integrate technology applications into the teaching and learning experience using mobile Tablet PC technology; and to prepare business students for a highly technological business world.

Implementation (pedagogy) In the past five years, Business Communication and MIS were taught in a classroom with an instructor computer and LCD projector at the front of the room; these were usually used for instructor slide shows. Students were generally allowed to bring their laptops, but few used them during class. An average 2.5 hour class consisted of approximately 60 minutes of lecturing and questions, 30 minutes of team work or peer editing, 30 minutes of student oral presentations, and 30 minutes of other activities. Instructor slide shows and other supporting materials were usually uploaded to a website after class. With the implementation of tablets into the classroom experience, many of these activities were modified to take advantage of mobile technology during class. For example, instructor slide shows and supporting materials were uploaded to the website before class started and students downloaded the slide shows and annotated them during lecture; supporting materials were also used during classes, including exams, worksheets, assignments, and background material. In addition, students communicated with each other during class, as they rotated peer editing documents to each member of their team or shared research they were conducting. For further consultation on learning technology, faculty takes advantage of the Eller Learning Technologies Center or other campus-wide learning technology resources: http://www.arizona.edu/staff/instructional-computing.php.

Implementation (technology) During this first semester of Tablet PC implementation into the classroom, mobile technology was used to provide students with organization and note-taking tools, with interpersonal communication resources such as Blackboard, email, video conferencing, and instant messaging. These tools were used to assist with team-building, in-class research resources, and in-class slide design and discussion. Students used the entire Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Internet Explorer, and Journal, in addition to OneNote, DyKnow, and other collaborative programs. The tablets also proved to be valuable outside of the classroom where students used them to work in teams and collaborate on various projects - anytime, anywhere on campus.

Impact on Teaching The goal of this mobile technology project in the Business Communication and MIS classroom was to increase the activity level of the learning experience for students, produce better business writers, presenters, market researchers, and team members, and to allow students to work with technology, as opposed to observing a demonstration, while receiving instruction. Because students were able to practice their communication skills in the classroom on their tablets, they received immediate feedback from the instructor, teaching assistant, preceptors, and peers. As they researched and designed their own projects, they could also ask more timely and relevant questions. Students reported an enriched experience and all succeeded in passing the class. In addition, several students purchased their own tablets soon after the semester was over because they understood the increased potential of mobile technology and felt that it significantly enriched their learning experience and made them better students.

Impact on Student Learning The Tablet PC Initiative's impact on teaching and learning was assessed in several ways: course retention; student attendance; student participation in class; organizational, presentation, software (PPT, Word, Internet, Excel), team interaction skills; and grade improvement. After reviewing pre- and post-pilot data, we found improvement in various areas: student-student and student-instructor interaction, team function, grades, instructor feedback, assistance in understanding complex concepts, and additional practice on coursework. We also found significant improvement in word processing, electronic communication, presentation, and spreadsheet use skills. One Year Ago As in most classes, individual student achievement in Business Communication varied greatly in the past. Most students learned enough business writing skills during the semester to pass the Eller College Writing Assessment, with an average failure rate of about 12%. Most students improved their public speaking skills, but fewer increased their personal knowledge of technology resources, such as PowerPoint. Most students also improved their team participation skills, although some still had problems in this important area and lacked the necessary technology and organizational skills to be effective. Today Students in our tablet class actually performed better than students in our control group (without tablets) on the Eller College Writing Assessment, and we believe this was attributable to the mobile technology implemented in the class. Communication skills (including the use of PowerPoint for presentations) were also very high for the tablet group. Finally, student team skills grew substantially during the semester, at least in part due to the enhanced communication and organization the tablets afforded. Overall, faculty noted an increased enthusiasm for using technology, engagement, and participation in course-related activities. One Year From Now The Eller College of Management is rapidly deploying Tablet PCs in both undergraduate and executive education. Through Teaching Innovation Grants and the Eller Learning Technologies Center, the Eller College is implementing tablets in other redesigned courses such as Accounting, where instructors spend the majority of class time working through problems, using internet-based resources, and demonstrating software applications, such as MS Excel. In Business Communication, another class will use tablets in Fall 2006 with DyKnow software: a collaborative, interactive, process-oriented monitoring tool for tablets. Through a series of technology orientations, all entering freshmen and juniors will be strongly encouraged to purchase the Eller Tablet PC. This August 2006, the Executive MBA will equip all admitted students with a Tablet PC. We continue to advance our deployment by training and supporting faculty and educating and enabling students.

Faculty & Learning Technologies Manager Discuss Tablets  "Tablet computers provide students with a new set of tools with which to learn, organize, write, design, and compute. Our job as instructors is to maximize those possibilities, even if it means changing the way we teach and rethinking the subject matter we are teaching." Mike Sechrest, Eller College Business Communication Faculty

Student Interview About Tablet Pcs  "I can't imagine organizing my school work and taking notes on anything but a tablet." Dan, B AD 314 Student, Fall 2005 "Once you take notes with a tablet you can't go back to a pen and paper." Sean, B AD 314 Student, Fall 2005 "I can edit and complete my project without having to go home and leave my team." Jessica, MIS 304 Student, Spring 2006 "I immediately had all of my notes in one place that I could search through, create digital note cards, and email to other students. The tablet helped immensely." Lawrence, B AD 314 Student, Fall 2005

Quick Facts This multi-course, cross-department business undergraduate Pilot five courses, 4 faculty members and over 400 students. Fall 2005: 1) Undergraduate, Junior-level, Business Communications 314, approximately 35 students to be delivered in small classrooms. 2) Undergraduate, Junior-level, Marketing 361, approximately 400 students delivered in a large auditorium. Spring 2006: 3) Undergraduate, Junior-level, Management Information Systems 304, approximately 400 students to be delivered via Preceptor team.

Contact Us Mike Sechrest Faculty, Business Communication Department Eller College of Management, University of Arizona 520.626.5639 office / 520.621.8559 fax [email protected] / http://buscomm.eller.arizona.edu/instructors/msechrest.aspx Veronica Diaz, PhD Faculty, Learning Technologies Manager Eller College of Management, University of Arizona POB 210108, Room 204 Tucson, AZ 85721-0108 520.626.0963 office / 520.621.8559 fax [email protected] / http://ltc.eller.arizona.edu/

References & Publications Eller College HP Grant Press Release Progress Magazine HP Grant Article List of References 1:1 Computing: Tablet PC Technology Event Materials Tablet PCs and Mobile Technology: Active Learning, Practice and Engagement 1:1 Computing - Tablet PC Technology 1:1 Computing - Utilizing Tablet PCs in Education Classroom Interaction and Management in a Mobile Environment Creating the Self-Defending Network Financing a 1:1 Program Making a Difference in Teaching Methods with Tablet PCs - Public K-12 Osawatomie High School 1:1 Tablet Initiative Planning a 1:1 Program

This project supported in part by an HP Technology for Teaching grant.