Student Perceptions of Using Tablet Technology in Post-Secondary Classes

This paper assesses students' attitudes towards using tablets, such as the Apple iPad, in university classes. Tablets are found to be a substitute for laptop computers. Students initially expressed a great deal of optimism regarding the technology, and, although their views diminished slightly as they gained experience with using a tablet, their attitude towards the technology remained overwhelmingly positive. Most students experienced an easy transition from using a laptop to using a tablet. Furthermore, once students adopted the tablets in place of their laptops for in-class use, the types of tasks they performed with the tablets differed from the types of tasks they had previously performed with the laptop. Overall, the tablets reduced the incidence of off-task behaviour during lectures such as using chat and social networking applications.