TABLET PCS, MOBILE LEARNING, AND HIGHER EDUCATION: IN SEARCH OF A PARADIGM?

ABSTRACT

The emergence of tablet PCs marks a paradigm shift in the computing industry. Is there a corresponding paradigm shift in
education? Tablet PCs are not always considered in the context of mobile learning, usually on grounds of size. They have
obvious potential for business users, but their deployment in teaching and learning is still in the early stages of
development, and there is a risk that in failing to consider these devices as part of the panoply of mobile technologies, we
may miss out on opportunities to harness the potential of the tablet PC to promote collaborative, informal learning, as
well as interactive teaching. This paper cites the tool in its rightful context as a mobile and portable device, arguing that
the tablet PC should be properly considered as part of the emerging mLearning paradigm, and reporting on a large-scale
wireless campus initiative at the University of Ulster based on this perspective.