High tech teaching

This past fall, Associate Professor Eliot Moss changed his teaching style to use a Tablet PC in the classroom.

“In the past, for the compiler course, I relied mostly on writing on acetate overhead sheets with colored markers,” said Moss. “Compared with using PowerPoint or PDF based presentations, this kept the interaction at a better pace for students to absorb and take notes, and was much more spontaneous and interactive.” But he added that it had its drawbacks because there was no easy and cost-effective way to provide color copies of the overheads to the students. “With the programs on a Tablet PC, I can post the notes to a Web page for all the students to download and view. They really like it because they know that they don’t have to duplicate what I am writing in their own note taking, but can concentrate on their own remarks, and focus more on the material,” said Moss.

While it seems a small step, this change in presentation technology made a big impression on the students, as shown by anonymous student course evaluations. “I like the use of the tablet PC; it worked much better than PowerPoint would have,” wrote one student. “The tablet is GREAT -- I can learn and not take my own notes,” wrote another.

The Tablet also includes the capability to markup PowerPoint, Word, or PDF documents during a presentation. “You can do more than just emphasize or comment, you can leave intentional blank space for writing things down or solving example problems on the fly,” noted Moss. “There’s a lot that I hope to explore over the next few semesters as I become more familiar with the technology and work it into my courses.”

Moss received his Tablet PC as part of the UMass Amherst TEACHnology Fellows program, administered through the Center for Teaching. “I am grateful for the Dean’s support in providing the funds for the Tablets, and for the TEACHnology Fellows program in bringing faculty together to master the technology and wrestle with all the issues of pedagogy that it brings,” added Moss. “Most instructors are conservative about introducing new technology, especially in courses they feel already work well. This has been a great experience, showing that careful use of new tools can make a good course even better.”