Contesting Ideas of Innovative Teaching Practice with Tablet PCs

Pen-based computing is a relatively new technology in education, and its impact on\ud teacher practice is an emerging area of research. The focus of this paper is centred\ud on the ways in which teachers integrate Tablet PCs into their particular subject\ud domain within secondary schools. The data provides evidence about the impact of\ud Tablet PCs on teachers’ classroom practice and its subsequent influence on\ud students’ thinking and learning processes. In a case-study involving two large\ud secondary schools in Melbourne, Australia, a mixed methods approach was\ud conducted to capture and describe the ways in which teachers integrated Tablet PCs\ud into classroom practice. It was evident from the qualitative findings of the study\ud that teachers working within different subject domains utilised the technology\ud resources with varying degrees of success. In some cases, it was apparent that\ud traditional styles of teaching and learning continued to impede the potential of the\ud resource. This was also confirmed through the use of student voice which further\ud informed the findings of the study. The conclusion to this paper reveals the\ud relationship between the Tablet PC technology and individual teaching and\ud learning circumstances. It also describes the major issues facing teacher\ud practitioners who are required to integrate the use of pen-based computing into\ud secondary school settings