Tablet PCs for Teaching Information Systems Courses

The authors describe integration of and multiple uses for the tablet PC (TPC) in MIS classes. These uses are geared toward enhancing student learning through the TPC rather than learning how to use a specific tool. These technologies are used in a database course and an information security course to enhance student learning by having students participate in drawing entity relationship diagrams (ERD) and network configurations. Digital documents, annotated with digital ink are exchanged between faculty and students. A survey is used to capture perceptions of MIS majors regarding the value of the TPC in these two courses. These results are then compared and contrasted with results that have been previously published for TPCs in a database course. Results indicate that a major issue facing educators is the lack of critical mass in the adoption of TPCs by students.