Students' Perceptions of Tablet-Enhanced Learning Environment on the Development of Communication and Critical Thinking Skills: An Interdisciplinary Study

Abstract

The ubiquitous presence of social media and recent advancement in mobile computing has been reshaping the higher education technology landscape, which leads to a more competency-based, learner-centered, and technology-driven learning environment. In response to this paradigm shift, Fresno State recently launched its tablet program called DISCOVERe as an aggressive initiative to break down the digital divide and explore new ways of teaching and learning. Selected course sections are offered as tablet only courses. These courses have been redesigned to provide students an enhanced learning experience.One of the most significant learning behavior transformations in a tablet-enhanced learning environment is the active collaboration and interaction among students and instructors in class activities and course projects. In this context, how we practice communication and critical thinking may change to accommodate new formats and purposes facilitated by technology. However, at this early phase of the DISCOVERe tablet program, it remains unclear to instructors what pedagogical approaches and curriculum designs are most effective to cultivate these two critical skills and prepare students for their academic and professional careers. In this interdisciplinary study, the researchers selected three tablet courses (i.e. Construction Graphics, Green Building Design and Delivery, and Administration of Personnel) from engineering and business management curricula. Project-based learning and flipped classroom pedagogies were adopted in all three courses. Direct and indirect measures, along with associated rubrics were developed to assess the targeted student learning outcomes: (1) oral/written/graphical communication, and (2) critical thinking, in a tablet-enhanced learning environment with an emphasis on active and collaborative learning. This paper discusses students' perceptions of the impact of the Tablet PC on engineering and business management education and provides recommendations on practical pedagogies and assessment strategies.