Jim Vanides says Tablet PCs are better than using paper and pencils in the same geology field study class. Tablet PCs
– automatically plot their location in arcGIS software;
– record features as they find them; and
– make measurements on the electronic map, and then immediately compare to measurements they are making in the field.
With a wireless network set up in the field, students can communicate with each other by voice, and let the team leader know where they are automatically (a nice safety measure)
The battery life of paper is hard to beat. That’s why I took careful notes when I listened to Professor Mark Manone at Northern Arizona University talk about how Tablet PCs are changing Geology instruction in significant ways.Praxis Teaching Solutions