We have seen a tablet running a Windows 8 operating system at the latest BUILD conference in California. The operating system was supposed to be released in another year. What is clear is the install of the Windows 8 for the tablet works well. It is fast, and with a lower memory footprint we should expect our battery to last longer. Students of business and marketing courses are some of the most progressive personal computer users. Children are already using tablets in their classes. Google release the Chromebooks in the US, and sales are going strong despite many students opting for tablets. Chromebooks are just so cheap, and they do not require software updates and further costs – a huge plus for parents and schools.
- Study Shows Tablet Use. A study by the Pearson Foundation in May of 2011 showed more students are choosing tablets. This could be because they are new and fresh, and they are easier to move around with. At the same time, those who need to type a lot may not find them that useful once the ‘fun’ factor wears off. Some business courses and marketing courses are even recommending tablets for students, and this has led to an increase in keyboard sales. The iPad gets around this issue with a stand and a keyboard.
- Textbooks. Textbooks are heavy. Even laptops are considered heavy. Netbooks might be useful for younger children (because they are small themselves), and this is another reason why we are seeing an increase in tablet consumption by students. We have a huge range of resources including interactive movies, videos and maps to help us learn. The death of the textbook is not far away at all. Tablets are light, they can contain everything we need, and they get online. Chromebooks will continue to sell well because they are incredibly cheap. This will work well for younger students. Students in higher education will continue to go with the tablet for another.
- What Student Want. Most students already don’t want to use textbooks. They don’t want to waste time in a library, and they don’t want to carry them around all day. They want everything online, just like the rest of their lives. Google is helping with this, and this is another reason why Google has such an excellent reputation with students – reputation is everything. Microsoft and the Windows 8 download will have to fight hard to deliver on the promises it has made.
- Teachers. According to the study, the majority of students said their professors and teachers are not integrating enough of modern technology into their lectures and other learning materials. Are teachers falling behind their students?
Tablets and e-book readers are not leisure items. They are not even the way of the future. They are the way students are ready to study now. It is our education systems and our teachers who are falling behind.
This is a guest post from Sachin from Windows 8 forums.
