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A Case Study on the Impact of a Tablet-Based learning Environment on
the Learning and Study Habits of high school students
by Josephine T. Trajeco and Sofia Soledad D.G. De Guzman
ABSTRACT
21st
century pedagogy and learning has significantly changed because of the
numerous technological innovations and inventions. One of these technological
advancements is e-learning which can be facilitated through the use of both the
internet and electronic gadget like a Tablet PC. Such advancement in the world
compels teachers to develop among students certain skills which will allow them
to meet expectations of 21st
century workplace.
A private and exclusive school for girls in Quezon City, Philippines, has
integrated in its first year level academic curriculum the use of the Tablet PC,
namely the Acer Iconiatab 200, in school year 2012-2013, as one of its initiatives
to offer quality 21st
century education to its students. This case study hopes to
find out the impact of a tablet-based learning environment on the learning and
study habits of first year students. Specifically, this case study hopes to know
students’ perception on the effect of a tablet-based learning environment on their
motivation to participate in class, work on their assignments at home, read their
assigned materials, etc.
Based on the results of a self-developed survey and focus group discussions
with both teachers and students, students became more engaged in discussions.
Students are also able to submit their outputs anytime, anywhere. However,
there are also challenges which teachers need to address like monitoring student
behavior and assessing their numerous outputs and lack of understanding and
training for teachers. Self-regulated learning and teacher training are among
the recommendations for the school to improve e-learning environment.
INTRODUCTION
21st Century Pedagogy and Learning
The 21st
century is accompanied by numerous technological innovations and inventions
which have significantly contributed to how people now think, decide, relate, socialize, work,
learn and even spend. According to Dr. Douglas Kellner (21st
Century Schools.com, 2008), the
impact of these technological revolutions on the present society, specifically on the field of
education, is far greater than the impact of the invention of the printing press around 1440.
This is primarily because these innovations have greatly influenced both pedagogy and
learning.
Teachers will have to teach and develop certain skills which will allow their students to
address and survive 21st
century challenges in general, but most especially the economic
challenges. Local and international companies have required new set of skills among their

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employees to remain competitive in the local and global market that is driven by these
technological innovations and inventions. These skills include digital literacy, inventive
thinking, effective/interactive communication (personal and social), and high productivity
(NCREL & Metiri Group, 2003). This is currently urging national governments and schools to
assess if their curriculum reflects the development of such skills among their learners. The
future of any nation’s economy highly depends on it. It prevents them from losing career
opportunities and economic investments. These skills are also called the 21st
century workplace
skills which companies look for from their employees (Cisco, 2008).
Learning in the 21st
century, on the other hand, has already been treated with an entirely
new context. The students are no longer perceived as those who simply want to get a diploma.
They are perceived as individuals who have different learning styles, are research driven when
curious, are capable of assessing their own performance and outputs and that of their peers, and
have the competence to learn independently or interdependently. This is very different from 20th
century learning where students were solely dependent on their teacher to acquire knowledge and
skills. Learners then were not trusted to have the capability to be responsible for their own
learning. Their motivation to study was aimed at achieving high scores and meeting certain
standards rather than producing outputs which will allow them to perform real-world tasks and
reflect on their learning (21st
Century Schools.com, 2008).
E-learning
One of the technological innovations which has a significant impact on pedagogy and
learning is electronic learning, or most popularly known as e-learning. Electronic learning is
defined in many ways. One of its most common definitions is that it is a tool to enhance
learning and teaching experience through the utilization of digital media or information
communication technologies (Al-Doub, Goddwin, Al-Hunaiyyan, 2008) like laptops, computers,
tablet computers, etc. It is also defined as using the internet as an educational medium which
allows learning at any time and place (“What is electronic”, n.d.). Many teachers have started
incorporating e-learning in their classes for various reasons. One of which is to motivate their
students to actively participate in their discussions. Teachers hope that e-learning will serve as
an effective tool to capture student interest while in class. Teachers also use e-learning for
convenience so that materials are easily shared to their students and that outputs are easily sent to
the teacher. All of these come from the observation of teachers that many students have been
actively using the internet for various purposes like working on an assigned research project,
contacting their friends, or expressing how they feel and what they think (Intratat, n.d.). Is e-
learning truly effective in this aspect? How effective is e-learning in engaging students to learn?
Has e-learning through the use of electronic gadgets like a Tablet PC positively influence student
motivation? Does e-learning indeed develop the 21st
century workplace skills such as digital
literacy, inventive thinking, effective/interactive communication (personal and social), and high
productivity among learners? These are just some of the general questions that this case study
hopes to answers. In order to understand these questions, the researchers conducted a case
study on the integration of e-learning, specifically through the Tablet PC, in the academic
curriculum of the target school.

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21st Century Education in high school in the Philippines
A private, exclusive school for girls in Quezon City, Philippines, took on the challenge of
providing 21st
century education to its students. One of its concrete steps to develop among its
students the skills they need for the 21st
century workplace is the integration in its first year
academic curriculum the use of Tablet PC with the model Acer Iconiatab 200 in school year
2011-2012. The Tablet PC (Acer Iconiatab A200) serves multiple functions for which the first
year students, or similar to grade 7 students in other countries, find helpful for their learning. Its
features and functions include wi-fi enabled internet browsing, sending and receiving e-mails,
multimedia playback, taking photos and videos, e-book reader, calendar and alarm, among
others. Textbooks in all subjects, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, English, Christian Life,
and Filipino for the first year level have been digitized and uploaded in the Tablet PC of both
students and teachers. All First year teachers were provided with the Tablet PC so they can use
it in their classes. Department Chairs were also given Tablet PCs so they can explore how the
teachers can integrate the use of the Tablet PC in their specific subject areas. The First year
teachers underwent a training on how to operate the Tablet PC during the school’s summer in-
service program. The school has also improved its technological infrastructure by installing Wi-
fi routers inside the classrooms and along the corridors to ensure that students and teachers alike
can access the internet through Wifi connection through the use the Tablet PC. Usernames and
passwords have been assigned to each of the teachers and students for this purpose. In addition,
policies have been newly crafted and implemented to guide first year students on how to secure,
manage and handle their Tablet PC to avoid losses and other problems. In the past, any form of
electronic gadget is not allowed in the classroom. This has changed for the first year students
who are using the Tablet PC in their classrooms.
Statement of the Problems and Objectives of the Paper
Specifically, this case study hopes to answer the following questions:
1. What is the perception of the students regarding the use of the tablet as a learning tool in
relation to learning in class and studying at home?
2. How has a tablet-based learning environment changed the way students perceive learning?
3. How has the tablet-based learning environment changed students’ attitude towards school
tasks? Were students more motivated and active in class when teachers use the Tablet PC?
4. How has the table-based learning environment changed the way students perceive their study
habits? Were students able to comply more with their tasks because of the Tablet PC?
Methodology
This case study is illustrative, descriptive and exploratory in nature. The researchers
conducted interviews, focus group discussions and surveys among randomly selected first year
students, or similar to grade 7 students in other countries, to investigate on the impact of the

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tablet on students’ study habits. Students’ personal experiences had been very useful
determining the impact of the use of the Tablet PC, on their perceptions and attitudes on learning
and school work in general.
The researchers of this case study created and conducted a four-point scale survey among
226 first year students (almost half of the entire first year population of the school) to measure
the following: how the use of the Tablet PC has influenced the students’ perception of,
motivation on and attitude about learning at home and at school; and how the use of the
Tablet influenced their study habits. The instrument had 22 items (see appendix for the copy
of the survey) and respondents were asked to rate the items using a four-point scale with 4-
strongly agree, 3-agree, 2-disagree, and 1-strongly disagree. The data was interpreted using the
mean and standard deviation. These helped analyze most common perceptions of the
respondents. Variation in students’ responses was also looked at.
The researchers also facilitated four focus group discussions (FGDs) involving students
and teachers to validate the results of the survey.
Scope and Limitation
The school used as subject in this study has only been using the Tablet PC for seven
months when this case study was conducted. Thus, the data gathered from this study is based on
the experiences of the teachers and students on the use of the tablets for seven months. Such
data may change after using the Tablet PC for several years. Also, the data from this case study
are highly reliant on the student and teacher perceptions of the use of the Tablet PC as an
educational medium.
Significance of the Case Study
Using technologies such as the Tablet-PC in facilitating lessons is very new in the
Philippines. The results of this case study will be useful for school administrators and teachers
who have started integrating e-learning in their academic curriculum. This case study will help
school administrators in designing processes and systems including in-service training that will
guide and equip teachers to integrate e-learning in all subjects. Teachers will also learn from the
survey because it presents feedback from students on how they perceive their classes when the
teachers use the Tablet PC. Teachers may be able to learn from this feedback so they can
improve the manner they facilitate their classes. The focus group discussion among teachers
will also be very helpful for those who are thinking of integrating the use of technology in the
classroom.
Parents will also benefit from this case study because they will have a better
understanding on how teachers manage the classes with regard to the use of the Tablet. The
strategies teachers use greatly differ from the manner teachers have facilitated their classes
without the Tablet PC. It is important for parents to understand these teachers’ techniques so
they can better guide their children who are working on an assigned task or reviewing at home.

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REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
On the Positive Impact of e-learning or a Tablet-based learning environment
Several studies and papers have shown that e-learning in general offers a lot of benefits to
both the teachers and learners. However, certain requirements must be met for these benefits to
be enjoyed by both teachers and students. For instance, in a report presenting twelve (12) case
studies on the use of Tablet PC in 12 schools England it was discovered that the effective use of
the Tablet PC highly relied on the teacher. Commitment on the part of the teacher was deemed
an important factor in ensuring the successful integration of the use of the Tablet PC in the
academic curriculum. The Tablet PC was used in “ways that supported, extended and
transformed the curriculum.” The case studies also yielded that despite the students’ difficulties
in using the Tablet PC, they continue to love its use, thus motivating them to participate in class
activities using the Tablet PC. Teachers shared that students gave their full attention when
activities were facilitated through the Tablet PC. The students’ also improved their
communication skills. Training and ICT support made are likewise essential in understanding
the full benefits that the Tablet PC can offer to both teachers and learners (Twinning, P. et al.,
2005).
In a white paper published by Intel in 2009, student learning is among the primary
benefits of e-learning. In Maine, USA, results of a survey reveal that more than 80% of the
teachers say that students are more involved in class because of e-learning. Most of the evidence
though is anecdotal in nature. E-learning has also increased motivation and attendance. This
was evident in Mitchell Institute in the USA. In a study conducted in Malaysia, teachers believe
that e-learning has helped them create more opportunities for students to work collaboratively.
In a meta-analysis of 42 peer-reviewed papers between 1996-2003 of Waxman, a student who is
immersed in e-learning is found to excel more than a student who does not. The same has been
found to be true in students in Kenya who were randomly chosen to participate in the technology
program according to Wagner. Their grades were higher in Math. Pegnel found that students’
reading achievement and writing also improved when he and his colleagues performed a research
in Europe, Middle East, Africa and U.S. In terms of productivity, this white paper also presented
that students learn more in less time while teachers produce more in less time (specifically when
writing lesson plans) when engaged in e-learning. The white paper likewise concludes that the
positive impact of e-learning on student achievement and productivity are attributed to
professional teacher training and provision of 1:1 e-learning environment. This means that the
ICT should be integrated across the academic curriculum than in one computer subject (Intel,
2009).
E-learning is also believed to have an impact on the development of students’ “generic
employability skills” such as teamwork, communications, time management, learner dependence
and positive attitudes and behaviors. It is basically for this reason that a program called
Grassroots and Network Innovative Schools (NIS) was initiated and established in several basic
education schools in Canada. The aim of both programs is to integrate information and
communication technologies (ICT) in the teaching and learning process. In the study by Sharpe,
Brown & Dibbon (2003), it was observed that such programs had a positive impact on student,
teacher, administrator, and parent enthusiasm for learning. Through the ICT applications, the

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confidence level of the students has improved in terms of applying their computer literacy skills
in learning about different subject matters. It has also strengthened linkages between and among
schools when teachers engaged the class in a virtual cultural and learning exchange. This has
likewise paved way for the school and community to enhance their relationship as students learn
more about community events, policy and programs and vice versa. The positive impact of such
programs was attributed to the capacity of educators to integrate and utilize ICT in the
classroom. Thus, professional training is an important factor to a successful e-learning program.
The development of ICT infrastructure (upgrade technology infrastructure e.g. investments in
computers, routers, and other peripherals) and funding for additional resources to digital
programs (e.g. applications, websites and other programs, etc.) are equally important factors as
well.
E-learning and student attitude and motivation
Student attitude and motivation are important factors for effective learning whether
learning takes place in the classroom or elsewhere. However, there are not much
studies/researches directly relating Tablet-based learning and student motivation. Perhaps, this is
because Tablet-based learning is very new. There are also numerous theories and models on
motivation for learning, but according to Smith (2008), integrating these to e-learning has been a
great challenge. Despite these, attempts have been made to study student motivation and e-
learning. Most of these reveal that students have positive attitudes towards e-learning. Gender
and age are the factors that may affect this positive attitude. On the other hand, technical
glitches, time constraints, and pressure are some of the factors that negatively affect students’
attitudes on e-learning. Thus, it is recommended that teachers ensure that the tools they use to
integrate e-learning in the classroom is very interactive and user-friendly. Web and e-materials
developers are also recommended to create attractive designs which offer a lot of information,
both academic and non-academic to learners. These will motivate students further to do their
tasks. These will likewise make them independent and autonomous learners (Intratat, n.d.).
Cocea and Weibalzahl (n.d.) affirms how important instructional design is in influencing
student motivation in learning. Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivation has been used to guide
creators of e-materials. ARCS stands for Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction;
these are the elements or principles which will help enhance instructional materials in order to
motivate learners. E-learning materials should be interactive in order to capture and sustain
attention of students. For instance, students must be shown with unexpected situations or
simulations. Their inquisitive minds should be provoked. Then students must see the relevance
of the content of the e-materials with that of their goals. The teacher should already know the
goals and concerns of the students before engaging them in any e-learning activity or material so
that the instructional objectives can be aligned and related to these. Confidence is attained when
the students are able to achieve their goals. This can be done through assessments and
immediate feedback. Student satisfaction takes place when learners are able to transfer the
knowledge and skills they gained in class to their actual life experiences. This is what gives
learners a positive feeling because this is where students feel that the task assigned was
sufficient, fair and necessary (Smith, 2008). This is where students realize that what they are
learning in schools are things that they can actually apply in real life. The ARCS model allows
teachers to motivate learners by “translating teaching and learning” in class to an e-learning
environment (Picar, 2004). These studies recommended ways on how to motivate students in

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an e-learning environment. These studies also state that while e-materials were designed and
created following traditional approaches for student motivation, a new motivational approach
for e-learning is on its way—one that is motivated by self-regulation and self-efficacy (Cocea
and Weibalzahl, n.d.)
Challenges of e-learning or a Tablet-based learning environment
Garner and Bol (n.d.) argue that the greatest challenge in technology-enhanced learning
environment or computer-based learning environment is self-regulation. Self-regulating learning
is defined as “learners taking responsibility for their own learning” (Detorri and Perciso, 2011).
The success of courses and classes where technology or computers are highly integrated rely on
structures or platforms which develop self-management skills of students/learners. Self-
management skills are important during student-content interaction where students are engaged
to different e-learning or multimedia materials, student-teacher interaction when teachers give
feedback on a task/assignment, and student-student interaction where students respond to a
discussion thread or accomplish projects with a group/partner. At present, there is very little
research exploring student-teacher and student-student interaction in a technology-enhanced
learning environment. Garner and Bol also state that there is no unifying framework explaining
how self-regulation takes place in the three types of interaction done in an e-learning
environment. Most researches study the three interactions independently than interdependently.
The lack of planning, monitoring and self-reflection are believed to be the main causes why
learners find it difficult to self-regulate. However, there has been a great deal of research on
self-regulated learning but these are not much qualitative studies directly linking it to e-learning.
Anderson (2008) identified seven other major challenges concerning e-learning. These
are student support, flexibility, teaching and learning activities, access, academic confidence,
localization and attitudes. Student support is needed most especially if they are having
difficulties with the course and how it is facilitated in an e-learning environment. With the vast
information made available online, students can easily get lost and confused. Flexibility is both
a challenge and benefit of e-learning. While e-learning allows teachers and learners to access,
work and assess the learning material and student outputs anytime and anywhere, a question on
whether students can deal with all these independently is raised. Some students are tempted to
access their social network accounts rather than deal with their assigned tasks. Anderson stresses
the importance of student discipline because of the freedom and flexibility e-learning offers to
the learners. This challenge is also associated with student attitude when engaged in e-learning.
Students who are not mature and independent will not be successful e-learners. The challenge
posed by teaching and learning activities is related to the many things that can be done through
e-learning. Monitoring and assessing them could pose a great deal of challenge for the teachers.
Teachers must always remember the importance of immediate feedback when assigning tasks to
students. However, because of the numerous activities, discussion threads, etc., teachers may not
be able to track and assess student output and participation in an e-learning environment. As
stated by Anderson, no matter how effectively students are able to manage their e-learning tasks,
someone should always be there for them to assess their progress. Access refers to the provision
of reliable technological infrastructure so teachers and students can connect to internet. If this is
not provided, technical problems will surely take place and cause technical glitches/delays.
Academic confidence and localization are challenges specifically for academic institution who

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are offering distance learning courses but not necessarily for students who integrated e-learning
in their classes.
Results and Analysis
The school used as subject in this study introduced the use the Tablet PC (Acer
IconiatabA200 in particular) for the first year students on June of school year 2012-2013. Each
student if first year bought her own Tablet PC where their textbooks in Mathematics, Science,
Christian Life Education, Social Studies and Filipino were uploaded at the beginning of the
school year. They were also instructed to download e-books for home-reading report (HRR) in
English using their Tablet PC.
Result of Survey among Students
On October 8, 2012, a survey was conducted to determine how the use of the Tablet PC
has influenced students’ perception of, motivation and attitude about learning at home and in
school and how the use of the Tablet changed their study habits. The researchers used two
approaches: One is the use of the survey questionnaire (see Appendix 1) to which, 226 out of
454 students were chosen to respond to the questions where they were given response options
such as strongly agree (SA), agree (A), disagree (D) and strongly disagree (SD); and a different
set of 11 randomly chosen students were invited to a focus group discussion using the same set
of questions. In the focus group discussion, the students were not given response options but
they were encouraged to honestly speak out their opinions.
The first set of questions (set A) pertains to the use of the Tablet PC for learning in the
school setting. Question numbers 1-5 belong to this set. The second set (set B) which includes
question numbers 6-10 pertains to the use of the Tablet for learning in the home setting. The
third set, question numbers 11-15 (set C), are questions pertaining to the general use of the
Tablet PC. The fourth set, numbers 16-22 (set D), are questions that ask whether they prefer the
Tablet PC over other gadgets with similar functions. The following table shows the percentage
of students (out of 226 respondents) and their respective responses to specific questions.
SA A D SD Standard
Deviation
Set A (Use of Tablet PC to learn in school) % % % %
1. I use my Tablet to play games to enhance learning. 6.7 43.75 36.61 12.95 0.066667
2. I use my Tablet to take down notes. 15.39 47.35 23.89 13.27 0.132745
3. I use it to take pictures for my school project. 13.72 57.96 22.12 6.2 0.199
4.I use it to submit learning outputs immediately while in
the classroom.
43.81 48.23 6.64 1.33 0.265

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5. I use it to readily access educational materials and
resources.
69.9 26.1 3.98 0 0.332
The table above shows that the responses to the questions pertaining to the use of the
Tablet for learning in school and at home are generally positively skewed, meaning, at least 50%
of the respondents either strongly agree or agree. Almost 70% say that they use the Tablet to
readily access educational materials and resources (item 5) while 26% say they agree. The
standard deviations of all items also show very few variations in the students’ responses.
92% of the respondents (almost 44% strongly agree and 48% agree) say that the Tablet
facilitates immediate submission of learning output while in the classroom (item 4). 71.7%
(13.72% strongly agree and almost 58% agree) say that they use the tablet to take pictures for
their school project (item 3). Almost 63% (15.39% and 47.35%) say they use the gadget for
note-taking (item 2) and 50% (6.7% strongly agree and 43.75%) say they play games to enhance
learning with the Tablet.
SA A D SD Standard
Deviation
Set B (Use of Tablet PC to learn at home) % % % %
6. I use it to communicate with my classmates and teachers
about my lessons.
61.78 31.11 6.22 0.89 0.399
7. I use it to access my e-books anytime anywhere. 59.11 35.11 5.33 0.44 0.466
8. I use it to do my assigned writing projects/work
(Kingsoft).
31.56 42.67 18.67 7.11 0.532
9. I use it to submit homework on time. 45.13 43.81 9.3 1.77 0.597
10. I use it to browse the internet for my research projects. 43.56 47.56 7.11 1.78 0.665
Almost 62% strongly agree that they find the Tablet useful for communicating with their
classmates and teachers about their lessons while they are at home (set B, item 6) while 31%
agree. Although a few or some complained that reading e-books from their Tablet causes eye
strain, 59% acknowledge the convenience of having their e-books and other school-related files
in the Tablet because they can readily access them wherever they are and it enables them to
better manage their free time (set B, item 7) while 35% agree. If we will combine the “agree”
and “strongly agree” responses, 92-96% of our respondents find the Tablet useful in terms of
readily accessing educational materials and resources, communicating with classmates and
teachers about the lesson, accessing the e-books anytime and anywhere. The standard deviations
of all items also show very few variations in the students’ responses.
Other features of the Tablet that can facilitate students’ academic work include the
possibility of being able to create Word documents through the Kingsoft (item 8), online

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submission of homework (item 9) and internet browsing for research projects (item 10). 31.56%
strongly agree while 42.67% agree to item 8; 45% strongly agree while almost 44% agree to item
9; and 43.56% strongly agree while 47.56 agree to item 10. In summary, 74-93% of the
respondents have a positive disposition towards the use of the Tablet at home in facilitating the
preparation and submission of their academic output. The standard deviation also reveals this.
SA A D SD Standard
Deviation
Set C (General use of the Tablet PC) % % % %
11. I use it to keep my personal reflection journal. 4.89 19.56 46.67 28.89 0.732
12. I play games with it to relax after school. 10.27 35.71 35.05 16.96 0.8
13. I use it as a planner and reminder. 32.44 41.33 20.0 6.22 0.865
14. I use it to take pictures for my personal use. 17.33 41.78 24.0 16.89 0.931
15. I use it to access social networks like Facebook, Twitter,
etc.
14.16 45.13 26.99 13.72 0.996
In regard to the general use of the Tablet, 46.67% disagree while almost 29% strongly
disagree that they use the Table to keep their personal reflection journal. This means that more
than 75% don’t find the Tablet useful for this particular purpose. When it comes to using the
Tablet for playing games to relax after school, the responses are almost split in half – only a total
(between strongly agree and agree) of 46% of the respondents gave a positive response while
52% gave a negative response. Almost 74% (32.44% strongly agree and 41.33%) say that they
use the Tablet as planner and reminder. A total of 59% (17.33% strongly agree and 41.78%
agree) say that they use the camera function of the Tablet for taking personal photos. Also, 59%
(14.16% strongly agree and 45.13% agree) say they access social networking sites through their
Tablet.
SA A D SD Standard
Deviation
Set D (Preference between Tablet PC and other gadgets) % % % %
16. I prefer to read e-textbooks/assigned readings with my
Tablet PC over the printed textbooks/assigned readings.
4.43 19.47 29.65 46.46 1.062
17. I prefer to write notes with my Tablet over my
notebook.
3.98 12.39 37.61 46.02 1.128
18. I prefer to use my Tablet over a digital camera when
taking pictures.
2.66 11.06 37.17 49.12 1.195
19. I prefer to use my Tablet over a personal desktop to
access internet.
3.54 17.26 42.92 36.28 1.261
20. I prefer to use my Tablet over a portable video camera. 3.1 8.85 44.69 43.36 1.327
21. I prefer to use my Tablet to note important dates and
activities over my Student planner.
17.26 29.65 29.2 23.89 1.394

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22. I prefer to listen to music with my Tablet over other
music players.
11.06 18.14 34.07 36.73 1.46
This part of the survey yielded negatively skewed responses which show that our students
prefer other electronic gadgets if and when given a choice. This explains the variation in
students’ responses as shown in the standard deviation. During the focused group discussion,
the students expressed that although they find having their e-books conveniently accessible all
the time, they still prefer reading the printed books (item 16). They said that they cannot read
from the Tablet for a longer period of time because their eyes get easily strained. Thus, 29.65%
disagree and 46.46% strongly disagree (total of 76%) that they prefer reading e-books over
printed copies of their textbooks. In terms of using the gadget for note-taking (item 17), 37.61%
disagree and 46% strongly disagree (total of almost 84%) that they prefer to take notes using the
Tablet. Students still prefer using the paper notebook because they find it difficult to type on the
Tablet, even if some of them reported that they are able to come up with more organized notes
with the Tablet.
The students prefer to use a digital camera over the Iconiatab camera function for taking
still photos and videos (items 18 and 20) because the Iconiatab has a front camera which makes
it difficult to focus on the photo subject. We have to note though that the camera function of the
Iconiatab is primarily designed for a video conference but some of the students use it for taking
still photos only because it is readily available to them.
In terms of accessing the internet, 79% still prefer using the desktop. Most of the
students complain about the slow connection that they get using the Tablet. Moreover, since the
Tablet is wi-fi enabled, and not many of them have access to wi-fi connection at home, only a
small percentage of our students say they benefit from using the Tablet in terms of internet
access at home.
The turnout of responses for item 22 is understandable – almost 70% will not prefer to
use the Tablet for listening to music because they have the option to use more handy MP3
players. One of the students in the FGD though, testified that the music player of the Iconiatab
has the capability of adjusting the quality of the sound.
Focus Group Discussions among Students
The researchers validated the students’ responses in the written survey through the focus
group discussions and the following discussion is gathered from those groups.
The students find the Tablet PC very useful in terms of being able to easily access their
reading materials and homework assignments wherever they are. This enables them to make
wise use of their time especially when they need to wait for their fetchers or school buses or
somewhere where they will find spare time to read or work on their assigned tasks.
The Tablet PC is portable and it spares them from carrying heavy bags to school. They
have everything they will need for the school tasks in one piece of gadget. They can use the
camera to take pictures which they will need for their class presentations. Evernote (one
application in the Tablet) enables them to take down more organized notes. However, they find

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it difficult to use Evernote for taking down notes in the Filipino subject because it self-corrects
and it only recognizes the English language. They can also use QuickNote (another application)
as their planner and reminder to remind them of important dates and activities. There is a feature
in the diary/planner application that allows them to view all their academic requirements and
other activities.
Since the Tablet PC is the student’s personal property, the students find it very
convenient for them that they do not have to wait for their turn to use the desktop in their home.
Moreover, since it is wi-fi capable, they can readily work on their tasks that require them to
research using the internet anywhere. They can easily access materials that are sent by their
teachers through Edmodo and other e-learning assistant sites especially in Science and Math.
This makes submission of assigned tasks more convenient for both students and teachers.
One great advantage of the Tablet PC is that the students can virtually attend their class
when they are sick at home through the Talk application. The students also claim that the Tablet
enables them to follow the teacher’s discussion more easily when using the Tablet because they
are literally on the same page.
Despite the advantages they identified above, the students also expressed some not so
good experiences regarding the use of the IconiatabA200. First, they say that it takes longer for
them to read their books from the Tablet because prolonged reading strains their eyes. They
expressed their preference to read from the printed books over the Tablet because they find it
difficult to go to their desired pages. Moreover, they prefer to use the printed book so that they
can highlight important points and they do not need to worry about the battery getting discharged
while they are reading. One participant in the FGD, though, reported that she discovered
features of the Tablet for locating the Table of Contents of their e-books for easier browsing and
how to highlight specific portions of their e-book.
Second, they admitted that they find it difficult to focus on what they are doing on the
Tablet when they are online because they get distracted by the notifications. They also admitted
that they get distracted with the games that are available in their Tablet PC.
Third, they find it difficult to use the camera of this particular Tablet because it has a
front camera which may only be useful for video calling – it does not have a rear camera which
could be useful for shooting quality pictures.
Fourth, the students confessed that sometimes, they don’t feel motivated to study using
the Tablet because of slow internet connection in school and when the gadget is running in low
battery. When asked whether using the Tablet gives them confidence that they’ll get better
grades, they replied negatively. According to the students, they are not able to compare
homework assignment outputs with their friends/classmates when they are using the Tablet.
Comparing their homework with another’s gives them more confidence before submitting their
personal output.
Focus Group Discussion among Teachers

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The researchers conducted a focus group discussion on November 14, 2012 with teachers
of different subjects who are known to be using the Tablet in their lessons in one way or another
and those who have had experience teaching without the Tablet.
1. A female teacher in Filipino who’s been teaching for 5 years
2. A female teacher in English who’s been teaching for 7 years
3. A female Math teacher who’s been teaching for 12 years
4. 3 Science teachers – one female teacher has been teaching for 1.5 years; one male teacher
has been teaching for 10 years; and another male teacher has been teaching for 19 years
5. A male Christian Life Education teacher who has been teaching for 15 years
6. A female Social Studies teacher who has been teaching for 12 years
These teachers were interviewed regarding frequency, duration and extent of Tablet use;
the benefits of the Tablet in terms of preparation of learning plans; the advantages/disadvantages
of using the Tablet in terms of the quality of their input in the learning process; and its benefits
and influence on the students in terms of motivation, participation and quality of learning
outputs.
On the frequency and duration of Tablet use
Our respondents vary in the degree of Tablet use. One of the teachers uses the Tablet
merely for posting all tasks (handouts, projects and homework) through Edmodo. Another uses
the e-tool for online discussion with students while most of them use it in all parts of their lesson
from motivational activity to content presentation to leaning enhancement activities such as
games and research resources to assessment like homework and seatwork. The latter group
reports that the only thing that they cannot use the Tablet for is the assessment forms like quizzes
and long tests, where they still use the pen and paper tests for obvious reasons such as to avoid
cheating.
Benefits of using the Tablet for lesson preparation
The respondents identified the following tools for preparing learning activities for their
students and how they have been beneficial to them in terms of preparing their lessons and
implementing the same. Some of the teachers, especially in Science, subscribe to e-learning
websites like Edmodo and Genyo to supplement the students’ learning experiences.
Edmodo is a social medium that provides students and teachers a secure place to connect,
collaborate, share content and educational applications, and access homework, grades and class
discussions and notifications. It enables educators to customize their classroom for every learner
(Edmodo, 2012).
One of the teachers we interviewed said that he finds it a lot easier to prepare lessons
because the Tablet has liberated him from the hassle of filling out requisition papers for his
teaching materials and equipment. He further mentioned that there are ready-made learning
plans from Genyo.
Some of them discovered other e-learning sites like the Socrative Teacher.
Socrative.com is a website that enables teachers to engage students in interactive games and
exercises. With this, the teacher can create his/her own short answer (multiple choice, true/false

14. 14
questions) evaluation tools. The students’ answers to the questions will be visible to the teacher.
Quizzes are auto-graded and reported to the teacher. Socrative can be accessed using any device
(laptops, tablets, smartphones) that is connected to the internet (Socrative, 2012).
Dropbox is a free online service that allows one to bring photos, documents and videos
anywhere and easily share them. All files that a person saves to Dropbox will automatically be
saved in all his/her gadgets and therefore enables one to share files anytime anywhere
(Dropbox). One of our teacher respondents uses this to share her task sheets with her students.
According to the teachers whom the researchers interviewed, they can easily disseminate
information, share links for educational resources and games with students for learning
enhancement activities. One teacher who went abroad recently shared that he was able to upload
tasks for his students even while out of the country. Moreover, the abovementioned tools also
encourage and enable the students to participate in the discussion. Compared to the traditional
learning environment (without the Tablet), where very few students get engaged in classroom
discussions, all students give better insight and actively participate in the exchange of ideas in
the e-learning environment.
The use of e-learning tool facilitates a more student-centered learning environment and
significantly lessens teacher talk. The e-learning environment provides tons of choices for
learning activities, thus, also giving the learner the freedom to choose the activities that would
suit their learning style and pleasure. The availability of various applications in the Tablet
provides the students ample tools to produce varied and quality learning outputs. One example
of these applications is the Movie Studio where students could create movies for their projects.
One teacher in Social Studies reported that their e-book is interactive and this feature
heightens the interest of students in learning because they can take down notes and highlight in a
colorful and creative way. The students can use their finger or a stylus to write their notes and
highlight specific passages in the text.
Analysis
In general, both the students and teachers agree that the e-learning tool is greatly
beneficial in the teaching-learning process even though both likewise identified some
problematic part in this new educational innovation which the school chose to implement.
The survey results show that the teachers find the Tablet PC a convenient tool for the
teaching-learning process. The students’ use of the Tablet PC makes it easier for teachers to
prepare learning activities that are student-centered and interactive. The Tablet-enabled learning
environment facilitates the sharing of limitless resources that are available in the worldwide web
to maximize the teaching-learning process that can go beyond the four walls of the classroom.
The students have mixed emotions regarding the use of the Tablet. They acknowledge
the benefits of the tool such that they have all their learning materials and resources in one place
which enables them to manage and maximize their use of study time better but they also
encounter several difficulties. And although they cannot recognize it, based on the teachers’
report, they are more actively participating in the discussion, they are manifesting a higher
level of critical thinking and communication skills, and they come up with better quality
outputs because the tool facilitates their creativity and provides them with a variety of options.

15. 15
The disadvantages that the students identified in the survey such as slow internet
connection, getting distracted by several things going on at the same time, the eye strain that they
experience from reading the e-books from the Tablet, etc. may be treated as minor challenges
and can be addressed through the recommendations that can be found in the last section of this
paper.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The introduction of the e-learning tool in a school is very promising. The tool contains or
can contain almost everything that a student will need for learning such as e-books, notebook,
dictionary, maps, calculator, camera, information gadget, etc.; it also allows a more convenient
way for teachers to prepare the lessons and facilitates sharing of countless information that may
aid in the teaching-learning process; it encourages maximum participation among students in the
discussion and exchange of ideas and insights; it develops critical thinking and communication
skills among the learners; it provides varied choices for quality student outputs; and it
accommodates distance learning which benefits students who, for one reason or another are not
able to attend school physically.
However, its introduction caught many, if not all the teachers and students quite
unprepared. This unpreparedness may be the reason for the problems that they encounter in the
use of the tool. Three of the biggest problems mentioned above are the lack of orientation
among students and teachers on e-learning in general and on the use/function of the an e-learning
tool like the Tablet PC, slow internet connection which affects how teachers integrate the use of
the Tablet PC in their classes and that the tool itself could serve as distraction for students
because of the many tasks that a student can do simultaneously which the teacher may not
monitor at all times. All these challenges in fact validate the Garner, Bol (n.d.) and Anderson’s
(2008) studies on the problems encountered in e-learning.
Apparently, the advantages of an e-learning tool and environment far outweigh the
problems which can hopefully be addressed by the recommendations that are stated in the next
section of this paper.
Recommendations
The teachers gave the following recommendations for their school to be able to maximize
the use of the e-learning tool.
First and foremost, teachers and students should be given ample orientation on the
features and capabilities of the e-learning tool that is being used. It is also being recommended
that a different brand or model be considered to address the difficulties and challenges
encountered with the Acer IconiatabA200 such as the slow connectivity. One of the reviews of
the gadget says, “Wireless reception on the A200 is exceptionally poor” (Volpe, 2012).

16. 16
One of the teachers says that sharing of practices and resources among teachers helps a
lot. When teachers learn from each other, they multiply their resources of teaching materials and
skills in facilitating the activities.
Another recommendation is to explore the possibilities that are available for learning
through the social networking or blog sites like Tumbler. Teachers can create their own blog
sites where students can be engaged in meaningful exchange of ideas. This method helps
develop spontaneity and conversational and critical thinking skills among students.
In regard to the problem of students getting distracted, it is recommended that teachers
study and look into the possibility of training the students to be self-regulated learners. Self-
regulated learning is a behavior that is highly recommended for technology-enhanced learning
environments (Matthew L. Bernacki, Anita C. Aguilar, James P. Byrnes, 2011). The school
should conduct further studies on self-discipline/management as a way to address the challenges
brought about by their decision to integrate the use of the Tablet in the conduct of their academic
classes.
Lastly, there is a need to conduct this case study again after all year level teachers and
students (from first year to senior year high school) have integrated the Tablet in their lessons.
This will validate the results of this study.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Survey and Focus Group Discussion Questions for Students
Appendix 2: Tally Sheet (excel file)
Appendix 3: Focus Group Discussion Questions for Teachers
About the Authors
Ms. Sofia Soledad D.G. De Guzman is the Year Level Coordinator for Third Year Students in
Miriam College High School. She has taught English in all year levels in the high school. She is
currently assigned to teach Reading in Grade 7 as part of the MC Basic Education unit’s

18. 18
Teaching Exchange Program. In 2010, she was awarded Outstanding Junior Faculty during the
President’s Awards for Teaching Excellence. She is also finishing her Master’s degree in
Language and Literacy Education from the University of the Philippines Open University.
Ms. Josephine T. Trajeco