WIPTE Overview -- Pen Based Technology

WIPTE Overview – Workshop on the Impact of Pen-based Technology on Education
Hosted by Virginia Tech College of Engineering


On Oct. 25 – 26, I attended WIPTE 2010. WIPTE stands for Workshop on the Impact of Pen-based Technology on Education. A visit to http://www.wipte.org/docs/2010/collateral2010.pdf gives you the entire flyer explaining the Workshop/Conference. I have taken some excerpts from it to help explain what exactly it is. First of all, let me explain that since the introduction of the ipad, earlier this year, there has been a lot of interest in “tablet” computers or “slate” computers.

The major difference between the ipad and the computers on which WIPTE focuses on is the pen, or stylus. Ipads are comfortable with finger input. Styluses are available but there are not many apps that takes advantage of a stylus, and the idea of handwriting recognition is equally scarce.

There two forms of tablet PC’s – the “slate” which, similar to an ipad, has no keyboard other than a screen based virtual keyboard, and the “convertible” which is basically a notebook computer with an inkable screen. In most, the screen can pivot and nest on top of the keyboard, creating a slate effect. You can add a keyboard and mouse to a Slate if you want.
The pen, or stylus, is the tool that allows one to use the screen of a tablet (or slate) PC as a piece of paper. You can write notes, lists, draw, diagram, and basically use a fully powered PC with all the software you want without ever touching the keyboard! (Or without a keyboard at all, for that matter).

A virtual keyboard is provided, making a tablet PC into a very useful multitasking device. Of course, a tablet PC typically has full WI-FI capabilities and a handy “snipping tool” allows the user to easily grab text and graphics from anywhere to place somewhere else.

Tablet PC’s make great use of a Microsoft program known as OneNote. A simpler program, called Journal, consists of, well, a virtual piece of paper of the user’s choice. Music score, legal pad in yellow, graph paper, stationary are just a few examples of the virtual paper you can select.

One-Note is a virtual notebook with lots of paper in it. You can make as many notebooks as you need, and you can add tabs and dividers and pretty much use One Note to be very organized. A powerful feature of One Note is that ink as well as text is searchable, so even if you take a ton of notes in ink (should I say electronic ink?), EVERYTHING IS SEARCHABLE. Even tags on graphics you snip from websites are SEARCHABLE. Disclaimer: It probably doesn’t work so well if you have the world’s sloppiest penmanship, but I did recently hear that practicing penmanship is good for your brain.

So, the ability to write on the screen using digital ink and the ability to organize work in One Note (which also works just fine for traditional keyboard input devices too), make for better classroom experiences. WIPTE is education focused.


Here are some of the questions WIPTE seeks to answer as well as some key findings, from the WIPTE site.

• Why are Tablet PCs better than notebook PCs?
• Can you add a digital pen to a laptop?
• What software really makes a difference?
• Do Tablet PCs really work for education?

Key Findings
Over the years of the WIPTE conference, participants have
been given insight into the following findings:

Having appropriate software to leverage the pen-based hardware
is a critical component for success.

Teacher buy-in and training are critical components
for success.

Tablet PCs are used differently to support the pedagogies associated
with various grade levels and disciplines.

Convertible Tablets are more commonly used in schools than
the slate form factor.

Planning for both formative and summative assessment
before the deployment helps to promote program evaluation.

Learning from peers is invaluable.