Tablets hold great promise in delivering education more effectively as they feature innovative hardware and also interactive content both of which are key to superior learning

Tablets have become the vehicle for a new trend in education, where students use handheld devices to interact with courseware. When the iconic iPad was launched, most analysts were of the opinion that this device would remain confined to the luxury segment, primarily because of its high  price. But now a wide range of cheaper models have become available. For instance,  there is Aakash. Aakash has been promoted by the Government  as a device that can bridge the digital divide across the country. However,  it was not a great sucess but it inspired many other players to come up with  their low priced tablets. Now the Government has launch its second version of the  Aakash tablet, which boasts fbetter hardware features.  According to market reports, the country saw sales of about 475,000 units of media tablets in the last calendar  year. Report from research firm Frost & Sullivan says the tablet PC user  base in India has increased from 60,000 units in 2010 to 300,000 in 2011. The  report further says that overall Tablet  C user base is likely to grow at a CAGR of 107 per cent to reach 23.38 million by 2017. Adoption of tablets in education is likely  to grow at fast pace. “In terms of sales, the market size in India is expected to grow to 500,000 units by end of this year. However, even with such high numbers, we will not be reaching even the Five percent of the education space and that is why this is a huge opportunity. Tablet market is set
to keep growing at a rapid pace,” informs Abbhishek, CEO, Kloudpad. Heavy bags, personalised learning, interactivity and reservation to the classroom have always been a challenge in conventional classroom learning  nvironment,
which is answered by tablet to a large extent. Still, lot more innovations and improvements are required and these will be addressed by upgradation of tablets. Computerisation started with heavy  desktops in computer labs and then we had the advent of laptops. Now there  is a unified learning wherein desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones are  playing their role in imparting education. Tablet is usually a 7 to 10 inches  form factor and it works on different mobile operating Systems like iOs, Android,  and Microsoft Windows. It is now well accepted as platform for interactive and  personalised learning. The teacher can easily explain concepts using the digital whiteboard that  is set up in the Tablet PC. Using learning tablets the students can access what was  taught in the classroom and can also access the collaborative learning platform
for discussions on relevant topics taught in the classroom. Students can have  he benefits of studying from the best faculties  fromacross the globe.  

In a very short span of time, tablets have carved a niche for  themselves in the modern education space. digitalLEARNING interacted with a host of schools and higher education leaders to gain insight into the real potential of tablets in education space
Adilakshmi Chintalapati, Principal, Oakridge International School

As Head of one of the first schools in Andhra Pradesh to introduce Technology in Teaching and bring in the concept of a Smart school, I believe that tablets have helped to bring a paradigm shift in the Teaching and Learning process. The 21st century learners need to be a critical and creative thinker who can work collaboratively towards designing and solving problems. Easy access to content and information has reduced the relevance of memorising facts and figures. Students today need to connect their learning to real world situations and apply what they learn. From desktop PC to laptop and now Tablets, the medium is only getting better. In a classroom where every child and the teacher have a Tablet that is connected to the WiFi, learning becomes both independent and collaborative. Teachers can both differentiate as well as teach to the group. It supports all kinds of learners and frees up a lot of space besides reducing paper. With all the content of the textbooks and more available on the Tablet, school bags will be lighter and children happier. As students are introduced to technological tools in classrooms and beyond, the first and most important quality that we need to imbibe is integrity and academic honesty. There is always the temptation to stray away from the task on hand and get lost in the maze of the web. Most equipments designed for usage in schools have features that restrict browsing to only what is relevant for learning. School firewalls also take care of controlling visits to unwanted sites. However the quality of internal discipline needs to be built. At Oakridge International School, we have multimedia enabled classrooms with smart boards and internet connectivity. We are currently exploring the option of introducing tablets in our classrooms. We did a pilot programme during the summer camp this year and were amazed to see how well children who are only three or four years old take to these devices.

A low cost tablet, Avaz gives voice to people with cerebral palsy.
Ajit Narayanan, Founder and CEO, Invention Labs talks about how Avaz caters to communication needs of children with special needsSome four million people in India suffer from cerebral palsy that makes it difficult or impossible for them to speak. Tablets provide particular advantagesto children with special needs because they minimise abstraction. Unlike computers, which require multiple levels of association with abstraction (understanding the motor movement of the mouse, and translating its movement on a screen), tablets avoid these complicated interfaces. You touch an icon, and it opens up: it is simple and easier to process. The cognitive gap that is faced with is significantly reduced. Along with the move to tablets, there has been a parallel surge in the app ecosystem to cater to children with mainstream as well as varied needs. The boom in the number and breadth of ideas out there is highly promising. Avaz is a tablet app that caters to the communicative needs of children with autism and cerebral palsy; about 500 children are using Avaz in India. They are easily able to navigate the customised touch screen, to speak out words, sentences or paragraphs. I have seen non-verbal children around India be able to join classrooms of verbal children because they have an enabling device. By allowing children to give voice to their thoughts and feelings, Avaz has unveiled new horizons of expression and thought for them.