A college with no books and paper, only iPads

At the Meridian International (MINT) College in Taguig City, pens, papers and books have been replaced with one device: a tablet computer. Beginning this school year, all freshmen students of MINT College will receive an Apple iPad 2, which they can use for studying, writing notes and sourcing information in and out of the classroom. While many enthusiasts consider the iPad a toy, MINT College believes it is an important tool for education. "It's only right that we use technology in the classroom," said Hendrik Kiamzon, chief marketing officer at MINT College. "If you notice these days, kids are bombarded with information from different directions, [so] why not use it for advantage in delivering education?" he asked. But of course, all this innovation in education comes at a price —and a hefty one at that. According to Kiamzon, average tuition in the college per semester could run up to P80,000, inclusive of all the technological facilities such as the iPad. But all students enrolled in a four-year course in MINT College are entitled to an iPad, he added. 'Education 3.0' Lesson plans, class schedules, electronic books and teachers' presentations are just some of the information students can access using the iPad tablets paid for by their tuition. The tablet is a welcome addition to MINT College's modern teaching methods dubbed "Education 3.0", which makes use of interactive whiteboards and large LCD screens for presentations, and does away with the traditional chalk-and-board method. This is a teaching style which seems to appeal to a new generation of students like Jolo Marcelo, a film student at MINT College. "Since high school and grade school, I've [experienced being taught using] blackboards and desks, and I always fall asleep because it's a bit boring," he said. "But now with Education 2.0, it's been a great experience. I haven't had one boring day in school," he claimed. Professors and instructors also find the tablets a convenient way to keep their students updated with the lessons. "Instead of books, we have files that we upload and we share with the students. That's why the information reaches them very quickly," said Samantha Feleo, an instructor at the college. No more heavy backpacks But aside from modernizing education, another school has chosen to go the tablet way to literally ease the burdens of their students. According to Jun Lozada, the whistleblower known for blowing the lid off of the controversial NBN-ZTE deal, the students' heavy backpacks filled to the hilt with books have become risk factors for scoliosis in schoolchildren. "We found out that heavy school bags are one of the aggravating factors in students who are predisposed to scoliosis," noted Lozada, who is a consultant for the project for La Salle Greenhills. Heavy backpacks are too pressing a problem in schools that one senator even thought of filing a bill banning "overloading" of students' school bags last year. Lozada said they sat down with school administrators and parents and found out that they felt the same concern for their children. "And so, we started investigating about the state of technology today, and looked into whatever we can use [to address the problem]," Lozada said. The solution came in the form of a small tablet device running on Google's Android platform, which, Lozada said, sought to replace the heavy books that have become burdens for the students' backs. "We were very clear with what we wanted. Our direction is curriculum-based, so all the books that the students need will be on the device," Lozada said. At just a little over 13 ounces, the tablet device easily provides the needs of the students without slowly turning them into hunchbacks. "All the textbooks, homeworks and notes are already on the device. Dati papel lang ang medium of communication, ngayon tablet na," Lozada noted. The partly-subsidized device, he said, is currently on its pilot stages at the school and will only be distributed to the honors classes of elementary and high school levels. Tablet for education pains In cash-strapped public education institutions, however, tablets offer a fresh way out of the proverbial budget headaches that have long deprived students of learning resources such as textbooks. In what could be deemed as a pioneering effort in the field of public education, the provincial government of Laguna has launched in June what they call the eRizal tablet, a 7-inch touchscreen device that could replace books in the classroom. "It's not just text, ang maganda dito, it fits the students and the teachers of today, [dahil meron] na siyang pictures, meron siyang video, meron siyang games that the teacher can find very useful and very interesting," said Dr. Jose Lloyd Espiritu, an associate professor at the De La Salle University College of Computer Studies, in an interview with GMA News TV's "State of the Nation." Aside from being pre-loaded with teachings about Jose Rizal, the tablet, co-developed by the University of Philippines - Los Baños and Vibal Publishing, can also be loaded with literary works penned by Rizal himself. "This technology would be used as a strong grip of the province in the struggle against inequity of opportunities, a tool which everyone is given access," said Laguna governor Jeorge E.R. Ejercito, the brains of the project. Similar waves of innovation are occurring in other parts of the world, such as in South Korea where the traditional textbooks could be replaced by tablet computers in four years' time. Not a magic bullet While the benefits brought by tablets to education is beyond argument, some believe that certain aspects of technology for use in classrooms still needs refining. According to Noel Feria, a lecturer at the UP College of Education, assessing the profile of the students is important before leveraging it as a teaching method. "It's still possible that some lessons can be delivered and presented better through a simple technology other than the tablet," said Feria, who is also taking his master's degree focusing on Education Technology at UP. Feria said that tablets do have the potential to improve learning —in much the same way that personal computers have revolutionized classroom education— "but it depends on the educator's teaching methods or strategies of using it for teaching and learning." Feria also cautioned against using tablets too much, as it limits the students' learning to the virtual experience. "Of course, the experience of turning the pages of a book is different from flipping ebooks on a tablet," Feria said. "Handwriting skills of students suffer as well if they're into using tablets more than writing notes," he added. Other factors such as health risks and ergonomics (when exposed to the tablet's screen for too long), dependence of the device to the Internet, and the durability of the tablet also come into play, Feria said. "Tablets should be durable enough especially if the users are children. At the same time, young children should be taught [to be] responsible in handling the equipment," he added. — HS/TJD, GMA News