CART and BSC Faculty Present Paper on Pen-Based Technology

(Bluefield)—A scholarly paper and a poster prepared and submitted by Bluefield State College faculty members were accepted and presented at a recent workshop, “The Impact of Pen-Based Technology on Education,” at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, October 25-26. The workshop attracted educators and companies with an interest in instructional technology. A wide variety of disciplines are embracing Tablet PC's and similar pen-based computing devices as tools for the radical enhancement of teaching and learning. This conference was designed to leverage this interest and to identify best practices in the educational use of pen-based computing so that all educators may benefit from this next generation of technology.  The paper and poster describes results and conclusions obtained from a study of pen-based technology by the Center for Applied Research and Technology, Inc. (CART) at Bluefield State College (BSC).

The paper, “Using Pen-Based Technology to Improve Instruction in Engineering Economics,” was presented by Glen Ciborowski (Assistant Professor, School of Engineering Technology and Computer Science) and Bruce Mutter (CEO/Chair, CART).  Based on the outcome of the applied research in Engineering Economics, Ciborowski noted, “We are now using Tablet PC’s in other courses and recommend this learning environment to our colleagues.  It is encouraging to experiment with new technology as part of the continual improvement process.”

"The workshop provided a good opportunity to learn more about pen-based technology, participate in the sessions, and share results with our colleagues," Mutter added. "Smart pens are rapidly changing our interaction and the practice of mobile computing, bringing real processing power to traditional screens and even pen & paper. Digitizing words and drawings really ‘brings them to life,’ while simultaneously capturing and storing ideas for review.”