Use of Tablet PCs at CQUniversity to create a paperless environment for courses

Tablet PCs and Learning Management Systems have provided the platform for the transition of multi-mode and multi-campus courses into a paperless environment. This has greatly improved efficiency in coordination and delivery of courses.This presentation seeks to explore best practices in a case study of the running of CQUniversity’s bridging mathematics course. The university’s Transition Mathematics 1 (TM1) bridging course currently has enrolments in excess of 1000 per year. This includes enrolments of on-campus attendance in 1 or 2 semesters across 5 campuses, and of external/off-campus attendance over 1 or 2 semesters or self paced (up to 2 years to complete).Due to the inherent nature and level of the course, full working must be shown on assessment items, which results in paper based assessment items. External students submit assessment via mail, fax or email (scanned). Distributing workload across the five campuses presents disadvantages to (external) students in turn-around time for the return of assessment.Our use of tablet PCs creates a paperless environment, which allows the assessment items, once processed, to be available essentially instantaneously to the lecturers on the campuses. The electronic format allows for the return of the assessment and feedback via email, also substantially reducing turn-around time. This yields a turn around time of two/three days on assessment feedback, as well as providing copies for moderation and accreditation archiving. The tablet PC has also substantially increased the moderation turn-around time of assessment items for internal students, making tablet PCs tremendously beneficial regardless of the mode of delivery of the course.