Advantages and difficulties of tablets in the classroom: 50 teachers confide in

Our collaborator, Brigitte Léonard, carried out a small survey concerning tablets with her network, of which she gives us the results. Today, she analyzes the answers to the question: What do you think is the biggest benefit of using tablets in the classroom?

The increasingly important arrival of tablets in the classroom is giving rise, as one might expect, to several changes in the practice of teachers who use them with their students. In this area, everything has to be built given the novelty of these devices. What do they have to say about the benefits of this tool? What are the difficulties encountered on a daily basis, from a technical as well as a pedagogical point of view?

Fifty teachers from Europe and Canada agreed to answer two questions on the subject, anonymously. Here is a compilation of their answers which, to the detriment of having scientific value, can shed light on the experiences and convictions of these teachers who innovate by offering their students a new way of learning at school.

Question 1: What do you think is the biggest benefit of using tablets in the classroom?

The main advantage, mentioned by more than a third of teachers, is the motivation they observe in their students. Whether it is a question of commitment, interest or pride in students publishing their work, it is clear that tablets make an exceptional contribution to motivating troops, even for certain tasks considered ordinary, such as reading. or writing.

Another aspect on which many opinions converge is the support that the use of tablets offers to students with learning difficulties. These students often regain the feeling of being competent, doing the same tasks as the other students in the class, but in a different way. Whether it is through a reading or writing aid, or the use of specific applications that allow them to express themselves more easily, the productions produced are of superior quality and greatly contribute to increasing their self-esteem. .

This is followed by the user-friendliness and simplicity of the tool, for young and old alike, as well as the autonomy and empowerment of students resulting from the use of tablets. Accessible, since mobile, tablets are compact and save a lot of time in class. It remains to mention the great creative power linked to their use, thanks to the multiple applications available, as well as the versatility of the tablet which is useful in all school subjects. Finally, let's mention the ease with which students can search for information, as long as a wireless network is available in the classroom.

To be continued tomorrow!