Tablet PCs

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Tablet PCs Active Learning
How many were at Richards talk this morning?

• Joseph G. Tront
• Bradley Department of Electrical Computer
  Engineering
• Virginia Tech
• jgtront_at_vt.edu

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Tablet Use Goals

• Increase Classroom Interactivity
• Enhance collaboration
• Improve/increase note-taking
• Increase comprehension
• Improve information recall

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Classroom Presenter
Interaction
Free-form Presentation
Active note-taking
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Classroom Experiments

• Introduction to Computer Architecture
• 20 Tablet PCs loaned to students for semester
• 40 students in the class
• Spring semester 04 05

EE
CpE
CS
Comp. arith., gates, logic blocks, processor,
assembly language
Ink-based Active Learning exercises almost every
class
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Different Bases

• Numbers in different bases

Ar
Base Quantity
Example 23.4510 21013 100 4 10-1 5
10-2 101.112 1220 21 1 20 1 2-1 1 2-2
5.7510 A3.BD16 A161 3 160 B 16-1 D
16-2 163.73710
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Example

• Convert 13F16 to decimal

1X1623X16115X160
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Assembly Programming
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Assembly Programming
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Decoders

• Used to decode binary coded information
• Example 24 decoder

2 X 4
A1 A0
D0 D1 D2 D3
Enable
E A1 A0
D3 D2 D1 D0
0 X X
0 0 0 0
1 0 0
0 0 0 1
1 0 1
0 0 1 0
1 1 0
0 1 0 0
1 1 1
1 0 0 0
Now Build a 3 X 8 decoder
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Decoder Expansion (contd)
A1 D0 A0 D1
D2 E D3
A0 A1 A2
D0 D1 D2 D3
A decoder
A1 D0 A0 D1
D2 E D3
D4 D5 D6 D7
B decoder
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3X8 Decoder w/ Gates
Gate level
Build in Enablecapability w AND gates or 4-input
ANDs
A3
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Exercise

• Design an ROM that contains the multiplication
  table for a 2-bit by 2-bit multiplier

X0 X1 Y0 Y1
A0 A1 A2 A3
Address D3 D2 D1 D0
00 00 0 0 0 0
00 01 0 0 0 0
00 10 0 0 0 0
00 11 0 0 0 0
01 00 0 0 0 0
01 01 0 0 0 1
01 10 0 0 1 0
01 11 0 0 1 1
10 01 0 0 1 0
10 10 0 1 0 0
10 11 0 1 1 0
D0 D1 D2 D3
ROM
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VLSI Fabrication Tools

• Lithography
• Process of transferring design patterns onto a
  layer of the chip
• Uses MASKS create from designer
• Photoresist
• Chemical that changes solubility when exposed to
  (UV) light
• Positive photoresist exposed areas are washed
  away
• Negative photoresist unexposed areas are washed
  away

UV LIGHT
OPTICAL MASK
PHOTORESIST
BEFORE
AFTER
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Assessment

• Would like to know if learning is improved

Very, very difficult to prove can be
demonstrated High degree of class participation
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Assessment

• Common final exam over several semesters
• Entry test for subsequent course(with tablet vs.
  without tablet)

Different class composition Different
instruction Chaos theory Teacher Improvement over
years
Different class composition Different
instructor Chaos theory
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Assessment

• Student Journals
• Student class assessment

• Generally positive comments
• 15/20 indicated they would like to purchase a
  tablet

• Similar assessment problem as before
• Different class composition
• Generally more positive comments w tablet class

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CLASSROOM PRESENTER

• Available for download from
• www.cs.washington.edu/education/presenter/
• For more information, contact
• jgtront_at_vt.edu