As more and more institutes of higher education dabble in the tablet as a tool useful for learning, Seton Hall University has become the first to deploy Lenovo’s Android-powered ThinkPad. The university handed out over 400 tablets to students and faculty alike. The ThinkPad slates came loaded up with applications and tools such as Documents to Go, and custom apps are in the works. Lenovo’s director of worldwide educations Michael Schmedien said, “We believe the tablet will be instrumental in changing how students learn and influencing teacher-student interactions in and out of class.” Stephen G. Landry, chief information officer at Seton Hall, echoed his statements, saying, "We see tablets as the next wave of technology to implement to support teaching methods and learning outcomes." You can read the full press release on the matter below.

Seton Hall University Adds 400 Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet PCs to Mobile Technology Toolkit

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ - September 15, 2011: Seton Hall University announced today it is the first higher education institution in the U.S. to use Lenovo’s ThinkPad Tablet PC, with more than 400 tablets now circulating amongst students and faculty in the Sciences, Honors and School of Business Leadership Programs. The University is making the 10.1-inch, Android 3.1 tablets a central part of its Mobile Computing Program as well as an essential teaching device.

Seton Hall students will use a variety of the ThinkPad Tablet’s pre-loaded applications. Documents to Go allows them to view and edit Microsoft Office documents and synchronize their latest papers with their desktops via USB or Bluetooth. In addition, the University is developing its own customized chemistry science application that aims to expand the classroom experience by delivering more interactive experiment processes for students.

"We believe the tablet will be instrumental in changing how students learn and influencing teacher-student interactions in and out of class," said Michael Schmedlen, director of worldwide education, Lenovo. "With the ThinkPad Tablet, Seton Hall and other education institutions can take advantage of an incredible piece of hardware to complete assignments, consume multimedia content and collaborate with peers, all in a device that’s standardized and IT-friendly."

ThinkPad Tablet and Laptop are University’s New Power Couple
Seton Hall continually pushes the envelope on technology leadership, so the ThinkPad Tablet deployment complements this commitment. Each year, the award-winning Mobile Computing Program outfits its incoming freshmen class with new Lenovo ThinkPad laptops to use in their classes. Now with tablets, the program enlarges students’ technology footprints with new ways to explore subject matter beyond the typical textbook, pen and notepad.

"We see tablets as the next wave of technology to implement to support teaching methods and learning outcomes," said Stephen G. Landry, chief information officer, Seton Hall University. "The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablets are reliable companions to our ThinkPad laptops. We know this technology combination will appeal to our students for a long time to come."

Hello to New Breed of Science Experiments
Say goodbye to the old days documenting data by hand with pen and paper. On the new Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, students will use a soon-to-be released customized Android application developed by the University’s IT department to guide them through lab safety and instructional content. Students will complete the lab, and then create and submit their final reports for review through their Lenovo tablet. During the lab, students will write digitally using the digitizer pen to complete math and science equations. The days of the pencil may soon be erased forever!

Tablets Can Do What?
Students and faculty will explore how applications like Blackboard Mobile Learn, CourseSmart, DropBox and Wolfram Alpha deliver new ways to learn and teach. Seton Hall’s IT department will conduct three different surveys over the course of the semester to capture metrics on tablet usage to identify new levels of creative flexibility and positive learning experiences like increased faculty-student engagement and use of digital materials. The ongoing user assessment will allow the University and its peers in the higher education community to evaluate use cases and establish and share best practices on an ongoing basis.

Seton Hall University Joins Lenovo’s Global Education Research Initiative
The University’s tech prowess and commitment to leveraging new tools for classroom learning make it a perfect fit for Lenovo’s Global Education Research Initiative (ERI). Through this initiative, Lenovo seeks to gain insight into technology’s impact on the learning environment. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative research, the initiative seeks to measure the effect of technology on the learning experience from grade one through the university level.