MAKATI CITY, METRO MANILA – Jumping into the tablet PC bandwagon, school book publisher DIWA Learning Systems introduced a PC-based learning module called “Classroom in a Tablet”.

This learning module essentially combines the existing digital learning modules under its GENYO online learning management system. The tablet used is Acer’s Iconia Tab W500 tablet PC with 10-inch screen, which runs Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system. This is primarily due to the fact that the GENYO system is optimized for Windows-based Internet browsers.

The Acer Iconia Tab W500 is powered by an AMD processor, 2 gigabytes of memory, and a 32Gb flash drive.

DIWA Executive Director Jose Maria Policarpio noted that the delivery of digital education can be done on a mobile device, which makes the materials more accessible to students just about anywhere.

This opens opportunities for the education system to deploy learning materials to students and in a mode that encourages learning.

“We have put together GENYO eLearning, eTextbooks, digital classroom magazines, and our online portal in one mobile device to give our schools, teachers, and students their personalized Classroom in a Tablet,” said Policarpio.

“We’ve invested heavily in eLearning because as the internet becomes more accessible and hardware becomes inexpensive, we want to make sure that quality content is delivered in an interesting and informative manner to learners,” he added.

Among the GENYO materials that are included in the tablet PC-based system are digital versions of science magazines Bato Balani and Salaguinto, the online learning resource site Diwa Learning Town, teacher resources, educational games, and supplementary materials.

Delivering learning modules on tablet PCs has seen a lot of activity globally recently, largely due to the lower price point of tablet PCs versus laptops, as well as the convenience of learning on such a device.

Countries like Germany, the US, South Korea, and India have started offering basic education with students having tablet PCs rather than just books.

In the Philippines, Meridian International Business, Arts & Technology College (MINT) has its students using Apple iPads for learning.