This morning I saw an article asking what e-learning will look like in 2075, and paused at the historical reference to “a tablet called a Hornbook.” (Wikipedia) I had to look up what it was, and this book from 1916 described it this way:
“Originally it was a piece of board with a handle … On the face of the hornbook was either a piece of vellum or paper upon which the lesson was inscribed. This was protected by a sheet of translucent horn. This protection was of course necessary to keep the lesson from the possible stain of dirty little hands, as the hornbook was passed about from child to child.”
Hornbook, 1700. XO Tablet, 2013.
That same book had several examples of hornbooks, but the one included in my photo comparison here amused me the most for its strong resemblance to a modern-day tablet.
Others have made the connection too. The article “A Digital Hornbook for the Digital Humanities” explained:
“On some hornbooks the vellum could slide out from underneath the translucent horn and be replaced by other lessons. The hornbook in this way was a kind of 17th century iPad. […] The wooden board itself and the translucent horn overlay were the hardware, while the vellum or paper lesson was the software.”
This infographic on edtech through the ages and this graphic history of classroom technology both start their timelines with the Hornbook and end with the tablet. So have we come full circle? Are tablets the best way of improving educational outcomes globally?
Last week’s Economist article about education in Nigeria, “A tablet a day,” says that the country is facing “one of the world’s worst education crises,” which technology can help. At one government school, “Big classes are divided up into groups of four, each with its own teacher and tablet computer. They use apps to improve literacy, numeracy and critical thinking skills. The teachers here say that after only a few months, learning outcomes are already improving.” African companies are also trying to design affordable, solar-powered tablets for local markets, while others are creating e-books.
In other recent articles: in the US and UK, “Tablets in schools double in one year.” In Kenya, “It’s tablets for pupils now as laptops headed for ‘archives’.” In South Africa, a province’s plan to provide tablets for all students in grades 4-9. In India, a plan to distribute Indian tablet Akash to 300 students and the launch of a new tablet for children, Swipe Junior II. In Malaysia, a school using Microsoft Surface tablets. In the Philippines, a distribution of Samsung tablets and iPad minis to an elementary school. In Thailand, Asus tablets for a “smart classroom” initiative.
Clearly, the use of tablets in schools continues to grow rapidly around the world and enjoy popular support. However, for implementations of “One-Tablet-Per-Child”-style initiatives, educators must keep in mind the many challenges, like those described in this journal article from Thailand: “developing contextualised content, ensuring usability, providing teacher support, and assessing learning outcomes” — vital considerations for ALL edtech innovations, from Hornbooks to iPads.
Ed Tech: A Global Exploration 