Expressive interactions: tablet usability for young mobile learners

In this paper we examine the usability of tablets for students in middle school in the context of mobile environmental education. Our study focuses on the expressive qualities of three input methods -- text, audio and drawing -- and the extent to which these methods support on-task behaviour. In our study 28 small groups of children were given iPads and asked to record ecological observations from around their schoolyard. The effectiveness of the devices and their core utility for expressive, on-task data capture is assessed.