Today we learned one paper about the use of tablet PCs in undergraduate nursing students. In 2006, a digitalized clinical portfolio was introduced into an undergraduate nursing program. The use of a tablet personal computer (PC) with wireless broadband access could overcome issues around computer access in the clinical setting enhancing authenticity and timeliness of assessment. In July 2007, a Hewlett–Packard TC 4400 tablet PC was issued to three participating students. A focus group utilising a semi-structured interview and a survey collected data from the students at the end of the trial to determine the effectiveness of the strategy.

   The studies found that participants used tablet PCs to access their portfolios, however, lack of space, busy wards and concerns about the security of the PCs limited their use in the clinical setting. The majority of their journal entries were made at home and within similar time frames to those prior to access to tablet PCs. Participants also used the PCs to provide education to other students and staff but were reluctant to use them in front of patients. Barriers limiting the use of tablet PCs in the clinical setting may be overcome with greater proficiency in their utility and increased portability of the techonology. Tablet PCs offer advantages related to and beyond portfolio use in the clinical setting.

    As is known, a pluralistic research method including qualitative, quantitative and philosophical methods should be applied in the process of research. This research adopted the qualitative research. It is reported it derived from a natural science understanding of how knowledge about the social world should be generated, and it is also viewed as being predicated upon a prior set of assumptions about the study of social reality. There are three main factors which brought qualitative researches from subterranean tradition into open include: First is the growing disillusionment with the products of the scientific research such as quantitative research .Second is the promotion of self-reflection .Third is the diffusion of ideas associated with phenomenology.