Google awards tablets to future engineers

Stressing the importance of providing tomorrow's engineers with the latest technology, Google recently handed Android-based tablet computers to 89 engineering students at Kansas University, Lawrence Journal World reports.

Brian McClendon, Google vice president and a Kansas University graduate, made a surprise visit during a Programming 1 lecture to announce that he and his wife, Beth Ellyn, had donated $50,000 to purchase the tablets.

The news provider reports that students are required to use tablets in the Programming 1 class, and McClendon stressed that mobile technology and applications are the future of the engineering industry.

Of course, the students won't be restricted to using the devices strictly for academic purposes. Lawrence Journal World reports that students are encouraged to use the tablets during their free time to explore their entertainment functions as well.

The use of tablet computers, as well as laptops and other technologies, in the classroom has grown in recent years, as schools adjust their curriculum to focus more on digital learning. According to a June 2011 study from IT nonprofit CompTIA, 65 percent of surveyed teachers say students are more productive today, thanks in large part to technology.