Research Trends
The research of tablet-assisted learning and teaching has been a hot topic for a long time. The authors selected topic as the search word to avoid ignoring significant information. The search obtained 4,185 results by inputting (tablets* or iPad*) AND (learn* or educat*) in databases. It analyzed a citation report automatically (see Figure 1). According to column chart, citations from 2008 to 2010 remain virtually unchanged. The year 2009 witnesses the least publications (N = 9) over the whole period; the number of publications reaches its zenith in 2017 (558). The number of citations grows moderately from 2010 to 2013. The publications were featured by an increase trend, climbing from 18 in 2010 to 285 in 2013. The curve graph demonstrates a dramatic growth in the number of citations for nine consecutive years (2013 to 2021). Additionally, both the number of citations and publications slump in 2022 because the year is just getting started.
Figure 1.
Times cited and publications over time