Using iPads to deliver courses?

[JamilaOsman]

How do you think using an iPad assistthe teacher and learner?

[reedyreedles]

Hi Jamila,

I think iPads (and tablets in general) have lots of potential. What frustrates me though, is when I see schools/colleges/universities buying iPads for students with no real idea as to how they might be used – you know, when they’re bought purely as a sweetener to get positive feedback from students. BUT, when their use is thought out and planned, there is lots of use, whether that be to manage/organise yourself (as a learner or teacher), or through dedicated apps to support/enhance learning.

Anyway, hope you enjoy #ocTEL.

Peter (@reedyreedles)

[Andrew Chambers]

I see one big issue for some programs in HE (part time ones in particular) is the one of NOT being able to “give away” free ipads. In part time programs you could quickly loose 10-20% of the devices if not careful to students who discontinue. Espcially if the course is via distance where higher drop out rates can occur.

I think the conversation should really be about BYOD – Bring your own devices. For post grad programs where working professionals are the main cohort this makes more sense and it also doesn’t make sense to give away iPads. Professionals will have their own device whether that is iPad, iPhone, Android phone or tablet, Blackberry, MacBook Air etc…

For k-12 of course, yes the iPad can rule, assuming you have the funds!

Andrew

[reedyreedles]

Hi Andrew,

I do recognise retention issues as a problem when buying en masse for learners, but I have to disagree on the BYOD points you make I’m afraid, for a number of reasons.

Essentially, ‘we’ can’t fully embed certain activities into the curriculum unless all learners can have an equivalent experience. So for example, I can’t develop a course centered around an iBook (iOS only) if half of my students don’t have iPads. That’s the biggest challenge to the BYOD approach – learning has to be equitable for all students. I certainly wouldn’t be happy paying £9000 per year if I couldn’t access the course materials OR had to go out and spend another £500 in order to do so.

Also, you can’t overestimate the digital literacies of post grad learners. Although they may be working professionals, it in no way implies they have (and can use) the devices you mention. I’ve supported a lot of Masters level courses in the past (for example in Health & Social Care topics), and a lot of the students are professionals (e.g. nurses) but may not have engaged with gadgets for 20 years. Their children might have laptops, iPads, etc, but they often don’t, and wouldn’t know where to start if they did have access to them.

Peter

 

[Roger Gardner]

Hi Jamila

I’m not sure about “delivery” of courses, but here at the University of Bristol we are looking at the use of ipads by staff for online marking. We will be evaluating a small pilot to see how markers find the workflows (taking assignments from Blackboard onto ipads via Google Drive and back again)  and the actual annotation of assignments, as well as getting student views on the usefulness of their feedback.

best wishes

Roger

[Anortcliffe]

Bb app on iPad is far more intuitive than the desktop version and you can access students on-line submissions. Open them in notability to assess, and feedback, you can provide audio and written feedback, you can return work to google drive, share with the student.

[cbokhove]

 

I think that any institution facilitating vendor lockin by buying one type of hardware device that can only run one type of operating system (mind you, I felt the same about Microsoft but then again that was ‘only’ software) isn’t doing education a service. It creates institutions that are overly dependent on specific products, something that has been rightly criticized quite a lot when it comes to Windows or, for example, Blackboard. Especially the fixation on ‘apps’ is frustrating as there are viable alternatives for both supplier like Google, Apple and designers like html5 (yes, I know some people will come up with speed as an issue, but for 99% of applications this is no problem). Why not more open-ness. Mind you, I’m not picking out Apple specifically but think more thought should be given towards these ethical issues. Even journals and research seem to run away with the idea that using type-specific hardware and software is a good idea, without even bothering to extrapolate what this means for education in general. It also touches social inclusion issues. Another issue would be the idea that just giving tools to someone will make ‘the learning happen’. This is not true.

[Paul Dalkin]

has anyone used the ‘Nearpod’ app to control classroom teaching on iPads?  Be interesting to see what it’s like in the real world….

[cbokhove]

Yes. Mixed feelings. As an app OK but very very instructional, even with some interactive Multiple Choice questions.

[Carol Howells]

@cbokhove – I couldn’t agree more. Why this snobbery about i-pads use in education? We should be using technology and software that is based on open standards.

Also I fear academics get so excited about ‘using the ipad’ in education and talking endlessly about other concepts such as ‘digital natives’ – when in fact this is out of touch with younger learners and what they *think and do* online

 

 

[Roger Gardner]

Hi Christian

I agree with your concerns.

Just to clarify – our pilot is focussing on the workflows, including how they can be adapted to other devices (not just ipads).  We are not planning to buy hardware on any large scale, but to show staff options for personalising their marking using a range of approaches and devices. Many already have their own devices and we are looking at how they can be used alongside institutional systems.

My feeling is that with regard to providing feedback online it is difficult to have a one size fits all approach. Different staff in different disciplines will have their own preferences.

[Roger Gardner]

Hi Anne

I agree with you about BB Mobile. I particularly like the way you can use Discussion Fora, which people find clunky in the Desktop version.

However I haven’t yet come across the Grade Centre in Mobile Learn, so I’m not sure how you could download assignments via the App, unless they are uploaded in other places such as blogs or discussion fora. I’d be interested to hear more about your experience.

 

[Anortcliffe]

No your right due to fact gradecentre submissions viewed in browser mode in Bb you can’t import to notability, but I do import assessment rubric that is attached attachment Bb site into notability to provide written and audio feedback in the assessment rubric this can be uploaded to google drive and shared.  However an app trailed yesterday EAW by MorrisCooke you can view student work at Bb web address in gradecentre or turnitIn provide screencast feedback, though no more than four minutes otherwise file size issues this can be shared via dropbox Or email.

[Anortcliffe]

We are trying socrative next week app for class lecture interaction phase type questions.

[Anortcliffe]

I think we should keep discussion should be open to any smart device, the reality is one has invested in iPhone you will go down iPad route as you have already invested in apps that can be downloaded onto to your device, so you only pay once.

Ditto is likely if you have android phone you will moe likely go down android tablet.

Reality commercial world many gone down Blackberry or iOS for both can be managed more securely, therefore their decisions are pure security reasons. As IT professional I can appreciate.

As an educational professional BOYD where we have been for years, students have brought in laptops for years some iOS, MS OS or Linux OS. We had to learn to cope, ie remind students unfortunately OS we are using therefore they must ensure their e-submission must be in x file format. Vice a versa if we produce anything electronic it needs to be accessible across a variety of platforms, at simple level written doc a PDF.

So in terms of apps I think the key is apps that will enable students and academics to share our outputs regardless of which BOYD.

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