iPads in Education: Positive Pedagogy versus Problematic Practicalities |
iPads and other tablet solutions have been enthusiastically embraced as learning devices, thanks to their flexibility for traditional uses and the new opportunities that they offer through discipline-specific apps. However, while there is indeed value to be gained from deploying and using such technologies, there are also practical considerations that ought to be recognised. This paper presents a case example based upon the experiences of the School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics at the University of Plymouth, in which iPad minis were issued to all students on taught programmes. The discussion reflects upon the various uses to which these were put, including those initially planned and those subsequently driven by staff engagement. It also considers the practical challenges that were faced in running and ultimately maintaining this provision. This led to the discontinuation of the original scheme and the evolution in to a new mode of provision that seeks to maintain the pedagogic benefits that had been established.
Furnell SM, Vasileiou I, Outram N