An initiative in introducing iPads to higher education

Abstract

iPads are a recent introduction to the array of technological devices available to today’s students. Situated in between mobile phones and conventional laptops, the iPad provides portable access to a wide variety of educational tools with high quality displays and interfaces to allow a comfortable user experience. These devices are relatively inexpensive, but at this early stage in their lifetime, it is not reasonable to expect many students in a class to have access to them. Without the confidence in knowing that all students have access, it is difficult to design courses and teaching strategies that could take advantage of the versatility that an iPad can provide. In 2011 The Faculty of Sciences at the University of Adelaide will be providing an iPad to each first year student at no cost. This opens up a world of educational possibilities and challenges which need to be addressed. In this session, the ideas behind the decision to provide students with iPads will be discussed as well as some suggestion on how they may be used.