Like most techies around the globe, I spent the better part of yesterday waiting for the release of Apple’s latest gadget the iPad. Rumors circulated the internet and the Twitterverse that it may be be called an “iTablet” or a “iSlate” and when the live video streams of the event began, I was honestly surprised at the iPad name. It just screams tacky and Saturday Night Live comedy skit. But, maybe Apple is looking for a connection between iPod and iPad…. we’ll see if the name causes any problems for consumers and more importantly educators and their (at times) juvenile students.
From 1:00-3:00pm I sat at my computer listening to an audio stream, while simultaneously watching a live blog feed of photos by Engadget and keeping an eye on TweetDeck… multitasking at its finest. I’ll be the first to admit, I was sitting on the edge of my seat as Steve Jobs rolled out feature after feature and then dropped the bombshell on the $499 cost for the device. The whole time I was sitting there thinking of all the great ways this tool could potentially revolutionize education.
I say ‘potentially’ because integration of cutting-edge technology is never an easy task among higher education institutions due to budgets, lack of adoption, training, return on investment, yada yada yada. But lets just put all of that aside for a moment and think about what this machine could really do for instruction and learning, in a Utopian higher ed world.
Collaboration
- If there was one tablet for every 4 students in a class room, they could be used for group projects and collaboration among teams. Groups of students could each rotate using the device in a race to see who can research, write and submit an assignment via e-mail the quickest out of all the groups in a given class.
- Think if every single student in a classroom had a tablet and instead of emailing pieces of information back and forth between professor and student, you could simply tap two devices together and move documents or assignments from one tablet to another (similar to the iPhone feature.) Finally, an end to lugging around stack of papers and projects to correct. Plus, it keeps the earth green by saving trees.
Presentation
- If your classroom size is small without a projector or computers, the tablet could be docked to a set of speakers, much like an iPod, to showcase presentations and movies. I’ve read the display is pretty amazing and motion graphics or movies very easy to watch.
Information
- With the launch of the e-reader application called iBooks Apple will now compete directly with Amazon and the kindle for electronic texts, books, documents, novels and hold your breath… textbooks. Think of how much money and energy will be saved by publishing textbooks electronically. This is already available some publishing companies, but with this device in particular special apps could be created especially for textbook publishing companies to allow students to download texts instantaneously. Give options to cut and paste material for a research paper, turn a document into a PDF for future reading or send the text to a printer to make a tangible version and as a student I’d be sold. (These are not current functions of the iPad but it would be interesting to see if they develop for the second or third generations.)
- Better yet, what if these textbooks could be updated weekly or monthly with the latest research and news? Talk about accurate information right at your fingertips. Bye-bye outdated textbooks.
Innovation
- Give students a handful of design tools and let them experiment. See if they can create their own apps for a particular course. Experimentation leads to innovation and higher education is the forefront of new ideas.
- Let students come up with ways they want to use the device in class. Give each student a turn taking the tablet around campus for one day and see what they come up with for likes, dislikes and how other clubs or departments could use the device.
Creation
- This device requires students to be multi-medial. With one instrument students can explore, research, discover, develop, manage, edit, present or publish assignments all by the touch of a finger or two. No clicks necessary.
Distribution
- Much like an iTouch, the iPad includes e-mail and internet access. Complete with wi-fi capabilities and 3G opt-in packages, sharing and distribution can happen inside of a classroom.
Lots of conversations about the iPad and education are circulating out on the web and I’m not saying I agree or disagree with what others are saying. One blogger noted that we have to remember its a learning machine and I really liked that idea. It may not be perfect, but in my mind, higher ed policy and politics aside this device really could revolutionize the world of education.
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