- S "Students: what is known about the students - or potential students - and the appropriateness of the technology for this particular group or range of students?
- E Ease of use and reliability: how easy is it for both teachers and students to use? How reliable and well tested is the technology?
- C Costs: what is the cost structure of each technology? What is the unit cost per learner?
- T Teaching and learning: what kinds of learning are needed? What instructional approaches will best meet these needs? What are the best technologies for supporting this teaching and learning?
- I Interactivity: what kind of interaction does this technology enable?
- O Organizational issues: what are the organizational requirements and the barriers to be removed before this technology can be used successfully? What changes in organization need to be made?
- N Novelty: how new is this technology?
- S Speed: how quickly can courses be mounted with this technology? How quickly can materials be changed?" (A.W. Bates and G. Poole, 2003, pp. 79 - 80)
In my brief encounter with the iPad 2 I have been impressed with it's SECTIONS "score". Here is my score sheet for the iPad 2:
S - Few can successfully argue that a tablet devise is not appropriate for the the distance classroom or the Face-to-face (F2F) classroom. Students have access to the internet, books, note taking programs, video and photo cameras, and more. A+
E - I found the iPad to be very easy to use. Many students will be familiar with the interface due to the similarities between the iPod Touch / iPhone and the iPad. Many students have them or have a friend who does so the learning curve is very short. The battery life can last 10+ hours making it an ideal devise for an academic environment. A student can attach a keyboard or purchase a inexpensive stylus that can be used for notes, research, and course participation. The digital keyboard takes some getting used to but after a while you will get more accurate. A
C - At an entry level of $500 for the basic iPad the cost barrier is low when compared to laptops or even desktops. The most expensive iPad is $700 and gives you 64 GB of storage. The unit cost per learner is affordable and meets the needs of the 21st century learner.
T - Teaching a classroom full of these devises would be a dream. My students would have access to the internet and note taking apps. Currently my students have laptops and many times I feel a barrier between me and the students. They could be in a group assignment or in a lecture and with their computer back to me it feels like they are off task and I'll never know. With the iPad I can imagine that "wandering" might be a little more difficult. The educational applications and textbooks that are starting to be developed for this technology are simply amazing. They are also very affordable. A+
I - The iPad provides a high level of interactivity. Students are able to use a F2F chat feature to communicate with one another. Third party apps like Skype and Google Talk enable students to communicate for free. Interactivity can easily be accomplished through numerous websites as well. A+
O - Being inside an institution that is considering this device for about 180 high school freshmen I can assure you that there is some institutional reorganization that will need to take place. For one, the institution needs to train instructors, whether in a face-to-face setting or in a distance setting, how to use the iPad as a student. Most students will figure it out on their own but the instructor is going to need some training. The iPad is viewed by some as a viewing device and not a "creation" device. This perception will need to change inside the organization. B
N - This is as new as it gets. A+
S - This is probably the weakest point of iPad implementation. The apps and textbooks are just now catching up. Publishing companies were not willing to take a chance on the iPad before they knew if it would fly or not. I think it is safe to say that every publishing house in the world is not developing iPad ready textbooks. The educational apps that are coming out are incredible. However, the markets slow response to this device is currently an issue but I fully anticipate this changing within the next 365 days. C
*Bates, A.W., and Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 79 - 80.
S - Few can successfully argue that a tablet devise is not appropriate for the the distance classroom or the Face-to-face (F2F) classroom. Students have access to the internet, books, note taking programs, video and photo cameras, and more. A+
E - I found the iPad to be very easy to use. Many students will be familiar with the interface due to the similarities between the iPod Touch / iPhone and the iPad. Many students have them or have a friend who does so the learning curve is very short. The battery life can last 10+ hours making it an ideal devise for an academic environment. A student can attach a keyboard or purchase a inexpensive stylus that can be used for notes, research, and course participation. The digital keyboard takes some getting used to but after a while you will get more accurate. A
C - At an entry level of $500 for the basic iPad the cost barrier is low when compared to laptops or even desktops. The most expensive iPad is $700 and gives you 64 GB of storage. The unit cost per learner is affordable and meets the needs of the 21st century learner.
T - Teaching a classroom full of these devises would be a dream. My students would have access to the internet and note taking apps. Currently my students have laptops and many times I feel a barrier between me and the students. They could be in a group assignment or in a lecture and with their computer back to me it feels like they are off task and I'll never know. With the iPad I can imagine that "wandering" might be a little more difficult. The educational applications and textbooks that are starting to be developed for this technology are simply amazing. They are also very affordable. A+
I - The iPad provides a high level of interactivity. Students are able to use a F2F chat feature to communicate with one another. Third party apps like Skype and Google Talk enable students to communicate for free. Interactivity can easily be accomplished through numerous websites as well. A+
O - Being inside an institution that is considering this device for about 180 high school freshmen I can assure you that there is some institutional reorganization that will need to take place. For one, the institution needs to train instructors, whether in a face-to-face setting or in a distance setting, how to use the iPad as a student. Most students will figure it out on their own but the instructor is going to need some training. The iPad is viewed by some as a viewing device and not a "creation" device. This perception will need to change inside the organization. B
N - This is as new as it gets. A+
S - This is probably the weakest point of iPad implementation. The apps and textbooks are just now catching up. Publishing companies were not willing to take a chance on the iPad before they knew if it would fly or not. I think it is safe to say that every publishing house in the world is not developing iPad ready textbooks. The educational apps that are coming out are incredible. However, the markets slow response to this device is currently an issue but I fully anticipate this changing within the next 365 days. C
*Bates, A.W., and Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 79 - 80.
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