using ipads to enable cultural change in technology enhanced learning: a case study
DESCRIPTION
Abstract The iPad has significant potential to have a transformative effect upon teaching and learning practices in a higher education context. As evidence of this claim, this paper presents a case study that examines the approach and resulting benefits experienced when introducing the devices within the School of Computing and Mathematics at Plymouth University. The approach taken was a phased introduction of the devices, firstly amongst academic staff, then a subset of first year undergraduate students, leading to adoption across the whole School based upon the success of the earlier stages (with success in this case being judged on the basis of both user engagement – e.g. staff production and student use of materials – and positive user feedback). iPads have been provided to both staff and students, with a range of positive impacts upon the teaching and learning practices that can now be regarded as standard within the School (including podcasting, use of eBooks, and interactive services). The iPad has been key to supporting and integrating the various applications, and has delivered a significant uplift in the technology enhanced learning practices of the staff, each delivering associated benefits in the resulting student experience.TRANSCRIPT
USING IPADS TO ENABLE CULTURAL CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGY
ENHANCED LEARNING
A CASE STUDY
Prof. Steven FurnellSchool of Computing and Mathematics
Plymouth UniversityUnited Kingdom
THE IPAD IN EDUCATION• Opens up new opportunities for topic
delivery and student learning
• Potential to transform practice in a short time
• Plymouth University example:
• Institutional priority towards podcasting has led to a successful establishment of an iTunes U presence
• Departmental level priority has changed standard academic practice and resulted in uplift of e-materials for students
OUR CASE STUDY• Building an iPad-centric
approach to TEL in the School of Computing and Mathematics
• Pockets of prior activity in podcasting and lecture capture, but not part of the culture
• iPad (and things that could be integrated around it) was an opportunity to:
• change standard practice
• uplift the student experience
ENABLING THE CULTUREStaff
• Provided with iPads to incentivise and enable engagement
• Spurred many to go produce content that they would not have previously considered
Students:• Provided with iPad mini as a technology to
support their learning
ENGAGING THE STAFFFrom September 2011, all staff were given the
opportunity to receive an iPad 2
The qualifying condition was that they engage in podcasting or electronic assessment
Spurred many to go produce content that they would not have previously considered
iPad itself was also one option for creating the content
BASIC PODCASTING•Use the Voice Recorder App (69p!)
•Put the iPad at the front of the room
•Record and talk
•Place on portal
ELECTRONIC FEEDBACK
•E.g. iAnnotate
•Annotate PDF files using:
•handwriting•typed comments•voice comments•photos
BEYOND THE BASICS
• Many staff quickly went beyond the qualifying conditions
• Enhanced podcasts, edited video, Explain Everything
• Some podcast their lectures, some produce lecture summaries, some do supplementary materials
• ... and some produce materials for iTunes U
WHY THE IPAD?
• Aspirational device• few staff had one at the point of issuing
them … but there was a clear appetite!
• Linkage to iTunes U• aligned to pre-existing institutional
initiative
• Lack of malware• more responsible to use a platform that
would not increase the threat to its users
IPAD MINIS FOR STUDENTS
INITIAL ROLLOUT TO STUDENTS
• Purchase of 380 iPad minis
• Provided to Stage 1 cohort, midway through the year
• Not advertised to students in advance
• No expectation of receiving one, so no basis to complain about the choice of device
THE LAUNCH
THE ‘RULES’
• “The iPad remains the property of Plymouth University until you complete your programme at the end of Stage 4
• It must not be jailbroken and must be used for legitimate purposes only
• You will be required to formally reproduce it once per year for electrical safety testing
• You are strongly advised to get insurance. We will not be able to replace lost, damaged or stolen devices”
FOR SUBSEQUENT COHORTS
• Has now become part of the advertised provision
• School has ensured the availability to students at all stages of study (~1,200 devices to date)
LECTURE PODCASTS• Produced for many
modules• Full lectures and
supplementary materials
• New opportunities:• Increases flexibility
for traditional students
• Updating lectures and still making older material available
EBOOKS
• Issued to all students on computing, mathematics (and psychology) …
• Vitalsource Bookshelf app
• Can also consider items via iBook Store
ITUNES U
•Collections for all of our main topic areas
•A number of specialised collections (e.g. security, robotics)
ATTENDANCE MONITORING
•Self-registration of attendance via iPad direct to S3 system
•also via scanners or paper lists
•Options time and password-protection, and IP locking
•Enables tracking of student engagement
VOTING AND FEEDBACK• In-house development of an app for Wi-Fi-based voting and response
•Undertaken after it was established that all students would have an iPad
CONCLUSIONS•The iPad has been a very effective catalyst for developing T&L practices
•More than just provision of a device•use of technology as part of an integrated approach
•Provision of the device creates an expectation of usage•only takes a few staff to engage for the wider expectation to appear
CONCLUSIONS•Lack of staff engagement could cause student resentment
•Promotion by the School of Computing and Mathematics leads to assumptions that we were ‘bound to find it easy’
•See the initiative continuing as a key part of our TEL provision
Prof. Steven FurnellSchool of Computing and Mathematics
Plymouth University
[email protected]@smfurnell
www.cscan.org/podcasts