"16 iPads - Part 1" by Kominyetska, courtesy of Flickr.com/Creative Commons
This won’t be the year that students in my Media & Society class at LBCC bring their iPads to class so they can make notes on key points from the textbook, save related videos on their YouTube playlists, and post questions and comments via Twitter.
But that’s only because the text we’re using isn’t yet available for iPads. It’s coming. And so are the iPads. I’m sure of it. Just as I’m sure more of my students will be bringing their laptops to class this fall.
LBCC won’t be the one providing students an iPad, at least not yet. However, freshmen at George Fox University in Newberg this week had their choice of an iPad or a laptop upon arriving on campus, according to a story by Bill Graves of the Oregonian. George Fox is one of several Oregon universities and public school districts that are experimenting with iPads, Amazon’s Kindle and other e-textbooks.
In an trial run last year, students in three classes at Reed College in Portland tested the Kindle. What the students found is that the device was readable enough, but it proved cumbersome for students to quickly and easily get to particular textbook passages and to make notes and highlight text, the Oregonian story noted, “and professors said this led to lower student comprehension.” D’oh!
With its expanded graphics and Internet capabilities, the iPad may get around some of these limitations.
As Reed’s Chief Information Officer Martin Ringle notes in the story, Apple’s latest creation promises to be “a lot closer to the breakthrough device we’ve been looking for for many years.”
Of course, one of the other limitations is that not all textbooks are yet available for the iPad and other devices, though that’s not likely to be the case for long.
I’m excited by the possibilities of my students using more interactive versions of their textbooks, which are likely to stimulate a higher level of engagement. These can be the jumping off points for further, often instant, exploration of related topics.
Yes, this also will pose challenges in keeping students focused in class when the temptation becomes even greater to stray “offline,” whether getting distracted by unrelated websites or checking Facebook.
But that’s a risk I’m glad to take if it means students ultimately will get greater value from their college experience.
-rp-