[Phillips] - Trial of iPads in University Classes

I thought this article had some interesting research and results, but I also thought it was interesting for another reason.  The article reflected research from the summer of 2011 and now only 18 months later, many of the statements made are out of date.  They discussed several times that one of the main benefits to using tablets, specifically iPads, is the inability to use more than one application at a time - like students could do on a laptop.  Their reason for stating this was to show that tablets would be less distracting compared to laptops.  While I'm not that familiar with iPads, I do know that you can now access multiple applications on other tablets and smart devices.

With that being said, there were several points that the article touched on that caused me to reflect on our current practices.  The first point I want to mention is the part of the article when they discuss homework, the lack of student completion, and how they addressed it.  This really didn't have anything to do with the technology, but it was almost humorous to me to read that homework turn-in and completion was not just a high school or middle school problem, but also a post high school problem.  The way they handled this was to have some class time set aside to read a "critical article".  This way they knew everyone completed the assignment and everyone was prepared to contribute to the class discussion which made it a richer and deeper conversation.

Okay, so back to the technology.  One of the other points that they made that was critical to the iPad integration was the fact that you had to know everything about the tablet operating system.  This point actually inhibits our work towards BYOD.  I think it's impossible to make sure teachers know all operating systems inside and out.  We know that students will obviously bring technology with varying operating systems, and while there aren't that many operating systems out there, I don't think it's a reasonable request for teachers to know all the operating systems that students will be using.

There was another point that the article made that really made me think.  In the article they said,  "the Internet access provided by the iPads allowed the students to challenge misleading facts and statements made by other students during the discussions, enhancing the dialogue within the classroom."  What came to mind when I read this statement was the TV show "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN.  If you haven't seen it, two guys sit across form each other and discuss current topics in the world of sports.  They often argue each other's points and pose statistics to back up their points of view.  At the end of the show they refer to another guy who they call "stat man".  His job is to check the validity of all the stats and the accurateness of all the comments they make.  He then tells them about the mistakes they made and corrects them.  If, during classroom discussions, teachers would require different students to be the class "stat man", I think that would help deepen the engagement level of all students.  Maybe that comment is a little far out there, but it was just an idea.

Lastly, I want to address two other quotes from the article.  At the beginning of the article the author states that the research shows, "the key to successfully adopting tablet technology was to ensure that students remained academically engaged with the device on a regular basis so that they became accustomed to its use".  The author also cites a quote from (Murphy, 2011) stating that, "adopting technology for technology’s sake does not guarantee improved learning outcomes or an enriching educational experience".  I think that these two comments are very important.  If students don't see the tablet as an essential and necessary part to the academic learning experience, then they may be more likely just to see it as a gimmick.  One of our teachers at Oak Hills made an interesting comment yesterday that relates to this quote.  When I asked her about her companion site and how she gets her students to access it, she said the key was using it every day.  Students know that in-order to get the class assignment, they have to go to the companion site.  They know that when they take a formative assessment quiz, they have to go to the companion site.  She doesn't use it occasionally, but rather they use it every single day.  It's expected and demanded that they use it.  The second point that I sited was the fact that adopting technology just for technology's sake doesn't automatically lead to increased student achievement.  There has to be an explicit and purposeful reason for the use of the technology and it has to be well thought out and well planned.  It is a tool to support well designed classroom lessons and instruction.