iPads in Education – Implementation Stories and Lessons Learned (continued)

Part Two of our look into results and best practices being generated from iPad rollouts in education.

Last week we started looking at rollouts of iPads in schools by searching out, reading, and summarizing findings in articles discussing these types of programs. This week we continue our examination of this topic by sharing take-aways from this excellent article in the March/April 2011 Educause Review. Educators Mary Ann Gawelek, Mary Sparato, and Phil Komarny from Seton Hill University wrote this highly informative overview of the recent introduction of iPads at their university.

Objectives
What was Seton Hill out to accomplish with this effort? The program had among it’s principle objectives:

• Increased student engagement in learning
• Widespread adoption and use of mobile technology, providing instant access to information
• Creating a teaching and learning environment that goes beyond the traditional classroom
• Enhancing creative and critical thinking through the development and use of interactive teaching strategies
• Displacing some textbook costs by moving to less expensive electronic texts

Getting The Environment And Personnel Prepared
The article shares a wealth of information about some of the keys to positioning an effort like this for success. First among these is the proper mindset for both leadership and faculty. ... READ FULL ARTICLE