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The iPad trial. Richard Dobrenov Jo Inglis Richard Jones. The Southport School. Anglican Boys School on the Gold Coast 1300 students on 2 campuses Reputation for sports and leadership Looking at change (EI, HOM, Tech). eLearning Developments 2010. CMS (Moodle) set up
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The iPad trial Richard Dobrenov Jo Inglis Richard Jones
The Southport School • Anglican Boys School on the Gold Coast • 1300 students on 2 campuses • Reputation for sports and leadership • Looking at change (EI, HOM, Tech)
eLearning Developments 2010 • CMS (Moodle) set up • Moderate/good take up • Mostly posting of resources • Two depts using for course management.
Access to Computing Resources Labs to book Own schooldevice Personal device Other
Trolley Issues • Difficult to locate and re-locate the trolleys (between floors) • Often not powered up – particularly when used in successive sessions • Time to set up in classes
What to conclude • Mixed messages but access still the major issue. • iPads launched in April 2010 • Trial commenced September 2010
Students like • Good for note-taking in class • Easy access to the internet, which in turn gives • Easy access to the CMS, eg for maths solutions • Research on the internet • Convenient access to email • Easy access to textbooks, worksheets and notes in pdf form • Easy to carry compared to laptop • Can set up homework reminders • An alternative when school fixed computers are all in use • Helpful subject-based apps • Long battery life
Teachers like • Instant on • Boy-friendly, eg kinaesthetic and engaging • Encourages collaborative learning styles • Not multitasking (ease of control) • Useful for admin tasks such as registration, email and calendar • Portability • Great apps and encourages “breadth” of learning
Students didn’t like • A distraction to themselves and others • Printing • Poor access to other school resources like network files and Windows applications • Some applications are blocked • Not good for “heavy” creative tasks – long essays, image processing, programming • Wireless connectivity is poor at times
Teachers did not like • VGA output only for a limited number of apps • No Flash support • Not all LMS functions are available through the iPad browser.
Techs hated • Expected lifetime an unknown • Limitations of the Apple app approval process • Lack of group management/administration options.
What do we think? • Boys must have 21st Century skills • Teachers must have them too • Solves access issues • Creates some additional issues • Distraction, class management • Tech support • Professional learning for staff • Infrastructure costs (expensive internet in Oz)
What next? • Extending the trial to 200 iPads • All of year 12 and their teachers • Down the track: Tablets yes; iPads maybe • Excellent way to enable mobile learning