iPads for Learning

The iPad is now available in the US, although we'll have to wait a little longer for it in the UK.  So how is it going to be used for education, training and workplace learning? 

Well, Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, has already announced that  "beginning in the fall of 2010, all first year undergraduate students at Seton Hill will receive a 13" MacBook laptop and an iPad".

Their website goes on to say ..

"With this technology at your fingertips, you can create a just-in-time learning environment, stay in touch with professors, advisors, and classmates, research any topic at any time, engage in hybrid and fully on-line courses, and access a whole host of Seton Hill technology services. In doing so, you will be learning the technological skills you'll need in the twenty-first century workforce."

.. this is clearly a much more appropriate response to using technology in the classroom, than banning it because it "distracts the students".

Apple have already opened their iPad Apps store with a few thousand apps that include productivity tools, textbooks and other education apps..

One useful app might be CourseNotes for the iPad.  This is a student's class companion for the iPad, which is can be downloaded from the iPad Apps Store for $4.00

"CourseNotes lets you take notes during your classes and keep them organized by subject and class meeting."

Here's the preview video ...

CourseNotes App

[via various sources]

I'll take look at some more ways that iPads are being used for learning as well as interesting apps in future postings

Comments

[Mathew Anderson]

I would be very much interested to find out the impact of iPads on distance learning. There is an interesting experiment going on with the OLPC - One Laptop Per Child which can benefit from the introduction of iPads.

[Marlou J. Madrio]

Hi,

I am currently working as an ICT Executive for my School Clementi Town Secondary and we are currently pioneering an e-Learning trail at one of the nature reserves here in SG.

It's nice to know that the iPad as a Man Machine Interface device is finding it's way to education as I have forseen it to be for using it with web enabled e-Learning Systems

I sure would like to keep in track and in touch with any info regarding the above

By the way we are presently using a Samsung Omnia II for our Man Machine Interface device and the Hot Lava application from Outstart of the United States for mobile learning.

I am thinking of an iPad + Moodle + Joomla + PHPBB + Wordpress solution as a total e-Learning system

Marl