Just a couple of weeks into the project ...
So, we are a couple of weeks into the project and we are starting to collect data on usage from the students. We could think about this in a number of ways but in this post I just want to discuss some of the ways that the students are self-reporting on usage - the comments below are taken from the student's reports of usage in the first couple of weeks of the course and after being in their placement schools for the first week. I have grouped these into a few categories which will become more refined as the research continues.
The Pad as a resource access device
This is probably the most significant aspect of the device and also the way in which the course has set up the device to be used. So in the FIPS (Foundation in Professional Studies) aspect of the course the students have been able to access materials in the classrooms without the need for large amounts of paper. This has meant a wider sense of flexibility and the options to personalise the access for the particular need:
"iPod mainly for... FiPS reading, subject method reading and research within subject method sessions"
"looking at Prezis, To do pre-reading without having to print it out/ carry documents around"
"keynote power points during method sessions, research during university based days"
"especially finding it handy for reading downloaded journals "
"I have used iBooks and Pages more than any other apps, these have helped with both reading and writing. Being able to save various documents in iBooks has proven very useful, and it has certainly saved on paper"
"... I do love is the podcasts, I have downloaded many to do with history and listen to them on my way into uni or school" (Hi student)
Taking notes - organising work - making resources
As well as access to resources students have been using the device for taking notes and organising their thinking and also for creating resources:
"taking notes, creating mind-maps"
"It has helped my learning in that the resources are to hand without having to print them all out, making organisation much easier"
"used it to make presentations using keynote and to make notes using pages"
"note taking and pre-reading for class"
"to take pictures of the posters we made in FiPS, and to fill in the journal"
"use the IPad to take pictures for inspiration for future planning and resources"
"I find the iPad very handy to show documents quickly to other people and share information"
"The iPad as been useful when reading articles in class being able to highlight and annotate things on it"
"My favourite app so far though is Paper. I have been using this app to draw pictures that I will then be able to use as my own resources in PowerPoint or active inspire" (Gg student)
"I have also taken photos of some of the work that we have produced in method sessions, e.g. The production of a plant cell" (Sc student)
Reflective Practice
Some student have been using the device to record themselves (and/or others) and then use this as part of their reflective practice - whilst this was possible previously it is much easier using the device.
"I have had the opportunity to record short starter activities and teaching tasks which have allowed me to critically evaluate the way I teach" (Hi student)
"I recorded my micro-teaching lesson today with my iPad so it will be helpful to have a look at it with my mentor in school and try to raise some aspects that I can improve" (MFL student)
Classroom usage
The students are starting to go into classrooms and there are some opportunities for them to be able to use the devices in the classroom. Students are also investigating with mentors how these might be able to used wider in the school.
"I used the device to record students where there were not enough dictaphones available" (Gg student)
"Useful apps for the classroom I have downloaded are a name generator and a timer" (En student)
"The ability to draw on top of documents using Skitch is a great alternative for when a Smart board is not available" (En student)
Other applications
As well as the applications that we pre-installed on the devices students have been discovering and using a wide range of apps some of these are:
- QuakeFeed - an earthquake tracker used in Geography (Gg student)
- GraphPlotter - used for plotting 2D and 3D graphs in both cartesian and polar co-ordinates (Ma student)
- Voice Recorder - for recording students (Gg student)
- Name Generator - to create a random name generator (En student)
- Buzzer - A noise generator to get the attention of the class (Ma student)
- SimpleMind - A mind mapping tool
- Mindmeister - A mind mapping tool
- Pinterest - A data collation and digital curation tool
- Paper - A drawing / writing app that allows you to create your own resources
- Skitch - A overwriting tool used to annotating other documents
- Funny Movie Maker - Animate any image or photo
Some initial issues that have arisen
Of course not everything is wonderful and there issues with formatting, with transference of items from the iPad to other devices and also with keeping track of resources and with access in school:
"I have been having some problems to manage all the information, personally I think that we have access to (so) many information what can make it confusing" (MFL student)
"I have also found that it is easy for me to forget to do things on it, such as the journal as I am not seeing it in my bag everyday like I would have it was in paper format" (MFL student)
"I can't use my I pad at my placement school because I don't have the wifi password yet" (En student)
"I have noticed that it is difficult to keep track of work at it is available in a range of places, and it is quite easy to skip past something when it isn't completed" (MFL student)
"I won't be able to use it in school because they have a no iPad policy" (MFL student)
"It is prohibited in my school" (En student)
"While my placement school has no problem with my use of the iPad within my teaching, they equally prefer working 'on paper' for administrative purposes .. this will therefore require me to copy up their handwritten observation notes onto the digital file" (En student)
Would this be possible without the Pad - well maybe - but it would assume that all students had access to the internet at home (or we would have to provide the resources on a portable data system or in paper format - and this would reduce the resources possible to textual and possible graphic sources). Then during the session we would either again have to provide resource (and significant resource) in a paper format OR we would have to allows students to the library to undertake the tasks which would again be difficult in terms of resource as well as the difficult of managing the time needs for such an exercise.
