Using iPads in the Classroom at SOU

Jim Rible

Mobile technology for performing research continues to grow in popularity. Studies continue to point to students preferring tablets over laptops when given the option of which to purchase. How should we, as educators, take advantage of this trend? By using tablets in our classrooms to supplement traditional learning methods. With the plethora of apps available for educational purposes there is an almost unlimited potential for how we can use tablets to obtain and share information. But beyond the pedagogical applications, how do you actually use iPads in the classroom and what are the logistics of carrying out this kind of instruction? The Hannon Library has an Apple iPad Learning Lab available for faculty use. The "lab" consists of 30 iPads in a mobile cart that can be connected via a wireless router to an Apple TV that is capable of displaying any of the users' screens to other users via an LCD projector. An Apple technology called AirPlay. This demonstration will show how the iPads are configured, connected, and used to display their contents onto a screen. Ideas for classroom use and assignments will also be presented.