Submission Type
20-minute Presentation
Abstract
In Spring 2013, Smith College Educational Technology Services (ETS) implemented a tablet program that allows students and faculty to borrow iPads for semesterly projects. The iPad program began with 60 students in 5 courses from disciplines ranging from Exercise & Sports Studies to Chinese. Since then, 40 faculty have implemented iPads in over 50 courses across the campus. In the Spring 2016 alone, the program includes over 100 students in 9 courses.
From its inception, the Smith iPad program was intentionally designed to promote a culture of innovative, effective, and experimental pedagogy.
To ensure equity, we provide all students with the same iPads and software, as well as hold in-class tutorials. We protect student privacy and ensure ongoing stability by carefully vetting apps used in our courses. In order to privilege pedagogy above technology, we work in collaboration with faculty to identify learning goals and design course maps. Throughout the course, we conduct assessments to determine the effectiveness of the technology, gauge student experience, and inform future iterations.
In this presentation, we’ll discuss the insights we’ve gained through refining and reiterating projects, our methods for evaluating apps, the technical specifications of how we make our program work, and share some of the creative projects students have completed in courses.
Session
Technology Adoption & Faculty Development, Presentation
Start Date
5-18-2016 2:00 PM
End Date
5-18-2016 3:15 PM
Paper and Pixels: Mobile Learning Practices at Smith College
In Spring 2013, Smith College Educational Technology Services (ETS) implemented a tablet program that allows students and faculty to borrow iPads for semesterly projects. The iPad program began with 60 students in 5 courses from disciplines ranging from Exercise & Sports Studies to Chinese. Since then, 40 faculty have implemented iPads in over 50 courses across the campus. In the Spring 2016 alone, the program includes over 100 students in 9 courses.
From its inception, the Smith iPad program was intentionally designed to promote a culture of innovative, effective, and experimental pedagogy.
To ensure equity, we provide all students with the same iPads and software, as well as hold in-class tutorials. We protect student privacy and ensure ongoing stability by carefully vetting apps used in our courses. In order to privilege pedagogy above technology, we work in collaboration with faculty to identify learning goals and design course maps. Throughout the course, we conduct assessments to determine the effectiveness of the technology, gauge student experience, and inform future iterations.
In this presentation, we’ll discuss the insights we’ve gained through refining and reiterating projects, our methods for evaluating apps, the technical specifications of how we make our program work, and share some of the creative projects students have completed in courses.
Comments
Please note: We've also submitted a proposal "Disrupting the Technology Adoption Spectrum: Thinking Creatively about Faculty Technology Use". For relevance and flow, we would ask that you consider grouping these two presentations together.