In October 2010, the College of Education & Human Development (CE+HD) provided iPads to all first-year students entering the College, as well as to the instructors in the College who would be teaching those students. OIT collaborated with CE+HD staff, graduate students, and faculty to provide technical orientation for students, infrastructure upgrades, and faculty development opportunities to help instructors integrate the iPad into their teaching.
OIT and CE+HD also evaluated the introduction of iPads within the College and began to conduct scholarly research on the nature and effects of this program. These investigations were conducted during spring semester 2011 when most CE+HD faculty began to incorporate the iPad into their classes.
One branch of research focused on the student experience using iPads in conjunction with their classes, with a particular focus on understanding student preferences, perceptions, needs, and problems with respect to the iPad. The methods used were an end-of-term student survey as well as a student focus group, which showed that:
Another branch of iPad research centered on faculty who learned about the iPad and then integrated the device into their teaching. Further information on this aspect of the project is forthcoming.
For researchers: The iPad data collection instruments linked on this page are available free of charge to members of the academic community who wish to use them, in whole or in part, in their own research. Just email J.D. Walker to let us know about your plans, and please give credit in an appropriate place in your work to the Research & Evaluation Team, OIT, and the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota.