Blog Post 2

Locate an article about using handheld devices such as tablets (ie. ipads, nook), cell phones, and ipods for education. Summarize three keypoints from the article. Next, describe how you would use these devices in the library. Don’t forget to include a reference for the article at the end of your post.



The article I read, “An IPad Education, featured Apple’s Ipad as a distance education tool. In Apple’s ITunes U, university students can access complete courses (e.i. lectures, assignments, books, quizzes and syllabuses) from the IPad. It’s is a novel idea, but there are a few setbacks.



This new platform sounds great, but it comes with a price. Most colleges and universities already use a platform called Blackboard. This is the platform also used here at University of North Texas. The price implication comes with the fact that this specific platform would have to be used with IPads only. The cost is not cheap considering the fact that a student at a university can probably access a pc free on campus. The competition, Blackboard can be accessed anywhere you can log on to Internet Explorer.



Another impediment is the fact that all the professors using this platform will have to be retrained with this equipment. This often poses a big challenge. Dr. John Flores, executive director of the United States Distance Learning Association, states, "It’s almost like changing bags or changing doctors or changing barbers. You get comfortable. You want to go to the same resource. The same happens with using a technology." People are reluctant to change.



Legal issues can also arise. The material used by professors in universities is copyright. If the courses are offered on Itunes U, any person can access it, thus breaking copyright. Additionally, students are also involved. Students, their images and words can be included in these lectures. This is a concern over privacy.



Regardless, of the negativity expressed in this article over IPads, as a school librarian IPads can be a great tool for me. Students can read e-books on IPads, and can also utilize other applications that are conducive to education. Applications they can use are games such as Scrabble, Monkey Math, Letter Quiz, and countless others. Students respond great to technology. An IPad is a tool of automatic engagement.

Cooper, Kenneth J. (Mar 15, 2012). AN IPAD EDUCATION? Diverse Issues in Higher Education29. 3. Retrived from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:7125/docview/993009927.