Westmont College
Academic Technology Faculty Pilot Projects
iPads and the Un-Tethered Professor
GOAL
The professor's stated goal was to explore how his being un-tethered from his laptop and lectern would impact the classroom environment. With the freedom to move about the classroom to address students more up close and personal, while still being able to project content onto the projection screen the hypothesis was this mobility would have a positive affect the knowledge building in his classes.
RESEARCH QUESTION
If an iPad mini tablet is set up to wirelessly control Keynote presentations in a classroom, how will this mobility of the professor impact student knowledge building?
ACTION:
I helped the professor procure an iPad mini tablet, download the wireless controller (Keynote remote for iPhone, a free app) and helped him get his laptop Keynote software and the iPad connected to each other. Once the initial set up was complete, both devices "remember" their connection as long as they are both on the same wireless network. The professor will use the iPad to control his presentations while walking around the classroom to address students questions and concerns.
EVALUATION
This trial began with the request of two professors for help in looking into the potential that iPads might have to allow them to walk around the room and engage with their students while giving a lecture. One professor had an iPad and one was purchased for the second professor. Both faculty began the semester using the iPad to control their PowerPoint and Keynote. Both professors set this project aside early on with wireless connectivity issues that didn't get communicated to our team in a timely manner. While they initially thought this might be interesting, they did not have adequate "buy in" or incentive to continue this research when problems arose. This is a clear example of why these projects will benefit greatly from having more of a connection with Provost office and faculty community as a whole. This project does have value in looking at how the mobility of academic technology can have a positive impact on Faculty/student interactions in a classroom so will attempt to reset this research for Fall 2015.
The professor's stated goal was to explore how his being un-tethered from his laptop and lectern would impact the classroom environment. With the freedom to move about the classroom to address students more up close and personal, while still being able to project content onto the projection screen the hypothesis was this mobility would have a positive affect the knowledge building in his classes.
RESEARCH QUESTION
If an iPad mini tablet is set up to wirelessly control Keynote presentations in a classroom, how will this mobility of the professor impact student knowledge building?
ACTION:
I helped the professor procure an iPad mini tablet, download the wireless controller (Keynote remote for iPhone, a free app) and helped him get his laptop Keynote software and the iPad connected to each other. Once the initial set up was complete, both devices "remember" their connection as long as they are both on the same wireless network. The professor will use the iPad to control his presentations while walking around the classroom to address students questions and concerns.
EVALUATION
This trial began with the request of two professors for help in looking into the potential that iPads might have to allow them to walk around the room and engage with their students while giving a lecture. One professor had an iPad and one was purchased for the second professor. Both faculty began the semester using the iPad to control their PowerPoint and Keynote. Both professors set this project aside early on with wireless connectivity issues that didn't get communicated to our team in a timely manner. While they initially thought this might be interesting, they did not have adequate "buy in" or incentive to continue this research when problems arose. This is a clear example of why these projects will benefit greatly from having more of a connection with Provost office and faculty community as a whole. This project does have value in looking at how the mobility of academic technology can have a positive impact on Faculty/student interactions in a classroom so will attempt to reset this research for Fall 2015.