iPadActivity Form for 2014-15

Academic Development has 28 iPad tablets in order to promote student engagement in learning spaces. The overall aim of the iPad project is to provide opportunities for staff to be creative and innovative in the delivery of group work activities with students in the classroom. Members of the project team (Daniel Mackley, Emma Sunley and Arielle Redman) will provide iPads, training and support to the academic staff members wishing to participate.

Evidence suggests that iPad technology provides hands-on interactionand with it a wide range of potential benefits that can be utilised in learning environment. Our project focuses on exploring the benefits of using iPads in group work activities in particular. In this setting their application can be particularly beneficial for:

  • Collaborative learning
  • Active learning
  • Situated learning
  • Access to visual materials
  • Synchronous activities

For inspiration, YSJ case studies and useful learning and teaching apps you might want to visit our blog

If you would like to run a session using iPads with your students, please complete the activity form below. The formshould demonstrate the following:

  1. How theproposed learning activity will enhance the student experience
  2. That the delivery of the specified learning activity will be enhanced by the use of iPads.

FAQ section below may help answering some of your questions. We’d recommend reading it before completing the application form.

Frequently asked questions

I’d like to use some iPads in my session with students, what do I need to do?

Great! You need to complete the Activity form below filling in all sections of the form and email it to the project team

I’ve emailed the form, what happens next?

The project team member will look into the details of your session and your specific requirements (dates, student cohort, apps required, etc.). They will see if iPads are available on the date(s) you requested and if the date is free, they will book the requested amount of iPads for your session. They will email you to confirm the availability of your date and arrange an initial meeting to discuss the details of your activity.

I know what I’d like to do at my session but not sure what app or tool would be the best for it. Can you help?

That’s absolutely fine. If you describe what you want to do in the Activity form, a member of the project team will do a research for you to find the most suitable app (or a range of apps). They will discuss the use of this app(s) with you at your initial meeting. If you don’t have an iPad, you can borrow an iPad from LTD for a couple of days to look into how you can use this app in your activity. Sometimes, this planning stage involves two meetings with the team member, depending on the staff member’s request. At the final meeting we usually discuss the final details of the design of your activity. It all depends on you. We can provide as much or as little support and training as you ask for.

I know which app I want to use, how do I know that you have it?

The updated list of apps (free and purchased ones) that we use for the project can be found here . If we already have the app you want to use, that’s easy and straight forward.

If we don’t have this app and it is free, that’s not a problem. We will upload it for you on the number of iPads that you requested.

If we don’t have this app and it’s not free, you would need to try to allocate the funding for it from your Department. The Department can transfer the funds to LTD and we can purchase the apps for you. You’ll need to bear in mind that those apps will only be available on LTD iPads and we will be unable to transfer the apps to the iPads located in your Department. If you couldn’t find the funding for the app, we would encourage you to get in touch with us anyway and let us know what app you want. Sometimes, if we find that the app is very useful and can be applied in many subject areas, we will consider investing in it.

How many iPads usually gets booked for the session?

In the majority of cases iPads are used for a group work in the classroom. Due to the screen size, it’s best to use an iPad for 2 or 3 students. Sometimes students are split into groups of 4 or 6 with 2 iPads for each group.

How far in advance do I need to book my iPad session?

As early as you can. We are anticipating quite a few staff members using iPads in this academic year. We recommend applying usually 2 weeks before your session. This time allows us to book the iPads and meet with a staff member prior to the session to discuss all details. Sometimes, we can accommodate late requests (1 week notice or 2-3 days’ notice), if we have time and capacity available.We cannot guarantee that iPads will be available for your particular date, the calendar gets booked on the first come first served basis.

What happens at the actual session? Will somebody bring the iPads to the classroom?

A project team member that you worked with will bring iPads 10 minutes before your session starts. They will check that there is sufficient Wi-Fi connectivity in the room and connect the iPad to the screen, if needed. We always stay at the first session in case you need any help or students might have a question about the app. If you prefer, we can deliver a brief instruction to students about how to use the app for their activity. It depends on the staff member and how comfortable they are with the app. We can attend other sessions as well, if you wish in the future.

Can I borrow iPads for the session without a project team member attending the session?

We always come to the first session just to insure there are no technical issues. It also helps us to see how iPads are used, as we are striving to develop good practices in order to provide most informed and up-to-date advice to our staff members.

If you’ve had a session before and are happy to run a session yourself, you can either collect iPads from our office or we can bring them over to you, providing they’ve been booked. You’ll need to sign a form detailing how many iPads you’ve borrowed and times/room of your session.

Do I need to do anything after the session?

After the session you will receive an email from your allocated project team member providing you with the information on what app has been used in the session (price, if not free and what devices this app is available on). There’ll also be a link to a short survey for students about the activity and how they found using the iPads. We’ll ask you to forward that email to students, as we are evaluating these activities as part of the project.

If I run the same session again, do I need to complete an Activity form again?

No. You don’t need to fill in the Activity form for the same activity. You just need to let us know the date, number of iPads and the room where your session is taking place.

iPad Activity Form

Please complete the activity form below, providing a clearly defined rationale including details of your proposed learning scenarios and outcomes as described below.

Staff member making the booking
Staff member leading the session(s)
(If different from above)
Subject and Module
Faculty/Department
Learning activity
(up to 400 words) Describe the learning activity: aims, context, if applicable, delivery model
Date, timeand location
of the activity
Number of iPads requested
App (s) or other iPad functionalities that you’ll be using during your activity
Student cohort
(year, total number of students involved in the activity, number per group)
Learning outcomes
(State what you want to achieve, what you aim to change as a result of thisactivity.)
Details of how the activity will be enhanced by the use of iPads
Do you need training from a member of LTD staff? If so, when would you like this to take place?
Would you need in-sessional support from a member of LTD staff?
(Subject to staff availability)
Optional: Will you evaluate the activity? How do you plan to carry it out?

For any enquiries or to submit your form, please email us at you have any questions, please telephone us on 01904 876305.

As the result of this project, we aim to produce a range of resources and applications as well as sharing good practice in the use of the device in teaching, learning and assessment. As we would like to collate and disseminate good practices, the project participants may be asked to complete an evaluative report and be prepared to participate in the Learning and Teaching Lunchtime Forums.