Exploring the Impact of iPad Integration in the Classroom on a Professor’s Pedagogy
Authors:
Richard Aylward, Richard Aylward, Steven Lesky, Lance MarxenMentor:
Stella Erbers, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, Pepperdine UniversityThis study sought to examine the impact that having a class set of iPads in a college classroom had on a professor’s pedagogy. The researchers found that the current data on this topic focuses narrowly on the effects that iPad implementation has on the students and while this data is certainly of vital importance, the full effects of the implementation of this new technology cannot be understood without examining how iPad technology impacts teachers. This qualitative study investigated the changes professors made in their teaching in order to integrate iPads into their classroom, and the effects that the iPad had on the way they interacted with their students. Four professors from Pepperdine University with a history of iPad usage were interviewed regarding their experiences while using ipads in their classrooms, and the data they provided was synthesized and examined for significant patterns. Results showed that having iPads in the classroom led the instructors to place greater emphasis on group activities, eliminated some of the barriers that existed between themselves and their students, and allowed them to engage more freely. These changes led the professors to believe that the iPads allowed them to interact more effectively with their students. As implementation of this new technology expands in many universities, the use of iPads in the classroom will mark a shift in the way that professors interact with their students and the degree to which they encourage their students to work together.