Much has been made of Apple's new tablet computer, the iPad: declarations of it embodying the future of computing; accusations of being merely an oversized iPhone without the calling capabilities; celebrations of its revolutionary technology; criticisms of its technical shortcomings. But nowhere has the debate been so divergent than in speculation on the iPad's role in education. Enthusiasts foresee it ushering in the age of the digital classroom by replacing textbooks and streamlining both classwork and administrative tasks. Skeptics point to the lack of multitasking, connectivity issues and practical considerations as factors that undermine such fanatic claims. In a move that will perhaps settle the matter, many schools have begun pilot programs with the iPad, either handing them out to students or developing courses around the device. As these programs have yet to even begin, a definitive judgement on the iPad's role in education is a ways away. So, were are stuck with the debate.
Apple and Education
Despite once being a top competitor in educational computing, Apple has since slipped. During the 1980s Apple possessed roughly 50 percent of the educational computing market, but has fallen to around only 20 percent according to Fast Company. With the iPad, Apple has made a conscious attempt to reclaim this field, cashing in not only on the iPad's technical specs, but also the company's prominent standing with young adults. To facilitate the iPad's transition into the classroom, Apple's higher education team is already working with university administrations to create entire courses around their brand new device.
The iPad as a Textbook
One way in which Apple hopes the iPad will succeed in academia is by replacing expensive, clunky textbooks. According to The Association of American Publishers, a national trade association, the sale of books in the "Higher Education" category, which includes textbooks, reached $4.3 billion in 2009. Apple hopes that the iPad, with its light-weight design and e-reader capabilities, will take a bite out of this market -- but that may not be as easy as it seems.
Rising textbook prices have long spurred hopes for the development of cheaper, more accessible e-books. Despite the economic incentive and practical benefits, e-book purchases still make up a small chunk of the business. In an interview with THiNK Magazine, a student-run publication out of Stony Brook University, Vice President of Books at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers Jade Roth estimates that, despite offering e-books since 2000, the percentage of digital textbooks sales remains in the low single digits. Thus, even if the iPad manages to take a large slice of the e-book market, the entire pie remains meager.
A study conducted at Princeton University last fall may elucidate why the sales of e-textbooks remain stagnant: When working with the Kindle, an e-reader produced by Amazon.com, students became frustrated by the lack of note-taking and high-lighting functions, according to an article by the school's news outlet. At the end of the study, 65 percent of participants claimed they were unwilling to replace their device if it were to break. This bodes poorly for the iPad as it employs e-books in a format similar to Kindle's.
Despite the gloomy outlook, iPad enthusiasts remain confident. They point to advancements in the open-source e-book market, such as Google Books and and Wikibooks, as indicators of the medium's rising popularity. Accordingly, Barnes & Noble is launching an iPad app in early May. Hopes still abound that, as the iPod and iTunes propelled MP3 sales through low prices and easy access, the iPad paired with an iBookstore will stimulate lagging digital textbook sales.
Efforts are also underway to go beyond simply translating traditional textbooks to electronic formats. The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has teamed up with publishers Houghton Mifflin, Pearson and McGraw-Hill to create more interactive digital textbooks. Third-party developers are undertaking similar projects, such as The Elements, an iPad app of the periodic table that includes in-depth information and an extensive image archive of every entry, even allowing users to inspect elements in 3-D. Detractors note that such interactive materials are currently available to resourceful instructors by other avenues. For example, a history professor lecturing on the Vietnam War can already complement his or her lecture with related YouTube videos.
The iPad as a Learning and Administrative Tool
Besides being touted as a vehicle for e-books, the iPad is also being promoted as a tool for classwork. As a word processor, calculator and Internet browser, advocates claim the iPad can help students complete classwork more efficiently and produce assignments of better quality. Although the same argument could be made for traditional laptops, the iPad's quick start-up time, light weight, relatively lower cost and simple initial set-up promote it as the more practical option. Apps, which are readily available for download from Apple's App Store, also present unique advantages. Software like Hello-Hello Spanish, a complete, 30-lesson language course, provide novel educational opportunities, while applications like Dragon Diction, a voice recognition and transcription program, may aid disabled students in striking new ways.
The iPad is being promoted not only as a tool for students, but for instructors as well. Its light-weight, touchscreen design can streamline administrative tasks, such as taking attendance or recording in-class participation, while not impeding on the instructor's mobility or vantage. In a classroom armed with iPads, students' assignments can be easily organized and graded. Wireless functionality would allow students to send their work, which is already in a digital format, directly to their instructor's iPad for review. Apps may also help: Blackboard, an educational software company, has already released its administrative program, Mobile Learn, for the iPad. The app features discussion boards, course content, assignments, syllabus, grade book, and a host of other tools for educators and students.
Critics have found flaws with most of these claims. Although an iPad can replace a number of different tools, it can only operate as one at a time; opening one programs requires closing another (a counter argument is that the inability to multitask decreases the likelihood of students becoming distracted). Also, laptops remain far from ubiquitous in classrooms because of their price, and though the iPad may be cheaper, the cost may still be prohibitive. And whereas the iPad is a fragile piece of complex machinery, pencils, pens, and books are hardy and easier to replace if misplaced or damaged. If an iPad breaks, is lost or runs out of batteries, the device's all-in-one capability leaves the student stranded without textbook, calculator and perhaps even a means of note-taking. Furthermore, the absence of a traditional keyboard and stylus may create operational difficulties. Some question whether having a keyboard flush with the screen may cause excessive neck strain.
Connectivity Issues
Perhaps the greatest hit to iPad advocates has been the device's widely publicized connectivity issues at major universities. Princeton University has been experiencing technical problems with its network because of the iPad and consequently has restricted the WiFi access of about 20 percent of iPads on campus, according to CBS News. In another setback, George Washington University has prevented the tablet from logging into its wireless network, citing possible security hazards. Though such technical issues originate with the schools' networks and not with the iPad itself, they may still discourage other institutions from widely adopting the device as they portend the possible complications.
Aside from technical issues concerning the compatibility of wireless networks with the iPad, there is also the question of bandwidth. With thousands of new devices needing Internet access, many schools will be forced to invest in upgrading the capacity of their networks. To perform such an overhaul, Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania, which has promised a "free" iPad and MacBoook to all incoming freshmen, will be increasing student technology fees by $800, reports The Wall Street Journal. Some have pointed out that such upgrades are inevitable as people increasingly begin using WiFi-reliant gadgets.
Current Pilot Programs
Though the discussion about the iPad's potential role in academia continues and technical hang-ups remain, many schools are already embracing the device. As previously stated, Seton Hill University is handing out iPads and MacBooks to all incoming freshmen, but it is not the only institution doing such. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, a news outlet aimed at university administrators and educators, all the incoming freshmen of University of Maryland at College Park's Digital Cultures and Creativity program will similarly be receiving iPads.
Other schools are being a bit more cautious. The Chronicle also reports that North Carolina State University has purchased 30 iPads, which it will loan out to students in four-hour blocks, and Reed College in Portland will be loading iPads with course material to see how pupils fare. And according to San Jose's Mercury News, Monte Vista Christian School in California has purchased 60 iPads, which it plans to use in a pilot program to replace text books.
Some academic institutions have gone a step farther, creating entire courses focused on the iPad. New Jersey's Star Ledger reports that Rutgers University, in collaboration with Apple's higher education team, will be offering a week-long business class on digital marketing that revolves around the tablet. The University of Oregon has also launched an experimental journalism course in which students will use the iPad to write, shoot, edit and program material meant for mobile devices, according to The Huffington Post.
Backlash to Computers in the Classroom
Looming behind the discourse regarding the iPad's educational value, there is a larger debate occurring that questions whether any computer has a place in the classroom. Amidst accusations of being Luddites, teachers complain that, when not completely distracting students, laptops create a barrier between the instructor and his or her pupils. Such sentiment has led to schools taking action to constrict classroom computing, like The University of Chicago Law School's decision to cut classroom Internet access in 2008. Frustrated teachers have also taken the matter into their own hands, banning laptops in their classes or taking more creative measures, such as this University of Oklahoma professor who gently dissuaded his students from bringing their laptops to class:
The question remains if one day soon the iPad will join the laptop in the bath of liquid nitrogen.
