{"id":484295,"date":"2010-03-29T10:29:56","date_gmt":"2010-03-29T14:29:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theappleblog.com\/?p=42541"},"modified":"2010-03-29T10:29:56","modified_gmt":"2010-03-29T14:29:56","slug":"pros-and-cons-of-the-ipad-in-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/484295","title":{"rendered":"Pros and Cons of the iPad in Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

While Liam opined<\/a> about the challenges an iPad<\/a> can face in education here, I thought I\u2019d tackle some potential real-world pluses and minuses from the viewpoint of a college student — I\u2019m not going down the road of high school students; I\u2019m so far removed from that environment, I remember learning Fortran in my school. I think the iPad is going to succeed in education marvelously for students and teachers.’<\/p>\n

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I’m not a full-time college student, but I’ve been pursing a degree at night for the last four years (Technical Communications, so my focus on educational tools tends to revolve around writing). I’ve used Macs and iPhones as tools for the entirety of my collegiate career. When I started thinking of the possibility of using my iPad as a single-source solution — mostly to reduce weight by leaving my MacBook at home — I came up with a series of pluses and minuses I’ll personally face with the iPad. My focus here is taking notes in class first, and doing coursework second.<\/p>\n

Although, I\u2019m a night student, I don\u2019t think how I use technology is different from a full-time student. I use my laptop to take notes in class, research and study in the library, and work on my homework at home. I am hoping the iPad will let me start leaving my MacBook at home for everything but the most-intensive tasks. I\u2019m going to take a look at how I think the iPad could help me in school, or be problematic. <\/span><\/p>\n

Pros<\/h2>\n

Better battery life\/Light weight: <\/strong>OK, so the \u201c10 hours of battery life\u201d is likely wishful thinking. But so is the \u201cup to 7 hours\u201d on my MacBook Pro. My best time with the MBP is about four hours, so, it’s not unreasonable to think I\u2019ll get about six to seven hours on the iPad.<\/p>\n

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The iPad can shave three pounds off a college student\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n

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My biology book was over five pounds. My MacBook is four. The iPad is 1.5. When you\u2019re carrying a ton of books around, weight starts to matter. The iPad can shave nearly three pounds off a college student\u2019s shoulders compared to using a MacBook, not to mention the weight savings if you were able to replace most or all of your books with the iPad. Also, its size and function make it very easy to quickly throw into your bag and go — just hit the home button and toss it in your bag. The instant on is nice as well — no more waiting for your MacBook to power up to make a quick note or look something up.<\/p>\n

“Bag of Holding” for class materials: <\/strong>In D&D, a bag of holding was how we got around the game’s encumbrance rules. At least one party member would have one, and it became the gigantic suitcase we’d have to sit on to close, but it fit in our pockets. Printing out an entire course-load of lecture materials, lecture supplements, lab reports, sports scores, fantasy draft rules, team standings, notes, research materials and cited sources will quickly bulge a notebook to bursting, requiring industrial-strength banding to keep closed. With an iPad, I can keep all that on a device slightly larger than a composition notebook. Plus, I can quickly adjust my fantasy roster when my starting pitcher ends up needing Tommy John surgery.<\/p>\n

Easier to do work in the library: <\/strong>My college has a large, four-story spacious library, yet it seems space and power is always at a premium — no doubt due to one person taking up a large, four-person table. When I\u2019m doing research in the stacks, being able to use the iPad in tight quarters will be a boon. Also, I won\u2019t need to worry as much about finding a comfortable table near a power outlet. I\u2019m never comfortable in a chair with my laptop, but I\u2019m hoping the iPad will be a little more comfortable for use sitting down. It will also be great for reviewing class material in the hall before an exam.<\/p>\n

No laptop stigmata:<\/strong> Whenever I use a laptop in class, I\u2019m always leery of what the teacher thinks of it. While none have had a problem with it, I\u2019ve never liked having the laptop screen be a wall between the teacher and I. The iPad will sit on the table and act much more like a traditional notebook.<\/p>\n

Single-tasking may let me focus better:<\/strong> In the \u201cI\u2019m a bad student\u201d category, when I\u2019m taking notes, I\u2019m also checking my e-mail, IMing, and following the Red Sox game during periods when the lecture fails to hold my attention. I\u2019m hoping the iPad not being capable of multitasking might help me focus a little better. Say, anyone know how many innings Wakefield went today?<\/p>\n

Seriously, though, one of the reasons I don’t take notes by hand is my handwriting is illegible. If I can take notes distraction-free on the iPad, I’ll be thrilled. Yeah, I know I can turn off Wi-Fi\u00a0and go into full screen mode, but I don’t.<\/p>\n

Cons<\/h2>\n

Lack of e-textbooks:<\/strong> Hopefully this will change, but the Kindle DX was marketed as a potential e-textbook reader, and a quick scan of the textbooks section of the Kindle store yielded slim results. I was able to find my Biology book on\u00a0CourseSmart<\/a>, who is claiming to be\u00a0releasing an iPad version of their reader<\/a>, but other than that, I\u00a0came up empty. After lugging around a five-pound biology book last semester, I’d have been thrilled to have a e-textbook. Hopefully, Apple will partner with textbook publishers as part of iBooks<\/a>, but if Amazon and Barnes & Noble haven’t had much traction here, I’m not betting heavily this will change soon.<\/p>\n

No camera:<\/strong> While some people have bemoaned the missing camera for its video chat purposes, in the previously mentioned biology class, I found it a lot easier to take an iPhone pic of a diagram the teacher drew on the board than attempt to recreate it in my notebook. The ability to take a photo on my iPad and quickly integrate it into my notes would be fantastic.<\/p>\n