Thursday, September 23, 2010

The iPad is about to have an academic impact this fall in colleges and universities

By: Zahavit Paz, Co-founder, LD Resources Foundation
September 13, 2010

Every September, millions of college students with learning disabilities (LD) and ADHD face the frustration of keeping up with their reading assignments. Many others, however, often by trial and error, are able to develop creative ways to overcome their LD related reading and note-taking difficulties. This fall, colleges and universities are looking into ways of adopting the iPad as a collaborative tool, by enabling students to use it as a standardized mobile device, which they can integrate into curriculums, and use as a “universal” classroom.

The potential for leveling the playing field for learning disabled students who will have access to the iPad is exciting news for students who rely on readers and note-takers to successfully complete a course. The iPad offers built-in accessibility features. Check out this web site:

http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/accessibility.html

The iPad will lower costs of textbooks and will create a better learning environment for all students. The IPad is a fast device, has touch color screen display and fast internet connectivity.
This fall, colleges and universities across the USA and overseas, have started pilot programs using the iPad.
Below, are the web sites of some schools that have started (or will begin) doing this:

Oklahoma State University
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/01/oklahoma-state-university-to-start-up-ipad-initiative/


University of Notre Dame:
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2010/08/27/notre-dame-to-launch-ipad-pilot-program/

UIW H-E-B School of Business and Administration:
http://www.uiw.edu/news/2010/09/uiw-school-of-business-launches-ipad-pilot-program/

Texas University (to launch an iPad pilot program):
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2010/08/25/texas-university-to-launch-ipad-pilot-program/The Illinois Institute of Technology

Melbourne University’s Trinity College (Australia)
http://www.techworld.com.au/article/358389/melbourne_uni_begins_50_student_ipad_pilot