iPad Study at USF
June-December, 2010
John C. Bansavich, Ed.D.
Director of Learning Technologies and the Center for Instruction and Technology
University of San Francisco
April 18, 2011
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“Above all, participating in this study has made me think more creatively
about my teaching and more aware of the potential ways using new
technologies might strengthen it.”
Introduction
The University of San Francisco launched a six-month iPad study that included 40
faculty (Appendix A). The intention of the study was to review, experiment and share
potential uses of the iPad in higher education. This report discusses the study’s findings
along with recommendations for future directions of the iPad, and tablet computing,
more generally, in higher education. Initial findings suggest USF faculty’s desire for
increased opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and professional development,
ongoing support for technology innovation projects, and continued interest in monitoring
the iPad in support of teaching and learning, specifically in the use of electronic
textbooks and app development.
Background
Since the iPad’s introduction in April 2010, many colleges and universities have
introduced iPad programs for both students and their instructors. The iPad study at USF
took a different approach by first introducing the technology to its faculty. The vision
behind the iPad study was to invite faculty to participate in a study that would allow
them to explore and experiment with a new technology that could be used to support
21st-century teaching and learning.
The Center for Instruction and Technology (CIT) sponsored the study along with the
University Provost's office. An application process began in May 2010 after an email
announcement was sent to all full and part-time faculty encouraging them to apply.
More than 100 applications were received within the first two weeks of the
announcement and were reviewed by CIT staff and USF Deans.
The forty participants were given new iPads during June/July of 2010 and met on a
monthly basis with the CIT staff. During the monthly meetings faculty prepared
presentations that they shared with others in their cohort. Participants received an iPad
wireless (16 GB) computer to use during the period of the study and to keep afterwards.
The USF study provided the opportunity to equip faculty with new technology early,
along with the necessary training and support.
Research questions
Seven research questions were used to frame and guide the study:
• What are the potential uses of the iPad in higher education?
• How can electronic textbooks be used on the iPad?
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• What features and functionality of electronic textbooks would support broader adoption
in higher education?
• How might the iPad’s apps be used to support teaching and learning in a course?
• What is the usability of the iPad; in particular, for reading, writing, communicating, and
creating content.
• Other possible uses of the iPad in higher education?
• Improvements and suggestions for future software/hardware releases of the iPad?
Timeline
April 3, 2010
The iPad becomes available to the public.
May 14-May 28
Application period for the USF iPad Study
June 1
112 applications received
June 10
The number of participants is expanded from 10 to 40 faculty
June 15
First iPad meeting with cohort #1
July 6 and 13
First iPad meeting with cohorts #2 & #3, respectively
July 20
First survey, iPad Readiness, is available. (Appendix B)
Fall 2010
semester
Cohort meetings continue through the semester
October 20
Mid-semester survey made available (Appendix C)
December 17
Final survey, iPad Study Research Questions made available.
(Appendix D)
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Timeline
January 20, 2011 IPad study concludes with a luncheon including participants and
sponsors. USF’s Provost, VP of IT, and representatives from Apple
also attend.
March 2
CIT Tech Talk to share the results of the study with the USF
community.
The Participants
Twenty-five men and fifteen women participated in the study. A representative sample
from the various schools and colleges were selected. Three cohorts were formed to
create smaller sub-groups and the cohort groups met monthly throughout the duration
of the study. The meetings were designed to share updates on the iPad and to provide
an opportunity for faculty to present their findings and potential uses of the iPad in the
classroom and beyond. Sample faculty presentations are shared on the project wiki at:
http://ipad.wiki.usfca.edu/
• 25 men; 15 women
• Three cohorts
• Monthly meetings to present findings
• 19 meetings total held (June-Dec, 2010)
• 9 hours were the average number of hours per week using the iPad (n=33, October,
2010)
The following expectations of participants as stated in the application:
• Submit an application using the online form before May 28th.
• Attend monthly (one-hour) lunchtime (brown-bag) meetings where participants will
share experiences and ideas.
• Provide regular contributions to the iPad study wiki, http://ipad.wiki.usfca.edu/
• Maintain a personal log of uses, ideas, etc. during the period of the study.
• Use the iPad in your classroom and for communicating with your students /
colleagues.
• Participation in an end-of-project tech talk (round-table) offered to the USF community.
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The largest faculty group included Associate Professors (35%) and full Professors
(30%). The study included one adjunct faculty member, one librarian, and one
Associate Dean.
The majority of faculty (80%) had worked at the university for more than 5 years. Fiftythree percent of faculty taught in the College of Arts and Sciences, the university's
largest college. Faculty from the other schools/colleges were represented, including,
School of Nursing (8%), School of Education (13%), Business and Professional Studies
(15%), Law (10%), and the Library (3%).
The majority of faculty (n=38) reported being comfortable or very comfortable with
technology (81%) in the classroom. The frequency of technology use in the classroom
was also very high with 71% reporting that they use technology during every (or nearly
every) class meeting.
Data Collection
The study included both quantitative and qualitative data sources. The data sources
included the following:
• A completed application to participate in the study, indicating their interest and goals
for participating in the study
• Three surveys:
• Readiness to use the iPad (n=38). Administered July 2010.
• Mid-semester evaluation (n=33). Administered October 2010.
• Research questions (n=29). Administered December 2010.
• Meeting observation notes
• Notes from informal interviews
• Informal email communication
• Artifacts posted to the iPad Study wiki
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Figure 1 iPad Study Wiki: ipad.wiki.usfca.edu
Use of the Wiki
The wiki provided an opportunity for participants to share findings, ask questions and
learn more about the iPad. Wiki pages were included to share FAQs, known issues, and
links to articles about the iPad in education. The discussion tab in the wiki provided a
forum for faculty to communicate with other cohort members outside of the scheduled
meeting times.
Findings
The study's findings suggest information about the participants' use of the iPad in the
classroom and outside of the classroom, their experiences using the iPad’s apps, their
likes and dislikes, and overall thoughts about the iPad in higher education.
The study’s findings support the following potential uses of the iPad in higher education:

As an e-Reader and electronic textbook

Annotating and note-taking apps for meetings and classroom

Usefulness for multimedia viewing and as an interactive device

Mobile learning both in and outside the classroom

High levels of engagement for language learning, use in clinical settings, and
apps for the sciences
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
Strong potential for interactivity among teacher-student/student-student
iPad use in the classroom
Early on in the study, some of the faculty expressed challenges and frustration in
learning how to use the iPad to meet their instructional goals. For many, it didn't make
sense to use the iPad in the classroom when their laptop worked just a well, if not
better, for presentations, sharing websites, and for accessing files they typically
displayed in the classroom. One participant commented that the use of the iPad
presents a “paradigm shift” from the typical approach of using a laptop to using a tablet
computer. Some were vocal about their dislike in paying for apps, which would limit
some of their exploration using the device. For others it was difficult to see beyond
using the device for content consumption versus content creation and didn't see how
the iPad would be completely useful when they already used a laptop. By far, the
greatest frustration and limitation of the iPad for instructional use was the inability to
project via VGA for most apps. (Note: this limitation was resolved with the introduction
of the iPad 2 in March, 2011).
Even though faculty confronted challenges using the iPad in the classroom, the majority
of the faculty (52%) stated that they used the iPad to present websites. Thirty-nine
percent used the iPad in the classroom to share videos and presentations. And thirtypercent stated that they used it for presenting Blackboard and PDFs.
Strengths of the iPad
The majority of faculty expressed much enthusiasm for the iPad throughout the duration
of the study. Most faculty found the device easy to use, portable, and innovative. When
asked to identify the strengths of the iPad, faculty identified the following features most
frequently:
• Portability
• Design
• Ease of use
• Apps
• Speed of the device
Also noted were the interactive touch screen, long battery life, and potential of eBooks
and e-Textbooks.
Weaknesses of the iPad
When asked to identify some of the weaknesses of using the iPad in the classroom,
faculty identified the following (in order of frequency listed):
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• VGA-out issues
• Lack of a USB port
• Keyboard issues (i.e., size, difficulty)
• Inability to play Flash video
• Lack of student access to an iPad during the study
• Functionality (including: lack of familiar apps, no Microsoft Office products, challenges
of content creation, learning-curve associated with new apps)
Faculty also struggled with the new, or lack thereof, file management system on the
iPad. Apps such as GoodReader and Dropbox were well received for their support of
opening various file formats and accessing documents from the iPad.
Some of these issues, namely VGA out, have been resolved with the release of the
iPad 2 in March, 2011.
Use of Apps
The apps available on the iPad have helped drive innovation. Apps continue to evolve
on a daily basis and supported faculty as they explored the usefulness of the device.
One of participating faculty teaches in the Computer Science department and was able
to connect CS students with one of the Law School faculty who had an idea for an app.
Others were also intrigued by the idea of app development and would have liked to
further explore developing apps specific to their research or instruction. Several faculty
expressed concern over having to pay for apps and wished that grant funds were
available to help with the purchase. When asked which apps were most helpful, the
following apps were mentioned most frequently: Safari, Mail, Keynote, iAnnotate,
GoodReader, Evernote, Pages, Dropbox, Blackboard Mobile, and YouTube/Videos.
When asked how they were making use of the iPad, faculty reported using the iPad in
the following areas: meetings (28%), entertainment (24%), research (16%), and
productivity tasks (16%).
In addition to the Built-in apps (Mail, Safari, YouTube, and
Notes), the iPad apps used most frequently:
iAnnotate, $9.99
APDF reader and a powerful annotation tool for the iPad.
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In addition to the Built-in apps (Mail, Safari, YouTube, and
Notes), the iPad apps used most frequently:
GoodReader, $4.99
GoodReader is the super-robust PDF reader for iPad - the #1
selling non-Apple app for iPad in USA in 2010!
Evernote, Free
Evernote turns the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad into an
extension of your brain, helping you remember anything and
everything that happens in your life. From notes to ideas to
snapshots to recordings, put it all into Evernote and watch as it
instantly synchronizes from your iPad to your desktop.
Keynote, $9.99
Apple’s answer to Microsoft PowerPoint for presentations.
Blackboard Mobile,
Free
The popular Learning Management System goes mobile.
Mighty Meeting, Free With MightyMeeting you can store presentations and demo
videos in the cloud and access them anywhere and anytime from
the web, iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. Used to present
PowerPoint presentations.
Pages, $9.99
Apple’s word processor designed for a mobile device. Used to
create newsletters, reports, brochures, and flyers .
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In addition to the Built-in apps (Mail, Safari, YouTube, and
Notes), the iPad apps used most frequently:
Netflix, Free
Netflix for the iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Instantly watch TV
shows & movies streaming from Netflix.
Dropbox, Free
Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs,
and videos anywhere. After you install Dropbox on your
computer, any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically
save to all your computers, your iPhone and iPad and even the
Dropbox website!
Penultimate, $1.99
Handwriting app for iPad. Take notes, keep sketches, or share
your next breakthrough idea -- in the office, on the go, or home
on the sofa.
Student response to iPads in the classroom
Faculty reported that student response to the iPad was generally positive and remarked
that students found the following features most interesting: the touch screen, high
graphic quality, use of apps, and the portability of the device. During the fall 2010
semester, faculty reported that only a small number of students owned an iPad. Some
found that, just like many of the faculty, students also didn’t quite know how to fit the
iPad into their current array of technology gadgets.
One faculty member commented:
“I would say they're interested, but not 'blown away'. If it's not being used
for textbooks...I'm not sure they see huge amounts of value above and
beyond their smartphones.”
Another faculty member commented on the need to supply students with iPads,
namely for use in classroom activities.
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Differentiating between when an iPad is used versus a laptop was addressed by this
instructor:
“...they [students] often seem a bit bewildered why I am using it [the iPad]
instead of my laptop ... I have been using it mostly to show images, some
Power Point Presentations, and PDFs of primary source material. ...They
also seem interested in using it for email, social networking, digital
readings and e-Textbooks.”
Research Questions
The following section provides feedback and data on the participants’ responses to the
study’s research questions.
Q1: In your opinion, what are the potential uses of the iPad in higher education?
Participants responded to this question with optimism for the future of the iPad in
education. Although the iPad lacks many of the instructional capabilities currently
available on a laptop, the iPad will eventually provide greater opportunities for faculty
and students.
The following participant assesses the potential of the iPad in higher education:
“Mobile access to electronic resources for just-in-time research, including
in-class and out-of-class in clinical areas; access to multimedia to
supplement learning, especially for ESL students and/or those with
learning disabilities who may need multiple options for learning and
expressing knowledge; access to electronic books; retrieval and
reference of stored pdf files of journal articles with annotation and search
functions.”
Another participant sees the iPad as an electronic replacement for much of the print
material used in education:
“To go paperless: bookless, article-less, note-less - to allow for interactive
classrooms: ability to look up relevant information in the moment it comes
up - to share between users: notes, apps, etc...”
In general, the potential for the iPad in higher education shows promise in the following
areas:
• e-Reader/e-Textbooks
• Annotating/Note taking
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• Multimedia - viewing/interacting
• Mobile learning inside/outside classroom
• Language learning, clinical settings, sciences
• Interactivity (teacher-student & student-student)
Q2: How might the iPad apps be used to support teaching and learning in a
course?
Apps embody many of the innovative and unique qualities of the iPad. There are a
growing number of apps being developed that have direct relevance to teaching and
learning. The very nature of apps represents the “openness” of the technology and the
possibility for custom apps to be developed for anyone with an instructional idea or goal.
Comments from the faculty reflected the usefulness of apps that support activities that
take place in the field or in the clinical setting. The portability, interactive, and
multimedia capability of the device make it a useful technology in those environments.
One faculty member teaching in the School of Nursing commented:
“For clinical disciplines it could be used for teaching students, patients,
staff by using multimedia (sound files, video, graphics with annotation
functions, text-based reference documents and rubrics)."
Another participant noted the relevance of apps for language learning:
"More apps should be designed for specific kinds of course
content...language teaching, culture, literature, etc. As of now, most apps
are still relatively primitive, and don't incorporate the more sophisticated
kinds of software available for laptops.”
And in this professor in the sciences, the apps are providing support for learning:
For example, in General Biology and Cell Physiology we discuss cell
respiration. I found an app that not only covered the steps of this
biochemical process, but also had an assessment quiz at the end. The
portability and ease of apps such as these really help the students to
continually reinforce material that they are exposed to during lecture time.
Q3: How might electronic textbooks be used on the iPad?
Electronic textbooks hold much promise for the iPad and tablet computing. Electronic
textbooks are still in their early stages of development and as more publishers look to
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offering an electronic version of their textbooks, the iPad provides an excellent platform
for the delivery of e-Textbooks.
Two of the main providers of e-Textbooks today, CourseSmart and Inkling, were
reviewed by some of the participants. The principal challenge that faculty found with
CourseSmart was that users need to be connected to the Internet in order to view a
textbook. For many, this was a limiting factor that could impact adoption. Inkling
appeared to hold promise, as it is a new app designed to support e-Textbooks on the
iPad. Inkling also allows for greater interactivity via embedded multimedia and
assessment, important features for the participants.
Participants noted the following features as important to e-Textbook adoption on the
iPad:
• Interactivity
• Embedded simulations
• Annotation / collaborative note taking
• Quick reference during class
• Weight of iPad vs textbook(s)
• Keyword searching and tagging
• Not tied to the Internet for access
• Better pricing for e-Textbooks (typically costing 20-50% less than hardbound copies)
This participant succinctly stated the current status of e-Textbooks on the iPad :
“I believe that the future of electronic textbooks lies with publishers, such
as Inkling, which go beyond PDF versions of textbooks to providing
interactive learning experiences for students. This generation of textbooks
remains to be developed, but could change the face of education from a
passive student learning experience to one that is active."
Q4: What features and functionality of electronic textbooks would support
broader adoption in higher education?
This question provided an opportunity for participants to reflect on the current barriers to
broader adoption of electronic textbooks as well as its potential to have a greater impact
in higher education.
• Greater adoption from publishers
• Hyperlinks to other sources
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• Interactive multimedia
• Embedded assessments
• Improved pagination
• Interactive activities
• Like the Kindle app, having access to a book on different devices, not just an iPad
This participant's feedback provides a summary of some of the main functionality
needed to support broader adoption of electronic textbooks:
“Some features, like copying, highlighting, annotating and searching,
should be standard. In foreign language teaching in particular, I would like
to see audio and video clips be part of the texts, similar to the embedded
videos in the Wall Street Journal app. Otherwise, e-textbooks will be no
different from the pdf versions.”
Q5: What is the usability of the iPad; in particular, reading, writing,
communicating, and creating content?
Faculty found a number of different ways to use the iPad. Some felt constrained by the
content consumption versus content creation issue. Although challenges were
expressed, the potential for new app development signifies the increased usability of the
iPad for teaching and learning.
The following responses appeared most frequently:
• Reading (overwhelmingly, was the leader with positive comments)
• Communication (email and notes)
• Writing in small amounts
• Content creation is limited
• The virtual keyboard is challenging
• Great for graphics and visual presentations
The following three quotes provide a good sample of the responses received:
“Great for reading. Okay for writing, but only in limited amounts. Seems
great for email, Tweeting, web surfing. It seems the best way to use the
iPad for content creation currently is the use of outliners (e.g. carbonfin
outliner) or mindmaps (i-Thoughts). Not tons of typing, but very helpful in
creating a structure (for a paper, a presentation, etc.) with some beginning
content.”
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“iPad won't replace laptop computers in writing and creating content
simply because it is NOT designed to do that. I did buy an external
keyboard for my iPad, but I found I seldom used it. I always turn to
desktop or laptop to do extensive writing. For reading and communicating,
iPad is the best.”
“I like to use the iPad for creating presentations and sharing
documents/resources with colleagues. I think that as more and more apps
develop, it will be easier to completely rely on Keynote, for example, for
generating a conference presentation or a class lecture/plan. I hope that
as more students get iPads, I will get to learn from them about ways to
create content that is applicable to the technological realities in which they
dwell.”
Q6: Other possible uses of the iPad in higher education?
Over time, as faculty used the iPad they discovered ways to use the device that they
had not intended. The portability of the device makes it possible to take virtually
anywhere. Over the fall semester, faculty participating in the study were seen in USF
news and media showcasing the use of the iPad in various locations, such as Mission
Dolores to introduce vintage images of the mission, and outdoors on the USF campus
introducing visual arts’ students to images of local art.
Some of the other uses that faculty noted:
• Student Advising
• Lab setting
• Fieldwork
• Research
• Tutorial viewing
Faculty comments included:
“My dream would be that every one of my students in a course would
have an iPad containing the class textbook, as well as my "reader," which
contains articles and templates/worksheets for their use throughout the
course. ...We would, then, have established a paperless learning
environment.”
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“The big unintended consequence was using the IPad for student
advising...The intimacy of the IPad, combined with its clear screen, makes
it ideal for one-on-one interactions with students.”
Q7: What improvements and suggestions do you have for future
software/hardware releases for the iPad?
Faculty began study aware that the potential of the iPad was yet to be realized. Some of
the suggestions noted here have already been added to the latest release of the iPad,
the iPad2 released on March 11, 2011.
Suggestions included:
• Improved projection options (available in iPad 2)
• USB Port
• Camera (available in iPad 2)
• Support flash
• Ability to create content
• Printing functions
• Improved stylus capability
“VGA output!!! And (OK, I'm dreaming here) the ability to connect
wirelessly to a projector. This would be unbelievable for presentations.”
“Touch screen improvements (see www.perceptivepixels.com)”
Supplemental Questions:
The following two questions were asked in addition to the research questions:
In reviewing your original goals for participating in the study, please reflect on
how well you think you've achieved those goals.
“So, I feel that I came out way ahead when I look back at my original
goals.”
Additional thoughts you would like to share about the iPad study? How well did the
cohort model work for you?
• Cohort model worked very well
• Faculty appreciated the opportunity to learn from one another
• Monthly meetings provided the needed structure and support
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• Encourage more opportunities for faculty to work together
“I enjoyed the cohort model immensely. It was really terrific to see and
learn about other disciplines' use of technology. I felt like I learned a great
deal about our school and iPad possibilities from attending the cohort
meetings. I would really welcome other opportunities to work with faculty
and staff across the university in the future.”
“It is my first experience with a CIT effort of this type, but I encourage
them to continue with the model -- sort of an extended, applied focus
group. It strikes me as a very appropriate methodology.”
Conclusions
The feedback from faculty suggests a positive effect for most participants. The faculty
expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the study and to collaborate with
colleagues from other departments.
The main conclusions of the study:
• The functionality of the iPad needs to be improved before it can be a viable
instructional tool
• Further research needs to be conducted on the potential of electronic textbooks
• Further investigation of student use of the iPad is needed
• Faculty valued the interdisciplinary collaboration that occurred. Additional opportunities
to support such collaboration are encouraged
Introducing faculty early to technology innovation projects can provide a valuable
learning experience, if well-timed and planned. This study began during the summer of
2010 when faculty typically have more time to experiment with instructional technology.
It was important to include faculty across disciplines to provide a diverse set of views.
The cohort model worked extremely well for the majority of participants. More than 90%
of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that the monthly cohort meetings were
helpful to their learning.
Lessons learned
Start early when introducing new technology, encourage leadership’s support and
funding, and provide faculty with an incentive, in this case, new technology. Faculty
should be viewed as change agents and equipping them with technology that is
meaningful, relevant, and educational can produce results that inform leadership of their
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interest in participating in technology initiatives. Training is necessary when new
technology is introduced. Ensuring that there is adequate training opportunities
available to faculty will contribute to their success.
Recommendations
It is recommended that further research be conducted on iPad/tablet computing in
higher education. The iPad 2 improved the functionality of the device and may prove to
be an even powerful tool for teaching and learning.
Recommendations include:
• Expand study to include students
• Provide additional opportunities for faculty to work collaboratively on technology
initiatives
• Continue to monitor trends in tablet computing
• Further explore the potential of electronic textbooks to reduce costs, support green
computing, and to lighten the weight of textbooks for students.
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Appendix A
iPad Study Participants
Alexandra Amati‐Camperi Aparna Venkatesan Catherine Horiuchi Christian Thompson Christina Tzagarakis‐Foster Christine Yeh Corey Cook Dan McPherson Dave Scalise David Silver David Wolber Dean Rader Eugene J. Muscat Evelyn Ho Gini Shimabukuro Grace Hum Greg DeBourgh Helen Piserchio Henry Brown J. Michael Robertson Jeffrey Paris JP Allen Karen L. Francis Kate Lusheck Larry Margerum Locke Morrisey Margaret Hansen Maria Ontiveros Mathew Mitchell Noah Borrero Patrick Murphy Ricardo Villarreal Robert Talbot Ronald Sundstrom Stephen Morris Steve Roddy Susan Prion Thomas Lucas S.J. Vijaya Nagarajan Zhiqiang Li Performing Arts (A&S) Arts and Sciences/Physics and Astronomy BPS/Public Administration ESS Biology SOE/Counseling Politics/McCarthy Center School of Education BPS Arts and Sciences / Media Studies and Environmental Studies Computer Science English/Arts & Sciences Business and Professional Studies A&S/Communication Studies School of Education, Department of Leadership Studies, Catholic Educational Leadership Program Law School School of Nursing Rhetoric and Language Law Media Studies A&S / Philosophy BPS Arts & Sciences, Department of Exercise and Sports Science Art + Architecture Chemistry Gleeson Library/Geschke Center School of Nursing Law School Education / Learning & Instruction Education/Teacher Education Politics BPS Law Arts and Sciences, Philosophy BPS Modern & Classical Languages School of Nursing A&S, Art+Architecture Arts and Sciences Modern and Classical Languages Page 19
Appendix B
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Appendix C
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Appendix D
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