A pilot project at the University of New Brunswick Saint John will give a few lucky students a new perspective on learning.

Sixty second-year nursing students will receive an iPad tablet computer to use during the first semester of the 2011-2012 academic year. Submitted Photo.

“We really want to see technology like this being used to improve teaching and learning,” said Karen Keiller, director of Information Services and Systems at UNB Saint John.

“Mobile learning is just starting, and I think we’ll be seeing a lot more students using technology this year.”

The iPad pilot project costs almost $40,000 and was funded by the Student Technology Fee.

However, students will not see a raise in tuition costs for this project.

“Every year, the Student Technology Fee committee meets and decides how the money from the fund should be spent,” Keiller explained.  “Usually, the money goes toward computers and labs, but this year, we decided to launch into mobile learning, since that seems to be the direction that learning will take.”

Mobile learning

Students in the Young Families Health course in the Nursing and Health Sciences department will be using their iPads for interactive teaching and learning approaches.

“Tablets like the iPad are the future of learning,” said Pam Pastirik, instructor of the Young Families Health Course.  “And with nursing, technology is just so important now.  It’s great to have the opportunity to be able to teach students how to use this technology so effectively.”

In her class, Pastirik plans to use an application where students can follow her teaching on their iPads, and are able to see her notes during the lesson.  Students will also use the same application when doing group work.

“It’s important to have students working together with technology, because that’s how things will be when they enter the work force,” Pastirik said.

For the Young Families Health course, students will download the textbook onto their iPad and also use a variety of applications, such as iBirth and iPregnancy.

Students are responsible for buying their own apps, as they would a textbook.

“By having students use apps like these, they’re going to be that much more prepared,” said Keiller.  “Students are going to be able to use this technology to learn at a much more interactive level.”

Putting the technology to workIn the second semester, the iPads will be distributed to another nursing class and a pre-Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) class.

An orientation will be provided to show students how to use their iPads.

“For the department of Information Services and Systems, it’s important to get the technology out there for people to use and then to support them once they have it,” Keiller said.

Pastirik hopes that students will gain a new appreciation for mobile learning through the iPad pilot project.

“When students come to my course, I hope they realize that the iPad is more that social networking,” she said.  “We can use this to really learn and benefit from.”

Contributed by Alanah Duffy, UNB Communications & Marketing. This story made possible thanks to the support of the UNB Associated Alumni.