University first: Education students begin iPad e-Learning program

THE 2019 cohort of University of Adelaide education students are reaping the benefits of the first eLearning program using iPad technologies.

202 first-year School of Education students, studying either Bachelor of Teaching (middle) and Bachelor of Teaching (secondary) are participating in the first iPad e-Learning program where students are learning to use technology for teaching through the Apple Teacher curriculum and resources.

The program also provides education students with enormous opportunities to enhance their teaching skills and be prepared for the 21st century of teaching. 

First year double degree Bachelor of Teaching (Middle) and Bachelor of Arts student, Luke Mollet, said the e-Learning program helps to ensure that teachers have the best training to lead a classroom with a creative and collaborative edge.

“The possibilities of how you can teach and what you can achieve with the apps and Apple Teacher certification mean you will never have a dull moment, creating teachable, engaging and interactive experiences,” he said.

Mr Mollet said he had already used his new-found skills.

“I have had some great opportunities to use my skills in a homework club I run called Tech It Out. Whether it has been simple things such as showing students how to use split screens, annotate assignments and or use Apple software to improve assignment quality and homework. I have also been able to work with youth groups creating videos with some basic augmented reality and coding capabilities.”

The program offers a range of apps for use whilst teaching, as well as enabling the use of digitised resources, the streamlining of assessment, the option to podcast, create and share documents with embedded images and digital recordings, and much more.

Education students are able to process, produce and present in ways that are limited only by imagination. The initiative also offers options for supporting students with disabilities and learning needs, and the size of the iPad makes it less cumbersome than a laptop, and more informative than a textbook.

Enthusiastically embracing this education innovation, students and School of Education staff are now learning the iPad ‘ropes’ under expert staff member and Apple Distinguished Educator, Dr Walter Barbieri.

Applications for 2020 Bachelor of Teaching courses will open in September. For more information on the Bachelor of Teaching degrees, please visit: http://bit.ly/teaching-at-adelaide