Over the past couple of years, Swarthmore ITS has been collaborating with a group of faculty on academic uses for Apple’s iPad Pro tablet and Pencil stylus. This year as we continue to improve our wireless technology inside the classroom to be compatible with both Apple and Windows devices we’ve decided to include the Microsoft Surface Pro with Pen stylus as an option as well. Professors have used the iPad Pro for wirelessly projecting their lecture notes, electronic grading of papers and homework, creating explanatory videos, and developing interactive student activities. The technology has shown exciting potential for supporting blended learning, allowing for new types of student assignments, and reducing the administrative overhead of teaching.

For the Fall semester, the Academic Technology group is offering eight faculty members an iPad Pro and Pencil or a Microsoft Surface Pro and Pen stylus as part of our effort to further evaluate the potential of the technology to improve teaching. We invite all current faculty and instructional staff to submit a short proposal with information on how you envision using the iPad or Surface Pro for your classes. Feel free to talk to us if you’d like to think through potential uses of this technology for your classes. Those selected will receive an iPad or Surface for the semester with the possibility of a second semester extension.

Throughout the Fall, we will provide opportunities for training and sharing of best practices. We ask that participants in the program complete a survey and share their experiences at a meeting at the end of the semester. There may also be potential to be featured in blog posts, speak at forums, or present at conferences on your findings.

If you would like to learn more about the potential uses of the iPad or Surface Pro, please get in touch with your academic technologist or email us all at acadtech@swarthmore.edu. Media Services and the Language and Media Center also have several iPad Pros available for short term loans. We also have a cart of 20 iPad Mini tablets that can be checked out for class use.