iPads for Teamworking: Inspiring Teachers conference presentation

Editor's Notes

• #3: Research Questions:In thinking about what we hoped to discover from the project, we tried to focus on the distinctive characteristics of these devicesPersonal device – collective activity?Possible contradiction – iPad seen as primarily targeted at a home market and entertainment purposes – how might these highly individualised personal devices work in supporting collaborative and team activity – where would difficulties or contradictions arise?how would a device centred around an individual work for shared activity --- how would a “fun” leisure device rub up against “serious” work situations (would the “fun”ness act to lower barriers to using the technology)Learning device – extended classrooms?Knowing that non-classroom teaching spaces (e.g. fieldwork, placement) posed problems for institutional education, staff in these situations often bore the brunt of these problems – interested in whether this technology might start to provide solutions or ease the difficulties, impact on approaches taken in these spaces, maybe narrowing the gap or providing more dynamic links between these spaces and classroom-based activity – also how might this technology function in spaces such as workshops, studios or labs that have often sat uneasily with more tradtional computer technology.These spaces might rely on portable devices – how does the iPad shape upMobile devices - mobile teams?Lastly, we were interested in whether these devices might provide a more comprehensive and flexiblesolution for teams that are geographically and chronologically dispersed – what impact might they have on identity, efficiency and effectiveness within such teams.Organisation:Competitive call- open to any teams with an impact on student experience, not simply traditional teaching teams- five out of twenty-five selectedWhat participants get3G connection for 12 monthsownership of device Timeframe- 18months, 12months of which with 3G connectionCommunicationlight touch approach – gauge level of support needed – avoid over-influence – ownership of uses of deviceblog – face-to-face,difficult logistically
• #5: Backdrop slide: no time allocated
• #6: Brief points: 1 minute allocatedTeam profile:Our team is made up of four ECRs who have recently joined the department of psychology & counselling.Before the project began our team were reasonably IT literate. In our research we rely on technology mostly for data analysis and for reviewing the scientific literature. We all have research interests that overlap to a certain extent, and so were interested to see if the Pads would help us work together & support each other. As lecturers find research meetings difficult to organise during term time, due to time constraints and conflicting schedules. Project Aims:We all have links with outside partners and wanted to explore how this technology could support us in securing further collaborative research grants. This project intends to explore and evaluate the complete iPad-supported research life-cycle using iPads to plan, deliver and disseminate collaborative research.The project aims to investigate how howiPads can enhance collaboration, data sharing, data analysis and idea generation. Research development and collaboration will be explored not only within the internal team at Greenwich but also across wider research groupings nationally and internationally.One of the intended outcomes of the project will be to seed further research funding and collaborative bids.
• #7: 2 minutes allocated
• #8: 2 minutes allocated