class of 2017
As the 2013-2014 year comes to an end, you might have noticed a decrease in the usage of iPads in some classes.
Dr. Yvonne Boldt teaches Biology and she explained the issue in her class.
“With the upgrade to IOS7, we (PA) found out that Microsoft does not allow us to have the textbook on classroom iPads (iPads not owned by a particular person),” said Dr. Boldt. ” This meant I could not have everybody in class on the same version of the book, because everybody could not have an iBook during class. In class, it is too difficult and inefficient to have students looking at different versions of the Biology book. This is why I went back to the hard-copy of the text book. If all students were required to have iPads and buy the Biology iBook, then I could use the iBook in class again, or if Microsoft changed their policy, then I could use the iBook again.”
Dr. Boldt said there are advantages and disadvantages to using iPad textbooks and traditional textbooks. ”
I like that the iBook is so much “lighter” and easier to carry around, and many of the animations of biology concepts – like gene expression – are very helpful,” said Dr. Boldt. “I like the hard copy better for some diagrams, because a large two-page spread helps one to see the “big picture” more easily. Also, for the hard copy of the book – all the information on the page is, well, right there on the page, but for the iBook, frequently there is information buried in layers in diagrams and under buttons – so it can be easy to miss reading some of the information in the sections of the iBook”.