Instructional Technology Council

by Shelley C. Kurland
Instructional Designer
County College of Morris

The acceptance and excitement of using iPads in academia has been well documented since the tablet’s release. iPads’ versatility and ease of use enables educators to transform the classroom pedagogy from teacher-centered to student-centered, by designing activities that encourage active and deep learning.

Instructional designers and technologists at the County College of Morris work with faculty members to design small group activities for the classroom. By using iPads in collaborative group activities, students are developing the problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and critical thinking skills needed for success in the 21st century workforce. These exercises also offer practice adapting to new technology, and applying skills and knowledge across a variety of real-world scenarios.

Here are some of the most replicable examples:

Question: Define mean, median, and mode, and explain when and why you might need to examine or calculate these figures.  Calculate the mean, median, and mode of any neighborhood within a 10 mile radius.

App: Zillow

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2. Jig-Saw Learn: Relationship between brain structure and body function

Question: If a patient suffered damage to the part of the brain you are researching, what functions (for example, speech or muscle use) would be affected? Why?

App: 3D Brain

3. Role-Play Learn: Identification of muscles and knowledge of exercise prescriptions

Question: Design an exercise prescription for the population you have been assigned. What are your considerations, and how will those considerations affect the exercise prescription?

App: iMuscle