Repurposing iPads and Apps to Teach Science: Moving Beyond Drill and Practice

Abstract

With the appropriate support and experience, iPads and other mobile devices can also be used for collaborative scientific inquiry moving beyond individual skill practice and assessment appropriations. The mobility and access the iPad provides opens up the classroom for innovative instructional practices, allowing students to physically explore their world, though the devices themselves are not enough to guarantee student engagement and learning. One issue that plagues iPad integration in classrooms is that many teachers lack confidence, knowledge, and experience for implementing iPads. This leads teachers to use technology for functions that are personally comfortable rather than ways that are engaging to students and providing authentic learning opportunities. This study aims to examine how middle grades teachers’ integration of one-to-one technology moves beyond drill and practice and using apps as extension activities.