The use of an iPad as a classroom tool

The Apple i line has been steadily increasing in popularity and many educators believe these devices offer great potential as instructional adjuncts. Many schools (including colleges) have begun issuing iPads to students with the assumption that they would enhance the students\u27 educational experience. Little experimental evidence has been produced supporting this claim. This study was an attempt to experimentally evaluate the effectiveness of iPads on learning educational material. Participant\u27s interest and enjoyment while using the iPad versus traditional material presentation (paper images or physical models) were also examined. Participants were randomly assigned to learn 24 anatomical brain structures using one of three conditions; 1) control color paper images, 2) plastic anatomical model, and 3) iPad application 3-D Brain , produced by Dolan DNA Learning Center. Participants were given 10-minutes with their assigned material and were then immediately tested on the material. The results demonstrated that learning & memory performance using the iPad was significantly better than the plastic model, and no different from paper pictures. Compared to the plastic model, participants also reported that they enjoyed the task more, felt more prepared, felt their performance was better, and would be more likely to take a class using the iPad. A gender difference was also discovered, suggesting that females might benefit more from the use of the iPad than males. The limitations and implications of these findings are discussed