Many Seton Hill University faculty members have had very positive experiences with the iPad after one semester of incorporating it into the classroom.

“I used the iPad to have my students draw visual representations of the plots and structures of works of literature. They were so creative with their visuals, often tying the structure of the work of literature to one of its themes and motifs,” said Laura Sloan Patterson, Ph.D., associate professor of English, director of Undergraduate Writing Programs. “For example, when we studied August Wilson's play ‘Fences,’ which has a baseball motif, one of the students showed the class how the structure of the play is similar to the structure of a baseball diamond.”

“I have my work studies perform a laboratory exercise and I video them. I then post the video on YouTube. My students can pull it up on their iPads during lab and replicate the exercise,” said Jamie Fornsaglio, assistant professor, biology. “If I can't complete a topic in class then I go back to my office and record myself using a screencasting tool and upload it to YouTube. I also have a back channeling account set up that allows students to send me questions in real time during class, and then I respond out loud for everyone. This is really helpful for students who are shy, as it allows them to ask questions anonymously.”

“I had a class where I couldn't get students to respond [to a hypothetical scenario]. I had them all download a free app that makes a variety of sounds,” said Jaimie Steel, assistant dean of Students and adjunct instructor, Liberal Arts. “‘Okay,’ I told them, ‘if you agree, make the witch cackling sound. If you disagree, moo. If you think it depends, make the glass break.’ It was silly and made everyone laugh but it got everyone participating.”