7 Things You Should Know About…(review)
I found the format and content of the article useful and valuable for the following reasons:
-It begins with a “Scenario” that reveals a ‘tangible’ example of how an ET can be used for someone who may be unfamiliar with it.
-The article is broken down into sections that answer typical questions people would have, for example “Why is it significant?” and “What are the implications for teaching and learning?”
-Each section is short and concise, with very little technical jargon.
-Most sections included an example to further demonstrate their point
-Important sentences are highlighted in bold.
Criticism:
The writing style felt like an advertisement. I felt I was being convinced to support and buy an iPad. So, I was glad to read section 5, “What are the Downsides?” which did provide more balance to the article.
Final thoughts:
I would read Educause again if I wanted a quick overview of what the experts are thinking on a particular ET. It’s short and to the point. The Q & A format allows for a more direct transfer of information, rather than a general overview. However, similar to Wikipedia, I would surely need to do further reading to really understand the wide potential an ET can have. It’s a starting point, not an end point.
bcourey 1:29 am on September 13, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Well said Murray – I agree that some of these sections sound like promotions by the venture creators rather than a true assessment of a new tool. Did it help me make my decision of what tablet to purchase? No, I am still just as unsettled as before. I expect that I would have preferred an article on the merits of tablet use in general rather than one that specifically targets a brand such as the iPad. I agree that the Educause site is a valuable resource and so I have added it to my Delicious account for future reference!
jarvise 7:14 am on September 13, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I too commented on how this resource would be a good starting point. It is a great, quick tool for getting an idea of what something is and what it has to offer. By reading this, you could quickly get a gauge of whether or not you would be interested in investigating something further. I think that this is a valuable tool, since the available tools out there are so extensive, and can be overwhelming to navigate without a starting-off point. This could be something that an administrator sends out to a school staff once a month as a prompt for implementing more technology in teaching. Good point about the tone sounding like an advertisement!
Emily
murray12 3:25 am on September 16, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for your feedback. After reading the article I actually DID send it to my administrator, who is a big tech-head. No response from him yet, but I’ll assume he feels the same way we do.
kstooshnov 9:06 am on September 13, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Great review, Murray, and I should take a closer look at the website (more than just skimming over to cover other sites). The apprehension you felt over iPad advertising reminds me of an account of the Wired magazine I am currently reading, which claims that the magazine’s purpose was to go deeper than just introducing a product, but examine the sociological impact of technology. That said, I found Educause a bit clunky with the abstracts and hyperlinks to the PDF – why not frontload the seven things when you first click on the topic? Also great that the articles are downloadable, which saves a few navigating clicks.
Kyle
Deb Kim 9:45 am on September 26, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Murray,
Great analysis on “7 Things You Should Know About iPad Apps for Learning”. I also felt like reading an advertisement when I read this article. However, it gave useful tips and information on educational apps. I was also satisfied to read the downsides of using iPad apps for learning. Your critique was well said.
Deb