Due to the increasing number of professors using online formats for their class work and homework, iPads have reinvented themselves, and became incredibly popular again amongst college aged students. This increase has led to a variety of students ditching the traditional pen and paper or even computer, in order to use the recently popularized iPad.
Rachel Brown ‘24, a Biology major at Saint Joseph’s University has joined in on this recent trend. She says her iPad allows her to take handwritten notes which her computer does not, where she has discovered that the physical writing of the material helps her learn it better. She believes that the iPads are most convenient to take notes on while still having instant access to the internet and applications such as Canvas. She claims “I would say an iPad is the best school investment I have made. My notes are so much neater now because the iPad allows you to move things around and use a variety of different colors and pen styles without physically having them.”
Caroline Freese ‘25, an undecided business major, feels very similar to Brown. Freese says that iPads make note taking significantly easier than typing, which in turn makes memorization easier as well. Not to mention, iPads eliminate the need for lugging around a bunch of notebooks in your backpack, according to Freese. She claims, “The iPads are very useful for storage reasons for classes and just for personal reasons as well.”
According to hhground.com, an educational website, iPads can positively impact the classroom environment. The site says, “Students have different learning styles, and iPads can serve as a multipurpose learning tool that they can customize based on their needs.” This is especially true for students who require special accommodations, as the iPad offers them tools and services they need to succeed within the classroom.
Furthermore, iPads have proven to increase motivation within students. According to commons.trincoll.edu, another educational website, “In the Westlake High School iPad pilot initiative program, “90% [of the 854 students surveyed] reported that the iPad had a somewhat positive or positive effect on their motivation to learn.”
With the recent popularization of the iPad, students have become more engaged in classroom material, and have retained the information taught in a more effective way. Clearly there are many benefits to using an iPad, so take a minute and ask yourself, would this new trend regarding iPads better suit you?
