At Duke University, a Sociology Field research course used iPads for research on Global Health fieldwork. Jen’nan Read, Professor of Sociology, and Marc Sperber, Educational Technologies Consultant, both with the Duke Global Health Institute, share their experiences.
According to Read & Sperber “In Fall 2010, Duke’s Global Health Institute (DGHI) and the Center for Instructional Technology (CIT) initiated a semester-long experiment using iPads specifically for fieldwork in a research methods course. In Summer 2011, some of these students took iPads with them to several countries including Tanzania, Haiti, Nepal, and China to help them conduct their summer research projects. Instructional technologists and faculty worked together to develop an iPad ‘toolkit.’ Our key questions: can iPads enhance the research methods curriculum? Can iPads serve as the primary device for student researchers in the field? In this session, we will discuss the outcomes from the course and report on the fieldwork experiences, including examples of how iPads were deployed and maintained, as well as whether or not they were actually effective.”
“Our primary goal is to equip our students with a toolset that allows them to make the most of their time in the field,” said Read. “As calculation, graphing, and presentation-creation functions of the iPad are put to use in the field, so too is the ability for students to focus on mastering the more complex methods by which they are basing their research.”
Read all about it at: http://cit.duke.edu/2011/03/ipadread/