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The new Australian curriculum places increased emphasis on IT integration across all learning areas.

To help ensure our graduates are at the forefront of their profession, we provided students enrolled in the 2011 intake of the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) and Master of Teaching (Primary) with their own iPad to use.

There has been a body of research in support of mobile or ubiquitous learning. In allowing students permanent access to a device such as the iPad, we facilitate increased opportunities for engagement.

UWA is raising student awareness of desirable pedagogical approaches by modelling this best practice. For example, the iPad has been used in lesson planning and delivery through the creation of a ‘digital story’. Students planned a short story and then converted it (with ease) into an interactive, multimedia performance.

Throughout this activity students demonstrated a heightened sense of engagement while achieving desired learning outcomes. There are numerous ‘apps’ that allow for creative, collaborative work of this nature. We are only beginning to witness their emergence.

• A key benefi t of using the iPad hasbeen that it allows us to identify future developments and potential uses including:
• UWA ‘app’ creation
• increasing the number of e-books included on course materials lists
• the opportunity to use a number of web 2.0 functionalities

UWA is one of the first universities to give a group of pre-service teachers access to this type of device as part of their course.