New mobile learning with tablet computers

They are light, elegant and open up new opportunities for teaching and learning. The Master’s programme in Public Health is a pioneer at Lund University in using tablet computers on the programme.

In society, tablet computers are becoming an increasingly common sight, but until now they have not been particularly visible at Lund University.
This is all about to change. The international Master’s programme in Public Health , which is based at the Clinical Research Centre in central Malmö, has this autumn equipped all its students and teaching staff with iPad tablet computers. In total, around 90 people are involved in the initiative, which is partly financed by strategic education funding from the Faculty of Medicine at the University.

The new aids will become an integrated part of teaching, and the hope is therefore that the computers’ many possibilities can be utilised to the full.

“Our programme has an international focus and this allows for greater collaboration with teaching staff at other universities. Global experts at organisations such as the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the World Health Organisation can be used as resources on the programme. Through the iPads, our students can view seminars, receive supervision and communicate directly with the organisarions”, says Anette Agardh, programme director.

The primary aim of the investment in tablet computers is to offer students a useful and professional tool for their studies. The students don’t need to carry a lot of paper around in the form of handouts, notes, articles and other material; rather they have access to the latest versions of documents through their computers. The goal is to stop handing out material in paper format entirely, which will also save money, the environment and time for staff, says Anette Agardh.

The tablet computers are easy to carry around and are equipped with a compatible online teaching platform, which makes it possible for students to access course material, online seminars and group discussions from wherever they are.

“We have chosen to use Blackboard, which is adapted to mobile units with its own iPad app, and also to other operating systems for e-readers and smartphones. This opens up entirely new possibilities for the students’ education”, says Anette Agardh.

The initiative is being carried out as a two-year pilot project, after which time it will be evaluated.
“There is a lot of interest from other programmes. Many people have already been in touch and want to follow how we use the new aid in teaching”, explains Anette Agardh.

Caption: Students Naila Tashbulatova and Alemante Gebru Kassa have not used tablet computers in their studies before, but are looking forward to using the new aid at Lund University. Their first reaction is that it is much easier and more convenient than a laptop. Photo: Michael de Rooy