My iPad experience with my Paramedic class

My iPad experience with my Paramedic class

by Liz Owen B.S., RN, CCEMT-P 

The Good
I only scratched the surface of what this piece of technology can do.  This year was the first year we tried a hybrid class and I did not get to use the iPad until the last month of the didactic portion.  However, I now believe it is a valuable and much needed piece of equipment to enhance the learning experience. 

First:  I would be able to get rid of the microphone and video camera in the classroom.  This thing does it all and does it much better.  The voice quality is better and the picture quality is better than what we were using.

Second: The new  iPad 3 – You can write on it and share in real time.  Awesome!  If all of my students had an  iPad, we could trade information back and forth and I could see how they were figuring out some of the drip-rate calculations and infusion problems.

Third:  Much easier to do 20 minute tutorials and have students respond and write about what was just presented.  Could do these from home with ease and not even have to be in the classroom.

Fourth:  Easy to use.  I’m a PC user, not a Mac user.  The iPad was easy to use and, like I said, I only scratched the surface. I would love to be able to increase student fees just a bit, load all of their books onto the  iPad  and hand them that piece of technology when they come into the program.  It interfaces well with FISDAP (their clinical, skills, and FI tracking software). 

Fifth:  We took it out of the classroom and went into lab for a demonstration, filmed it with the iPad, and shared it with the folks who were unable to be in class that day.  The video and sound were great and we were all able to communicate quite effectively.

The Bad
Didn’t have it long enough to really experience a downside.  It would have been nice to have the software that worked with Microsoft Word.  I think there were a few applications missing, that could have been purchased, but were not part of the loaner.

The Ugly
The biggest drawback was the lack of CMC support for the iPad.  Their security would not let me interface with Smartboard from CMC’s net.  Guestnet at our facility is down a few times a day on most days.  Not acceptable and definitely frustrating for instructor and students alike. I would think that the technology would be there to fix this issue, but it is not, to date.

iPads can interface with Smartboard with the program doceri.  That worked well.  What didn’t work well was the Guestnet dropping in the middle of a presentation.

The iPad is a useful tool and I’m excited to do more with it in the future.  I believe it to be a tool to enhance learning and participation from our in-class and distance learners, alike. 

As a side note: One of my students used his iPad for taking notes and recording (while in class).  Great study tool and his grades shot up with its use.

Liz Owen B.S., RN, CCEMT-P
Faculty, Paramedic Program
Colorado Mountain College at Edwards