iPads, iBooks, Apps! What's all the iFuss about?

Authors

Martha L. Ankeny, M.Ed., Academic & Instructional Support & Resources (AISR), Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Lauren Collins, MD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Jefferson Medical CollegeFollow
Kathryn M. Shaffer, RN, MSN, CNE, Jefferson School of Nursing, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Sokha Koeuth, MPH, BA, Jefferson Center for InterProfessional Education (JCIPE), Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Abstract

The iVolution is here. It is iThis and iThat every way you turn. Is this just another iFad, or is it truly revolutionizing education? In a recent survey conducted by EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research on undergraduates and technology, 31% of students reported owning tablet technology a 15% increase from the previous year and 76% of students reported owning smart phones. This finding was a 14% increase from the previous year. Students also reported using smart devices in class to access material, participate in activities, look up information and photograph material as learning strategies. Thomas Jefferson University is riding the iWave and taking strides to better integrate technology at all levels of medical training; leading the forefront of the iVolution, syllabi, course materials, and textbooks are now delivered in some of our courses via iPads. In the past few years, the Jefferson Health Mentors Program has embraced the use of new technologies, including Wikis, online discussion boards, Google docs, and Skype platforms to facilitate asynchronous IPE interactions. These platforms have helped to promote IPE by easing scheduling logistics and by allowing students to collaborate electronically on team-based assignments. Over the past summer, JCIPE, the Jefferson Health Mentors Program (JHMP), faculty from Jefferson Medical College and the School of Health Professions, Academic & Instructional Support & Resources (AISR) and Jeff Information Technology (IT) assembled a working group and developed yet another innovative tool to better integrate technology into our IPE efforts – the product was a new iBook, entitled “Assessing Patient Safety.”

Recommended Citation

Ankeny, M.Ed., Martha L.; Collins, MD, Lauren; Shaffer, RN, MSN, CNE, Kathryn M.; and Koeuth, MPH, BA, Sokha (2014) "iPads, iBooks, Apps! What's all the iFuss about?," Collaborative Healthcare: Interprofessional Practice, Education and Evaluation (JCIPE): Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jcipe/vol5/iss1/3