Digital pedagogy in a world of digital poverty: the Middlesex iPad project

Before the pandemic Middlesex University’s department of Design Engineering and Mathematics were trialling the use of iPads to present and record lectures, prepare videos and teaching materials, and provide feedback. This development of our digital pedagogy accelerated in March 2020 as staff rapidly changed delivery modes during lockdown.
In this presentation we will detail these novel pedagogic approaches, enabled by iPads, which we will retain as part of our post-pandemic curriculum:
• iPads are used as the primary vehicle of student/staff interactions to achieve true blended learning: Students use their iPads to work on collaborative, persistent (on-demand) whiteboards before, during, and after scheduled lecture times.
• We have developed collaborative “problem-solving spaces”: Students use their iPads to contribute at times convenient for them, working with their peers to build solutions to complex problems over an extended period, embedding dynamic peer interaction and review into the learning experience.
• Courses are designed so that all work can be completed, and feedback given, using the provided iPads to ameliorate digital poverty and provide equality of access.
• Seamlessly integrating rich multimedia content and handwriting over prepared slides on iPads distinguishes commentary from theoretical content with every pen-stroke, syllable, and critical conversation recorded for future study.