Adam Berman of Haas
The system replaces an older technology requiring students to access information from several locations. “Instead of having students logon in multiple places, now they can go to one place on the iPad,” said Berman. “This was a way to integrate academics into their iPad. The product is working very well, and we have contributed significantly to help them develop the product. Our students and faculty are totally engaged in this. Every faculty member opted in to participate. The product is in version 1.0 and we have been working with them to create the next version. It’s good right now and it is getting better.”
Jon Kaplan, executive director of MBA programs for working professionals, says it is still too early to evaluate how the tool is changing the way students learn. “But it does simplify things for our students, and it is easier for faculty to stay engaged with them.”
AN EFFORT TO MAKE LEARNING WORK IN A MOBILE ENVIRONMENT
The technology “breaks students away from being tethered to a desktop with full-time internet access,” said Poizner in a statement. “We provide a mobile platform that students can use both in and out of WiFi zones, allowing students to complete coursework anywhere, anytime, whether that be at lunch, at the beach, waiting in a parking lot, or picking up kids from soccer practice.”
Ultimately, the goal is to make learning more efficient and more portable. “This is about making learning work in a mobile environment,” added Berman. “It changes the way students learn online. There will be a smartphone version of the app but right now all students have an iPad. In our other programs we are not going to give out an iPad so for this to work in the big scheme of things, it has to work on a smartphone.”
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