We’re learning lots of lessons about our iPads even before we have released them into the wild within our libraries.  The concept is good. We want our students to use the iPads creatively and for research as an alternative to the limited number of computers we have in the library.  We want to stimulate thought and reflection through using innovative and interactive apps.  We want to engage the more kinesthetic learners who need to touch and experience learning through activity.  All this is great, but what it comes down to is that iPads are more geared to personal usage than for loaning within libraries.

Our biggest problem is saving student work.  Just how do we so it so that they can collect their work whilst on a PC later?  We have not got the facilities to reset the iPads back to our standard build after every loan (we have too many libraries and would need a Mac Mini per library), therefore we are restricted in what we can provide.  Most apps insist on individual user details being saved within the actual settings of the iPad.  We really don’t want students to be having to set up the iPads every time they borrow them and we really don’t want to have to manually wipe the settings every time.  The ideal scenario is for a student to create something and click on a button that asks them to login and then sends the files to their own personal file storage accessible anywhere.

The share options provided within the productivity apps we are using (Pages, Keynote, Photos etc…) really limit what is possible.  We’re investigating whether we can save to the SharePoint MySite using WebDAV, but, although it can be done, each student will require their own individual URL and it still doesn’t look possible to upload a picture.  Even Outlook web access doesn’t work as it’s not possible to attach a file!

This is a real headscratcher this one.  Any ideas?