Introducing iPad as a modern tool for success

Preparing students for today’s competitive work environment takes more than the traditional approach to teaching. That’s why Maryville University implemented a 1-to-1 iPad program, supported with Apple School Manager. The school’s educators use Apple products to deliver hands-on experiences that allow each student to thrive using their own unique learning style.

Maryville University President, Mark Lombardi, Ph.D., said he first thought about implementing a 1-to-1 iPad program while watching a series of Apple presentations about learning theory and the future of learning. “It was a fascinating experience. It was really a game changer in terms of our philosophy,” he said. A short six weeks later, the school decided to move forward with a program.

Lombardi leaned on a number of faculty and staff who were already using technology in their classrooms to spearhead the project. Katherine Kline, Ph.D, assistant professor of Rehabilitation Counseling at Maryville was thrilled to be a part of the implementation. Prior to the iPad program, she said it was difficult to get students to work together in groups. “Now I can use specific apps on the device to get students across the classroom to collaborate, to get to know each other, to get to talk about content in ways that we were a little limited in before,” she said.

Dustin York, Ed.D., assistant professor and communication program director at Maryville said the iPad devices change how the classroom functions. Unique to higher education, York uses Apple Classroom. The benefits, he said, are many. “If I want students to see a video, and leave feedback or discussion on a video, I can just push that video to all of their devices at the same time,” York explained. “This saves an immense amount of time and is much easier for the student to engage with that content.”

How’s it all possible? The university’s instructional technology specialist and digital world coordinator, Taylor Bell, attributes much of their program’s success to Jamf Pro. “The combination of Jamf and Apple has really made the process possible. Our 1-to-1 would not be where it is without the ability to use Jamf to integrate information we get from our learning management system (LMS) into Apple School Manager. I actually can’t imagine doing this job without Jamf Pro.”