iPad in Education: A Case Study of iPad Adoption and Use in a Primary School

Apple's iPad has attracted a lot of attention since its release in 2010 and one area in which it has been adopted is the education sector. The iPad's large multi-touch screen, sleek profile and the ability to easily download and purchase a huge variety of educational applications make it attractive to educators. This paper presents a case study of the iPad's adoption in a primary school, one of the first in the world to adopt it. From interviews with teachers and IT staff, we conclude that the iPad's main strengths are the way in which it provides quick and easy access to information for students and the support it provides for collaboration. However, staff need to carefully manage both the teaching and the administrative environment in which the iPad is used, and we provide some lessons learned that can help other schools considering adopting the iPad in the classroom.