by Cody Daniels/reporter

iPads are revolutionizing the learning process for TCC students and faculty starting with the nursing program and all campus libraries.

In August, iPads made their TCC classroom debut. TRE Campus provided them to their students in the simulated hospital allowing future nurses to be faster, more organized and more like medical professionals while learning.

Being quicker in the medical field, especially as a nurse, can most likely save patients with more detrimentally severe injuries. Most medical injuries grow more severe as time passes unattended.

Tim Marshall, vice chancellor of information and technology, is happy about the current trial period TCC has for iPad use in classes.

Doctors and nurses in almost every hospital are now using iPads. Since TRE already has a three-building simulated hospital providing reality-based situations, iPads were the last bit of technology nursing students needed for a complete process, Marshall said.

On TRE, nursing students are confronted with versatile lab situations, which exceed most nursing program labs in the area. Nursing school dummies seem real. They have realistic illnesses that require student diagnoses to avoid patient death simulations. Now iPad’s capabilities with medical information from the Web via applications are endless.
Deann Mitchell, TR nursing director, said there have been no negatives from the iPads so far. The iPad allows for research and communication inside hospitals since most hospital faculty aren’t allowed to use computers.

The money to buy these iPads came from nursing grant funds. Nurses must already have an understanding of how to use them when they graduate.

Campus libraries also have iPads available for checkout by all staff and faculty for classroom use. NE librarians say they are almost always checked out. TCC students can soon check out iPads as well, dependent upon the school’s funding. Each department must have iPads financed individually.

“It’s just another format of information we already have packaged for delivery,” said NE librarian Beth Mullins. “As long as there are information seekers, librarians will have jobs, and things like iPad just help us to do so.”

According to Mitchell, the two-semester trial period is good for the school so it can see how the iPads work in classrooms and possibly discover future capabilities the iPad may have to offer.

“Right now, there are no purchasing restrictions on iPads,” Marshall said. “The devices are now available to all departments. Attaining iPads is [a] decision based [option] for them.

“We are working with the departments, however, and ordering them as desired by certain TCC faculty groups.”