Experiences of using iPads in physical education teacher education

We live in an increasingly technology- driven world. Most individuals under
the age of 25 have grown up with technology readily available to them.
They are consistently having technology integrated into their personal and
social lives. As such, they are comfortable with the use of technology and
even expect the use of technology in most areas of their lives.
The purpose of technology for many university students is to communicate, whether through applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat
or Instagram when communicating with peers, or through email and online
student learning portals such as Moodle or Blackboard when communicating with faculty members.
This chapter explores how two initial teacher educators (ITEs) became
empowered, through situated learning, to use iPads as a pedagogical tool
to enhance learning in pre- service generalist teachers’ elementary physical
education modules. The process of learning how to integrate technology
into pre- service teachers’ teaching practice is complicated and can be a
challenge for ITEs. We set out to provide pre- service generalist elementary
teachers (PSTs) in our physical education modules with the inspiration and
encouragement to employ iPads as a teaching methodology, in an authentic,
creative, effi cient and effective way for children to learn. The focus of this
chapter is to recount how we managed, learned and integrated iPads in our
teaching. Our use of technology in physical education was context bound.
We had to work within the modules we were teaching and for which we
had responsibility, the technology and software available to us and our
technological knowledge. Underpinning the chapter, we include fi ndings
and recommendations from research undertaken over a three- year period.
This research examined the use of iPads to promote quality teaching and
learning in one module, the focus of which was Fundamental Movement
Skills (FMS).