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Donna P. Henry, chancellor of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, decided to invest $1.2 million to purchase iPads for all full-time students, faculty and staff last August. Funding is always tight for small public liberal arts colleges, but Henry and senior staff knew the devices would lessen the technology divide that disadvantaged many first-generation students who arrived on campus without laptops or tablets.

What Henry did not anticipate was the nation’s higher education institutions were headed for upheaval in the form of the COVID-19 virus that crippled the world, forcing campuses to finish the spring 2020 semester virtually or online. Having iPads deployed across campus eased the transition from in-person instruction to virtual learning. The “innovate2elevate” initiative quickly turned into a lifeline for the campus.

“The iPads have the potential to become one of our most valuable tools to get us through this unprecedented crisis in higher education,” Henry said. “The technology is there in the palm of our students’ hands, and faculty have so many options to choose from when deciding how they want to model their virtual instruction.”

The program began in October 2018 with a pilot that gave some professors iPads to try before Henry committed to the innovative program. The college’s education faculty provided the devices for student teachers as well. Both were rousing successes once instructors learned many innovative tasks they could do with the iPads.

Henry and a handful of administrators and faculty traveled to Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, to learn more about how iPads could transform the campus, especially as more than 80% of UVA Wise students receive financial aid and a hefty percentage are eligible for Pell grants. It was, as Henry said, a game-changer for the rural campus in Southwestern Virginia.

After the trial, Henry was convinced. It took several months to get the project going, but UVA Wise presented iPads to all full-time students, faculty and staff in August.

Faculty embraced the iPad initiative from the beginning. Now most view it as vital for their students who are also coping with their own set of issues related to the “stay-at-home” orders, family obligations and financial uncertainty. 

The school engaged Apple Learning Specialist Rachael Hulme full-time for a year. What was originally planned as an extensive training post for the specialist turned into an intensive boot camp for faculty and staff as UVA Wise had about a week to get up to speed on all-online instruction. Faculty familiar with iPads and the related technology helped by mentoring less technologicaly inclined colleagues on specific apps and ways to bring virtual instruction to students who were scattered across Virginia and beyond.

The UVA Wise IT department surveyed students at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis to determine how many had adequate Wi-Fi or internet service at home. Nearly 50 students said they did not have internet service. The IT crew looked into purchasing mobile phone hotspots or related measures to serve those students.

Psychology professor Alexandria Reynolds was one of the early adopters of the tablet and the related technology. She has used apps and videos in her classroom teaching since August. It was not easy, but it was also not a stretch for her to continue her work virtually in the disrupted spring semester.

UVA Wise students say they rely heavily on the iPads as they practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Students having access to iPads has absolutely changed the game for this whole COVID-19 crisis online transition process,” Reynolds said. “I can’t imagine how difficult it would be for students who don’t have devices at home, as well as trying to find consistency in apps, platforms and programs for students to manage online learning.”

Reynolds has noticed how many institutions are scrambling and struggling with students who lack devices and accessibility. She is thankful each day for the iPad initiative at UVA Wise.

Professor Julia Weiss in the Department of Communication Studies said students already have enough to worry about instead of dealing with a lack of Wi-Fi.

‘It’s definitely a relief to know they have the technology,” she said.

It has been more difficult for some academic areas to transition to online learning due to the experiential nature of the course content, but UVA Wise professors are finding creative ways to adapt. The Visual and Performing Arts division has had one of the most difficult learning curves, but Donald Sorah, a music professor, has been using the iPad technology with his students before the COVID-19 pandemic. His students, with Hulme’s help, already built electronic portfolios for use in job searches or graduate school admission.

“The critical support and encouragement of our on-campus Apple Learning Specialist cannot be understated,” Sorah said. “It’s great that many of the variables that would normally be in play have been eliminated by this initiative. Innovate2elevate has really helped to ease this monumental task of rapidly transitioning to online learning.”

Visual and Performing Arts faculty members Ben Mays, Hannah Ryan, Richard Galyean and Peter Ryan agree with Sorah.

“I shudder to think about what this would be like without the iPads,” Peter Ryan said.

Faculty members set up a Facebook page, “UVA Wise Online Teaching,” to support one another and to offer tips and guidance as they encounter issues along the way.

Cody Sanders, a professor in the Education Department, said an adaptive physical education course she team-teaches with professor Priscilla Brame is moving along well.

“All 11 of our students agreed to continue to meet via Zoom during our regular scheduled weekly class time,” Sanders said. “I am so proud of this group and all of our students who continue to be resilient.”

Professors Anthony Cashio and Christa Moore met virtually with students in their “Introduction to Poverty Studies” course. The discussion was lively, Cashio said.

“Everyone was engaged and had plenty of insightful comments,” he said. “It was definitely the highlight of the week.”

UVA Wise students say they rely heavily on the iPads as they practice social distancing. Josh McCray, a biology major, said that without the devices, many of his classmates would have struggled with the rapid changes caused by the pandemic.

“Having the iPad and access to several online learning resources through UVA Wise has made the transition easier,” he said. “The self-service app on our iPads has been extremely helpful, as it gives students like me access to several useful apps such as Zoom, Notability and the Human Anatomy Atlas, which has been helpful in my biology and biochemistry courses.”

Telena Turner, a senior who will earn a communication degree in May, said the iPad is vital.

“Having an iPad during this transition has been so beneficial for me as a student,” she said. “It has made the process so much smoother because I’m able to keep all of my work in one convenient and organized space. I’m also grateful because the iPad allows me to have access to apps and other technology, like Notability and Screen Recording.”

The iPad has also helped Turner’s family. Her younger brother is in middle school and his school is shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic; he is also using the iPad to keep up with his schoolwork, and that has made a tremendous difference.

“I am so thankful for the iPad project,” Turner said.

The iPads are used by staff members and administrators to keep the college moving forward during the stay-at-home decree issued by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. Career Discovery & Planning uses the technology to help students, especially the May graduates, prepare for job interviews, internship opportunities and related matters. The college’s student counseling services work to provide virtual sessions with students in need. Financial aid and related offices also keep up with student needs. Admission and recruitment efforts are moving forward virtually and the iPads are used daily to keep in contact with incoming students. Zoom videconferencing meetings are conducted on the tablets as staff continue their work at home.

Henry said the tablets have allowed the campus to move forward and keep the college open, even though activity at the physical campus has slowed down.

“Spring semester 2020 will forever be remembered as a trying time for UVA Wise, but the tablets will be viewed as one way we endured,” she said. “There is no doubt we will continue this program in coming years. Its value has been proven.”