BOLT iPad FAQs

General

To provide broad accessibility and equity in the learning process and universal design advocated by the Continuity in Teaching and Learning Group (CTLG), the College will issue an Apple iPad Pro with available Wi-Fi and cellular data connectivity, an Apple Pencil 2, and the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad, which includes a trackpad. With this common mobile computing platform, students will have the opportunity to connect to their classes, build community with each other, run the same apps and software at the same performance level, and also receive the same support, regardless of their location or learning situation.

In addition to supplying internet connectivity and easy portability, the iPad and Apple Pencil affords users the ability to take notes “by hand,” perform visible live calculations, graphs, or sketches on a shared whiteboard, to readily compose non-Roman alphabet script (whether for displaying, collaborating, or correcting), to record lectures, videos, or take pictures with an enhanced camera, and to experiment with interactive 3-D instructional models.

iPad Support

Each iPad will come with AppleCare+, which provides coverage for two damage claims per year for the iPad, the Apple Magic Keyboard, and the Apple Pencil.

The iPads will be supported the same way we support all technology on campus. If you experience issues with your iPad during the semester, you can contact the IT Service Desk or search the IT knowledgebase.

If you do not currently have an AppleID, you will need to create an AppleID. If you have an existing AppleID, you do not need to create a new one specific to Bowdoin.
International students who have an international AppleID will need to create a US-based AppleID in order to download apps from the US app store.

Learning and Teaching

Faculty who have not already requested an iPad need to complete a technology request form. They will receive their iPad kits once they become available.

No. Faculty in various disciplines reported to the members of the Continuity in Teaching and Learning Group that they would find it very useful if they and their students had access to tablets and styluses. This reasoning, along with the additional connectivity provided by the Apple iPad, led to the College’s decision to lease iPads, Apple Pencils, and Keyboards for the use of students and faculty. It is entirely at the faculty member’s discretion whether they wish to use it for teaching. Faculty are welcome to request one and simply try it out and see whether they find it helpful to their teaching or research.

The Bowdoin Online Learning and Teaching group (BOLT) and other groups around campus are working to fully support the iPads in teaching and learning. For specific questions, faculty can contact their AT&C liaisons and/or library liaisons.

To date, requests for iPads and Apple Pencils have come from faculty in disciplines as varied as math, chemistry, dance, economics, art history, Russian, and other non-Roman-character languages.

Workshops and training sessions for Bowdoin faculty on learning and teaching with iPads are being planned, and the College will be receiving guidance from experts in the use of iPads for learning and teaching from other institutions and from Apple.

iPad Apps

We are working to create a list of core apps for learning and teaching that will be installed on every iPad and supported by the College. Additional apps may be required for specific courses, which will also be supported by the College. Everyone will have the ability to install other apps using their personal AppleID.

Faculty members can request funding and support for apps they want to use for their coursework by completing the faculty technology request form.

Other iPad Program Information

While the devices do belong to Bowdoin, students may bring the devices home over breaks and the summer and continue to use them for both academic and personal purposes.

Just before graduation, graduating students with a Bowdoin iPad will have the option to "buy" the iPad from the College for $1. This will apply to students of all graduating years.

BOLT iPad FAQs

What is Bowdoin's Apple iPad program?

What is especially appealing about the iPad and Apple Pencil?

Will there be any kind of protection plan for my iPad?

How do I get technical support for my iPad?

Do I need to create a new Bowdoin AppleID to use with my iPad?

How do faculty request an iPad kit?

Are faculty expected to teach with the iPad?

Who do I contact with questions about using my iPad for teaching and learning?

Which academic disciplines have already expressed interest in using iPads?

Will there be faculty workshops for learning and teaching with iPads?

Are specific apps going to be required on all Bowdoin iPads?

Can faculty request funding and support for apps they want to use with their classes?

Can students take the iPads home over breaks or do they have to be returned to the College?

How will the $1 buyout work?