Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPads will become a fixture in the hands of students at one Australian university. The University of Western Sydney plans to distribute approximately 11,000 iPads to its new students and faculty members in 2013.
According to The Australian, the iPads will play a major role in the overhaul of the university’s curriculum. The newspaper reports that the university administrators are looking to create a “blended learning model” that combines traditional lectures with programs that are more interactive so that the students’ educational experience becomes more dynamic.
University administrators told The Australian that “mobile technologies will be a key part” of their strategy. They said they wanted to “increase flexible access to ‘learning on the go’” so that students would have more access to streaming and online content while also being able to take advantage of instruction that’s interactive and collaborative rather than the independent form of study that has traditionally been offered at universities.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been trying to take a piece of the education pie for itself since earlier this year when it launched its iBooks Author feature, which makes it possible for teachers to create, distribute and provide upkeep for textbooks or any other printed class materials.
Apple Insider points out that September’s marketing data shows that the iPad is rapidly becoming a big part of educational material sales in the U.S., even outpacing computers. Also Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) just recently added nine more countries to its volume discount purchasing program. Australia was one of the nations added. The terms allow universities to buy e-books or apps in 20-unit or greater bundles at reduced prices so that they can be distributed to students or faculty.
