Beyond Being Handed The Ipad: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study Of Lecturers’ Lived Experiences Of Ipad Adoption

Lecturers’ lived experiences regarding iPad adoption have received minimal research attention. This interpretive phenomenological study aims to give voice to the iPad adoption experiences of twelve health and social care lecturers from a post 1992 university. T he lecturers were deployed iPads in
December 2013 in readiness for supporting their university’s mobile teaching and learning strategy.
The study explores the phenomenological question: What is the lecturer’s lived experience of iPad adoption? The majority of current iPad research is technocentric in its orientation and focuses on iPad adoption from an ontic rather than an ontological perspective. The purpose of this study is to inquire into the phenomenon of lecturers’ iPad adoption, and the ontological and existential meanings derived from the lecturers’ everyday usage of the tool.
The methodology is Heidegger’s interpretive ontological phenomenology.
Heidegger’s philosophy places significant emphasis on ontological and existential issues as revealed by our practical and everyday usage of equipment. His philosophy also has an educational bearing, in the sense that our ‘being-in-the-world’ is to pursue ongoing transformation of the self. The research methods are drawn from the tenets of Heideggerian philosophy. Two separate conversational interviews, the first phenomenological and the second hermeneutic were undertaken with the participants. The interpretive lenses of Greek mythology and legend, Heidegger’s care structure of Dasein and temporality, along with Ihde’s contemporary technoscience and van Manen’s lifeworld existentials support the analysis and filter the interpretations.
The findings reveal that the iPad was used, unused, disused, misused and overused in the lecturers’ everyday practice. The phenomenon of iPad adoption revealed the following existential issues: a proneness to over -conscientious caring and intensive labour (Sisyphean toil); dismay as support was held tantalisingly out of reach (Tantalian torture); tension between authentic and inauthentic teaching selves (Diogenes’s painted and real figs); the hiding of ambivalence (Penelopeian pretence); embarking on a challenging and individual learning quest (Promethean endeavour); and experiencing an end to ‘being’
carefree (Pandora’s box). Lecturers found the iPad to be in ‘readiness-to-hand’ as an administrative and communication tool and a useful learning tool for their own self-development and self-healing. Most were ‘not-at-home’ with the iPad as a teaching device. In authentic self-being, teaching as a ‘flesh and blood’ practice, remained the pedagogical preference for most of the participants. During their individual quests towards iPad adoption, the participants endured varying degrees of existential ‘homelessness’, ‘homesickness’ and ‘homecoming’.
It is hoped this study will raise awareness of the ontological and existential issues associated with lecturers’ iPad adoption. Also, to encourage lecturers to consider their existence and transforming practice as pedagogues in a digitalised HE. An important revelation of this study is that iPadagogy is something of a ‘knowledge oligopoly’. If educational technology and peer support are held tantalisingly out of reach, if the well-travelled and the untravelled iPad users fail to meet, then some lecturers may be inclined to postpone or never intend any future pedagogical application with the device. The truth (Altheia) of iPadagogy is, ‘there is no sweet smooth journey home ’ for the lecturer.