EBSCO Host on the iPad
In my English Summer school course we are using 1:1 iPads. Part of the curriculum is completing a research paper that investigates a topic of the student’s choosing. In preparation for this project, I was somewhat worried that there would be some tech issues when trying to access information using the web version of EBSCO Host from the iPad.
Now, before I get ahead of myself, there is an iOS app for EBSCO (but it’s only for the iPhone at this point). It scales somewhat well, but I would recommend something else when using the iPad. Surprisingly, my recommendation would be to use the basic EBSCO Host website. In my past experiences, many research websites perform poorly on mobile devices, but EBSCO Host has done a great job making sure their site scales correctly so you always have access to all the features of the site. This is very important when considering a 1:1 device program. There are many things that have to be taken into consideration when trying to go about ‘business as usual’ when using a tablet/mobile device. It is refreshing that the EBSCO website seems to work right out of the box on the iPad.
My students were able to research several keywords, refine the search to Full-Text articles only, create MLA citations from the articles they found, and mail themselves links to the articles (for use at home).
Overall, I thought for sure we would need to install the EBSCO app that is available for the iPhone on the iPad. That is not necessarily the case, however, as I have had great success using the standard EBSCO website. Just thought the Instructional Tech community would like to know!
About the Author
Jeff Herb Jeff Herb is an Educator, Blogger, and Podcaster focusing on Instructional Technology and finding ways to innovate the classroom using technology. Follow Jeff on Twitter to keep up with the latest in Educational Technology.
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