Keeping up with the mobile pioneers

Really interesting meeting today with our Criminology department.  Students working for the UN, NGOs and aid agencies are now studying for a new MSc in Security, Conflict and International Development in some challenging environments across the world. They each have an iPad carrying their etextbooks and a mobile app to guide them through materials and activities, all linked back to our Virtual Learning Environment.  

So here are a few of the battles that this pioneering department has had to work through.  Sounds easy doesn't it?

• How to give away an iPad 
• How to get an iPad through customs
• How to get a publisher to sell you ebooks in bulk
• How to enable an iPad user to download an ebook that you've already paid for
• How to package material in a mobile app without breaking copyright law  
• How to get a mobile app developed when your IT department has only just written the 'we need a mobile application framework' proposal and needs three months to catch up with you

We are still trying to catch up and already our Education department wants to do this too!