SCI (STEM College iPads): Microscopes & the Camera

Want to see what’s really possible with you iPad camera? More than you might think. Students in my classes have been using their iPads to take pictures of their many different types of experiments.

Let your students archive what they are seeing with their iPads. Actually, encourage it. It’s good scientific behavior in documenting results while observing. I usually have a conversation about it doesn’t matter how pretty it looks, what’s important is you’re recording the truth of what you’re seeing.

My most recent context is from my Microbiology lab. This is a lab for upper division students, and I push them pretty hard throughout the semester to excel. The culmination of their semester is an 2 month, independent research into the identify of a bacterium, that is given to them in a mixed culture. The only thing they know is that the one they are to identify is Gram negative and a rod, where as the contaminant is a Gram positive coccus.

As you can see the artwork produced is amazing. Students then have a record to refer back to when writing their reports. I do spend time helping them initially, although they are all eager to try and master on their own. Additionally, I will also recommend that they are drawing on the photo and taking notes to help them in their write ups.

When they go to write up they can then add these pictures, which means I really see what they see and what they are analyzing. Thus, I am able to give detailed feedback to each student.