Hi,

I'm currently working on my instructor rating and have been toying with the idea of using my Ipad in the design of my PGI's. I can think of many ways it could be useful - For example, you could play a video clip, display main teaching objectives as well as diagrams/pictures. With The Ipad you could load powerpoints incorporated with all of the above visual aids

Any thoughts?

MN

One of my recent instructor students tried to incorporate an iPad into his PGIs. It didn't work well. I let him take a few attempts at it, but in the end, he could never get away with spending too much time looking at, well, his iPad. While it has possibilities I'll say, it will require a lot of practice and preparation on the instructor's part to integrate it. I even did some timing when he was attempting to use it, and the PGI on the same subject was always double the time of the same briefing without it.

The real unfortunate part of it is that I feel a lot of it has been sort of the culture that has grown up around hand held devices when interacting with people face to face. People don't realise or don't care about how much of their attention the device diverts which is really off-putting to an audience. The iPad is a visual aid, which I feel requires a lot more discipline with the usual tips and tricks on using. Discipline most people don't have when it comes to these things.

I never was a big fan of ppt PGIs. It just seems too impersonal. After a while, it seems just the instructor is showing off his animation and computer skills without ensuring knowledge transfer.

Take for example, what is better for the student when he's learning circuits? A single slide showing a circuit with an animated airplane zipping around? or an instructor drawing a circuit on the whiteboard explaining each leg, watching for student understanding, adjusting the rate of delivery to correspond with student reception rate, and stopping to clarify or answer any questions?

Not saying aforementioned technology doesn't have it's place in flight training, but don't forget who you're teaching, and the point of the lesson.

Dagwood wrote:I never was a big fan of ppt PGIs.

Not saying aforementioned technology doesn't have it's place in flight training, but don't forget who you're teaching, and the point of the lesson.

+ 1

Here's a better question. Any flight instructors out there that can afford an Ipad?

Take for example, what is better for the student when he's learning circuits? A single slide showing a circuit with an animated airplane zipping around? or an instructor drawing a circuit on the whiteboard explaining each leg, watching for student understanding, adjusting the rate of delivery to correspond with student reception rate, and stopping to clarify or answer any questions?

I know which is easier for the instructor - press 'Play' on the IPad, and sit back while the student is taught. Easy.
And completely f@$king useless, if your student doesn't get it right off the bat, 'cos then you'll have to go back to the white/blackboard to explain it step-by-step anyway..

It's been a while since i was an instructor, but IIRC, a blackboard and a tin model aircraft seemed to work well (at least for ab-initio) pretty much all of the time..

I never was a big fan of ppt PGIs. It just seems too impersonal. After a while, it seems just the instructor is showing off his animation and computer skills without ensuring knowledge transfer.

Here's a better question. Any flight instructors out there that can afford an Ipad?

Sure there are...only they depend on the bank of mom and dad.

iPad and ppt have their place in flight training for those that build the presentations properly. The concepts from the FIG can be applied effectively if a lot of care is taken.

The only way I can really see this being you "effectively" for teaching notes and NOT a teaching aids. I did however have a PE use it for a flight test of mine. Well a Hand Held device of sorts back in 2006.