When other colleges nationwide (and Apple themselves) are asking, “how were you able to do that?,” you must be doing something right.

MCC is one of the only higher education institutions that has established a system to manage 10,000 iPad devices through the iBelong Initiative. The program model, which distributed more than 2,000 iPads to students this past fall semester, is being nationally recognized and adopted by other institutions.

How did MCC do it?

Patricia Herrera joined MCC in 2021 in the Center for Teaching & Learning as an instructional technologist. One of her first projects was increasing access to technology by distributing mobile devices to MCC students in response to the pandemic. The transition to remote learning highlighted a large equity gap, something MCC Information Technology was tasked to address.

“After attempts to deploy several types of devices to students in the early stages of going fully remote, we decided to go with iPads—200 to begin with,” says Interim Chief Information Officer Alvin Bridges. Bridges notes the sheer practicality of using the iPads that were lying dormant in instructional classroom carts. From the reduction in device reset time, to enhanced security and remote management capabilities, to simple user-friendliness, rolling out iPads was streamlined.

When Herrera arrived and device usage expanded to about 500, she was ready to help grow the program further.

“We realized this was becoming a movement at MCC,” Herrera says, “and connected with administration to get a college-wide initiative going.” She worked on a proposal to procure 5,000 iPads. With other programs writing their own proposals, a total of 7,500 iPads were procured for use at MCC.

The team had to demonstrate cost-savings, instruct users on how to operate the devices, and create infrastructure to account for that many units. Thus, the “iPad Room” was created at the Southern and Dobson Library, which is a storeroom equipped with a cataloging system and physical storage, a remote control hub, and iPad provisioning carts that can completely reset dozens of devices for new usage at once—roughly 6 minutes per device.

“The expansion was largely faculty driven,” says Bridges. “We started with only a few; we now have over 100 who have joined in the last year and a half. About 235 class sections have iPads. We’re creating a community of practice.”

Data
Early data shows that 87% of participants found the iPad to be “extremely beneficial” to their academic success. Student testimonials highlight the importance of having access to this type of technology, and how simple it was to integrate into their schoolwork. Over half were first generation college students, and more than 70% of all participants surveyed were female.

Recognition
MCC presented a session, “Using iPads to Create a New Reality for Teaching and Learning” at the American Association of Community Colleges Annual Meeting in 2023. MCC received the District-wide 2023 Diversity Advisory Council Award of Excellence for “reaching students in the mobile era while closing the digital divide.” Apple has invited MCC to showcase the iPad’s capabilities on their roadshow presentations, for which we have produced a webinar.

“Our next goal is to connect the iPad distribution on a program level. We want students to be able to purchase the device at the beginning of the program, and get to use it throughout,” says Herrera.

Impact
The combined efforts of the MCC Library, College Technology Services, Center for Teaching & Learning, and the Thunderbird Tech Studio underscore how student success is truly enriched by collaboration.

“We’re changing the way people learn,” says Bridges. “I’m so proud to hear that this program is enhancing their learning experience.”

“We’re transforming lives. Students understand they’re able to attend and stay in school with access to technology,” says Herrera.