Apple launched its Schoolwork app two years ago alongside a student-friendly iPad, in an attempt to improve the learning experience with technology.
This week it received a pretty big update aimed at making things even simpler for students and teachers working remotely during the current pandemic.
The iPad app has been redesigned with a renewed focus on Handouts, which now get their own section in the app complete with tracking. If third-party apps have enabled “student progress,” teachers can now see rich previews when implementing tasks from those apps as part of assignments. The process for sharing media and attachments has been streamlined too.
Other new features include data-based insights into student completion rates and times, notifications when assignments are due (or ready to be marked), a library system to archive past work, and more.
Apple has long been interested in education, and with schools adapting to closures and isolation its software could be more useful than ever. In addition to the update for the Schoolwork app, Apple has launched a Teaching From Home micro-site housing resources and guidance to help teachers create “engaging learning experiences” from home.