Nexus ICA is the first higher education institution in the UK to have implemented a college-wide 1:1 iPad programme. Every Nexus ICA student receives an iPad at the beginning of their studies and it is used throughout the year to deliver our teaching material, giving students an opportunity to interact with the course in a variety of creative ways. Furthermore, when students enrolled on our BA (Hons) leave Nexus ICA, the iPad becomes their property. Students are free to take their devices away with them, loaded with all the teaching material and resources from their time here as a student. CertHE (1-year) students are free to purchase their iPads at the end of their studies at a reduced cost.

iTunes U

We distribute our courses via iTunes U, a free service provided by Apple to schools and colleges. iTunes U is a central app, preinstalled on all our iPads, that gives students access to all relevant course materials and keep track of assignments. We don’t see iTunes U as a replacement for tuition, but instead use it as a central location for students to access course books, documents, audio, video and other multimedia elements that make up our courses.
Frequently Asked Questions

Can I opt out of the iPad programme?
No. We use the iPads as an essential part of course participation and delivery.

Do I have to pay for my iPad?
No. The iPad is provided at no extra cost to the student.

Do students own their iPads?
For students enrolled on our BA (Hons) course, the iPad will remain the property of Nexus until the student has graduated and all fees have been paid, at which point the iPad is then the student’s property.

For our CertHE students, they will have the option to purchase the iPads at a reduced cost at the end of their studies.

I already own an iPad, do I need another one?
Yes. Although you may already own an iPad or similar, the devices that we provide to students are pre-configured with the necessary course materials and safeguards required for academic use.

What do you use iPads for?
We don’t just see iPads as a digital texbook – students use them for such things as note taking, mind-maps, drawing, video creation, email, music creation/production, email, web-access and much more.

What happens if I break or lose my iPad?
We provide comprehensive insurance with all the iPads that lasts as long as you’re a student here.

What is a 1:1 iPad Programme?
The term ‘one to one’ in technology terms refers to the fact that, in such programmes, there is one device for one student. At Nexus, every student receives an iPad as part of their induction onto the course. When the student’s time at Nexus is finished, they are free to take their iPad with them.

Why iPads?
For several years now, we’ve been looking at providing a device for students that allows them a greater level of interaction with the course syllabus than a traditional paper-based system. We chose the iPad over other devices due to its excellent battery life, portability, rich application ecosystem, availability of third party accessories and the high level of support available. Although we’re the first higher education establishment in the UK to rollout iPads in this way, there are numerous institutions worldwide that implemented this prior to us and we’ve been able to draw upon their experiences in order to provide a device to students that greatly increases their quality of learning.