Pockie could get schoolkids using iPads in every lesson

One area where we haven’t seen massive take-up of Apple’s iOS devices thus far is school age education. Australian startup Innovate Freely hopes to change that with the forthcoming launch of a new platform called Pockie.

Pockie promises to let students download an app for every subject in the curriculum. Apps are distributed via each school’s internal app zone and teachers manage the distribution of new content. Push notifications will alert students when new content is available to download.

Compatible with the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone, Pockie will allow teachers to create their own custom content, meaning that lessons can be tailored to specific requirements of individual schools.

The question is, will schools have the resources to invest in iOS devices for their students? Innovate Freely’s Adrian Maciburko tells me that the Pockie is aimed at schools that either wish to make use of students’ own personal devices or that want to make the most of iPads bulk-bought for student use.

Pockie is set to launch in Australia in early 2011, and the company is assessing interest in a US launch at a later date. While some schools have already purchased iPads or iPhones for students to use, a platform that allows teachers to make the most of these investments could be just the ticket for justifying the expense.