Duke Giving iPods To Incoming Freshmen

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=562&ncid=738&e=12&u=/ap/20040720/ap_on_hi_te/college_ipods' target='_blank'>http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=562&ncid=738&e=12&u=/ap/20040720/ap_on_hi_te/college_ipods</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Freshmen showing up at Duke University this year will get their own Apple iPod, part of an experiment by the school to see if the popular portable music player can double as a learning tool. In a first-of-its-kind deal for Apple Computer Inc., the university will distribute 1,650 iPods for the pilot program..."</i><br /><br />Personally, I see this as a complete waste of University funds. The iPod is an entertainment device, not a educational tool. By Duke's logic, the school should be giving away free PVRs or Tivos to students as well. After all, you can copy episodes of The History Channel on a PVR for learning purposes, right? On the other hand, perhaps I am just jealous because I never got such perks when I was in college! 8O

[dean_shan]

I still don't get it. How is it a learning tool? How is this going to help an engineering student, or a math major?

[Suhit Gupta]

I still don't get it. How is it a learning tool? How is this going to help an engineering student, or a math major?
C'mon, it makes perfect sense... teaching about bits and bytes. :) Also, teaching them about hard drive tech, battery tech and music compression. Makes complete sense to me. :lol: (not).

Suhit

[klinux]

In theory, this can be helpful if Apple implement its Home-on-iPod feature where all the user's settings, documents, etc is all stored on the iPod so the user can just plug in his or her iPod into any Mac and the Mac will have all the settings, documents, and apps as if that is the user's own Mac.

Nevertheless, I am just digging here. That is only a marginal benefit and will be implemented at the earliest in second half of 2005 (OS X 10.4 Tiger release).

I am jealous as well.

[Crocuta]

I don't get it either. How will playing digital music be of such great benefit to these students that they are justified in requiring every student to have one? If they're after the portable file storage and its not for music, then get them each an inexpensive flash key. If it is for playing music, then I'm sure their parents would have preferred to have had the tuition reduced by $200 instead of this.

[BugDude10]

Hell, when I was in college, we had to write out our tunes in long-hand on slate tablets... :(

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

At almost $40k a year, I don't think it's much of a bonus..

[phillypocket]

Well as far as I remember schools "give" nothing for free :? . I'm sure it covered. Probably at a nice markup. Unless they actually belive there students are likely to choose them because you get a free, hip device of the day, with fully paid tuition. Actually this reminds me of the free macs that drexel used to give out. Yep, free right inside your tuition.

[Chris Gohlke]

I still don't get it. How is it a learning tool? How is this going to help an engineering student, or a math major?

To quote from the article

"Duke students will receive models stocked with school-related information, including freshman orientation details, the academic calendar, campus tours and even the school's fight song.

The university also will create a Web site modeled on the Apple iTunes online music site from which students can download songs and course content from faculty, including language lessons, lectures and audio books.

Lisa Merschel's Spanish class will use the iPods to listen to textbook exercises and Spanish songs. Sally Schauman plans to have students record field interviews on the ethics and science of urban water conservation. "

While it might not be a direct benefit to an engineering or math curiculum, those students do take general ed and humanities, for which this could be useful.

When I was in college, we often taped the lecture classes to relisten to later. Imagine if the professor did it and posted it for you to download. My wife took a music appreciation class in college and had to buy this box of classical CD's to listen to, another perfect application.