Make good use of iPods

Last night the University handed all of the freshmen brand-new iPods, fully loaded with orientation material and Duke-specific programs. iPods are generally regarded as high-tech toys for listening to music, but the University plans to use them as handheld academic tools.

The investment of money in innovative technology for educational purposes—a facet of the University’s Strategic Plan—is a good idea. However, at this point in time giving the freshman class iPods does not seem to be the best way to accomplish this. Although iPods may have the potential to be used as educational tools, in reality iPods have never been used primarily for academia on this large of a scale. iPods cannot be used to input any kind of information, and everything that these iPods will do could probably have been better done with another, less flashy tool, such as a Blackberry. The selection of such a high-profile, name-brand product appears to put Duke on the cutting edge of educational technology, but the question of utility remains.

If iPods were really the best use of money earmarked for innovative technology the University could come up with, we question the motivations behind the plan. The iPods are never going to revolutionize the state of education at Duke, and in the weeks since the announcement, the University has received a fair amount of press for the iPod ploy. Perhaps the attention and the glossy image that giving students iPods generates factored into the University’s decision. It seems as though the utility the University reaped from having the Duke name in the news may outweigh the utility students reap from having the iPods at their disposal.

Furthermore, by giving iPods only to the freshman class, the University is alienating the rest of the students, and since the University currently has no provisions to continue the plan, it will potentially alienate future classes as well. The money spent on the iPods has raised a lot of question among upperclassmen who wonder if it could have been spent on some sort of innovative technology that could have benefited more students and been more effective for the University as a whole.

The success of the iPod program is yet to be seen, and the iPods may prove to be useful educational tools. However, the short amount of time spent developing the plan and the minimal student and faculty input makes it seem as though University has not put much thought into the program. At present there are only plans to use the iPods in six classes this semester, with plans for several other courses under review. Thus, it seems as though the number of students who will benefit from the iPods in an educational manner may be extremely limited.

It is important that the University take advantage of all of its resources, including its access to and funding for innovative technology, and giving all of the freshmen iPods may prove to be an extremely successful program. That said, many of the details of this plan have yet to solidify. Since the investment in the iPods has already been made, the University should do its best to develop a large number of programs for the iPods, and professors should be encouraged to utilize the iPods in classes. If successful the University should also formulate plans to continue the program in the future. This way, Duke can reap the both the benefits of national media exposure and provide students with a top-notch educational opportunity.