Week 11 - iPods in instruction.

I had never heard of classroom instruction containing the use of an iPod, but I was not surprised to learn of it. The "glorified tape recorder" is in use at several major universities, including Duke University. Students can record lectures, and listen to podcasts that supplement an instructors material. Although many articles refer to the 20 gigabyte device as containing 90% music and 10% class info, One professor was grateful to have that 10%.

I think that the use of an iPod in a learning facility can be very valuable if used by a properly motivated and responsible student. Several articles I read mentioned that the technology would inevitably be misused and things such as plagiarism and copyright infringement would occur. I supposed with the iPod we will have to take the good with the bad. All in the name of advanced technology.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0419/p11s01-legn.html

http://cit.duke.edu/pdf/reports/ipod_initiative_04_05.pdf