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Smart Classroom
iPod Course Design
7/18/2007
iPod Stands for: Absorb, Engage, and Matter!
Do you have effective pedagogical strategies for the iPod? Do you know how to plan and design content for the device? Start here.
YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR the sigh of relief today, as more and more students review course requirements and see that they will be learning, creating, and presenting with their iPods, as well as reading text and listening to course content with them. The Apple iPod and its related set of technologies are bringing a freshness, spontaneity, and engagement to learning experiences that we haven’t seen in a while; possibly, ever. Why are these small devices having such an impact?
The iPod’s almost overwhelming popularity probably stems from the combination of power, size, convenience, and flexibility inherent in the devices; they fit into arm bands during jogging, ride in jean pockets, and swing from belt loops. They’re small enough to easily be tucked into purses and backpacks, even large pockets. They are so compact, in fact, that they can be sneaked into exam venues and, not surprisingly, they now are being banned from classrooms during tests.
MP3 devices play music, audio, and even video podcasts; they display photos, PowerPoint lectures, and other complex data, as well; and they’re as cool as they are convenient and useful. Yet, what are effective pedagogical strategies for the iPod, and how do we plan and design content for this device?
For insights into where teaching and learning is headed, it is worth watching the evolution of iPod use at Duke University (NC), well known for its 2004 iPod initiative. The initiative is now in its third year, the fall 2006 “standard iPod package” consisting not only of the newest 30GB fifth-generation video iPod, but also including a stereo voice recorder attachment.
Why the recorder?
Answer: As Duke students began to use the iPod for the consumption of course content, students and faculty (almost simultaneously) discovered the exciting possibilities for creating, capturing, and producing learning content, too. As with so many technologies, once the tool was ubiquitous, new uses unfolded quickly. For the students, these new uses shifted to their taking charge of their learning experiences; for faculty, the new uses meant developing new skills in preparing, using, and formatting new audio course content for the iPod.
Clearly, using and producing podcasts generates a host of design
issues for content formatting as well as instruction. Following is a
sampling: iPods for Language Learning Joe Fahs is director of academic
technology services at
The Foundation for California Community Colleges (FCCC) has awarded a statewide emergency alert notification contract to Waterfall Mobile. The contract establishes Waterfall's AlertU as an approved technology through the official non-profit foundation for the California Community College (CCC) system office. Through this partnership, individual colleges may directly implement emergency communication services, eliminating lengthy technology evaluation and RFP processes. King's College and Arizona State University have switched to Omnilert's e2Campus for emergency notification. Omnilert also has introduced a new program called the ENS Conversion Service that allows schools to bulk upload data from their previous emergency notification system into e2Campus at no charge. Saint Joseph's University has begun deploying a Meru Networks wireless local area network across its Philadelphia campus as part of a multi-year effort to bring wireless coverage to every building on campus. Organizations may have been slow to adopt Microsoft Windows Vista, but expect that to change by late 2008 to 2009, according to a Forrester Research report by Benjamin Gray et al., published last week. Talisma Corp. announced version 8.0 of its constituent relationship management (CRM) application for higher education. The new release includes application management, a revamped user interface, two-way text messaging, personalized Web portals, and an ADA-compliant Web client, among other enhancements. Two Pennsylvania teaching colleagues with an interest in music and technology are bringing remote experts into classrooms at almost no cost, using Skype's free videoconferencing technology.
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