today announced that it will continue its iPods for students program, following a preliminary review of its year-long effort to incorporate iPods into its curriculum. The program, however, will continue in a more targeted manner and the university says it will also explore other educational applications of multimedia technologies. The university’s Center for Instructional Technology (CIT) will coordinate the use and distribution of iPods to students who enroll in a course whose proposed use of iPods is coordinated through CIT. Students who receive an iPod through the program will own the device and be expected to retain it for future use in any other Duke classes using iPods, according to the university.

Last fall, the university distributed about 1,600 iPods pre-loaded with orientation material to all incoming first-year students. Next year, Duke will shift distribution away from an entire class of students and will focus instead on making the devices available to specific courses upon the request of faculty members at all undergraduate levels.



The university’s Center for Instructional Technology (CIT) will coordinate the use and distribution of the devices, which will be given to any student who enrolls in a course whose proposed use of iPods is coordinated through CIT. Students who receive an iPod through the program will own the device and be expected to retain it for future use in any other Duke classes using iPods.




In a memo to the faculty announcing the decision, Provost Peter Lange said he and others were encouraged by a review of preliminary results from the Duke iPod First-Year Experience, which garnered much attention from the media as the program transformed the the device into an education tool.



iPod program stimulates technology discussion



Duke said the iPod program was a catalyst for the integration of technology into curriculum and that while Duke will continue to leverage the iPod and related technologies, it will also look to mobile computing and technology options.



"We weren’t sure what to expect when we launched this project, but we’ve been pleased by how it's succeeded in encouraging many faculty and students to consider new ways of using the technology in fields from engineering to foreign languages," Lange said. "We’ve been focusing on iPods and other mobile computing, but our wider goal is to integrate technology broadly into the teaching and learning process. The iPods have helped jump-start this process, and we plan to keep pushing ahead."



The pilot program appeared to gather steam during the year. In the fall, more than 600 first-year students enrolled in at least one course that used iPods, including music and foreign language classes. Students used their iPods to record or receive audio files. The university also said that students began using their iPods for gathering field notes, conducting interviews, podcasting or audio blogging, as well as for portable hard drives or as signal generators in an engineering class. In the 2004-2005 academic year, CIT coordinated the implementation of iPods in 11 courses in the fall and 17 in the spring as well as noted other ad-hoc use by faculty without direct CIT support.



The decision to continue the program was made based on a preliminary assessment made by Duke's CIT. Duke said that favorable preliminary findings guided the decision to continue to explore uses for iPods in an academic setting; CIT is expected to complete its full review by June 15, according to university officials.



The university will pay for next year’s program with funds previously set aside for strategic technology initiatives, rather than with operational or student funds. First-, third- and fourth-year undergraduates will be eligible to receive iPods, while sophomores will be expected to continue using the iPods they received last fall. Duke expects that the to fund the new modified iPod program will less than its pilot program, although the costs are expected to vary depending on the number of courses utilizing iPods (and the number of students enrolled in those courses).