Inside Higher Ed :: The Medium Is the Moral

Duke's iPod experiment is being labeled a failure in some circles. It might be an idea ahead of its time. The iPod is a portable storage device with audio capability. I can detail many different academic applications for it. However, as a teacher in the field, I ask where do teachers find time to develop the novel and interesting educational content that would make the iPod central to learning? We do not get time at our college to develop new instructional methods, not with having to teach 4 classes *3 hr credit each) per semester. Just getting ready for class, and grading work for the next class takes most of our time in and out of class. What I would do with iPods in some world where learning was actually the center of academe, include these things: use podcasting with video to provide software demonstrations for students. In class these demonstrations are difficult because students learn at different paces, and even trying to go step by step, some catch on and are ready to move ahead while other students need to go over the step again and again. iPod modules would let each student learn at their own pace, plus they could learn before they came to class. That frees face to face time for more complex learning projects. Another kind of lesson: create a tour of an exhibit or place so students could see first hand, guided by the instructor, and learn from the 'real-world'. Students could interview people, and bring that back to weave into interactive reporting (at least for journalism classes.) Anyway, those are a couple of ideas, but will I get any time to follow-up on them? Oh, and I don't even have an iPod to experiment with yet....Inside Higher Ed :: The Medium Is the Moral