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TechnographOther Campuses: Duke evaluates iPod experiment
By The Chronicle
Posted: 3/1/05 Section: News
- Steve Veres
But in 2001, the Board of Trustees had set aside funds for a technology initiative in the five-year strategic plan, Building on Excellence. Officials hoped to find a device students were familiar with that could also be used academically. Duke officials visited Apple Computer late last winter to discuss a possible educational initiative. Apple was interested in becoming innovative with its product, Provost Peter Lange said, and Duke administrators were intrigued. The idea gestated for four months and was finally adopted during early summer. The iPod project was born.
Officials said the goal of the project was to provide teachers with new technologies to enhance course content and provide new angles to explore the same material.
"Because the iPods have broad appeal, a request for students to use them in a particular course was unlikely to meet with resistance, as could be the case with technology that wasn't as easy to use, or a technology that remained in students' desk drawers rather than carried with them as part of their everyday lives," said Tracy Futhey, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. "By focusing this project around a piece of equipment that we knew people would want to have with them, we thought it was also more likely that students and faculty would use their imagination to think about what other kinds of uses they might make of it."
Administrators budgeted the iPod initiative - the project that resulted from the funds set aside in the strategic plan - at $500,000. This money included hiring an academic computing specialist for the project, providing grant funding for faculty and giving free 20-gigabyte Apple iPods and voice recorders to the more than 1,650 freshmen.
As soon as it was announced to the public, the media blitz began. Even though officials said the project was conceived as a means to further integrate technology into the classrooms, some critics have questioned the intent, accusing the administration of creating a publicity stunt to attract attention.
But in 2001, the Board of Trustees had set aside funds for a technology initiative in the five-year strategic plan, Building on Excellence. Officials hoped to find a device students were familiar with that could also be used academically. Duke officials visited Apple Computer late last winter to discuss a possible educational initiative. Apple was interested in becoming innovative with its product, Provost Peter Lange said, and Duke administrators were intrigued. The idea gestated for four months and was finally adopted during early summer. The iPod project was born.
Officials said the goal of the project was to provide teachers with new technologies to enhance course content and provide new angles to explore the same material.
"Because the iPods have broad appeal, a request for students to use them in a particular course was unlikely to meet with resistance, as could be the case with technology that wasn't as easy to use, or a technology that remained in students' desk drawers rather than carried with them as part of their everyday lives," said Tracy Futhey, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. "By focusing this project around a piece of equipment that we knew people would want to have with them, we thought it was also more likely that students and faculty would use their imagination to think about what other kinds of uses they might make of it."
Administrators budgeted the iPod initiative - the project that resulted from the funds set aside in the strategic plan - at $500,000. This money included hiring an academic computing specialist for the project, providing grant funding for faculty and giving free 20-gigabyte Apple iPods and voice recorders to the more than 1,650 freshmen.
As soon as it was announced to the public, the media blitz began. Even though officials said the project was conceived as a means to further integrate technology into the classrooms, some critics have questioned the intent, accusing the administration of creating a publicity stunt to attract attention.
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