Using iPods in Instruction

I honestly had no idea that the use of iPods for instruction even existed. It's really encouraging to hear that it has been a positive experience for some universities in the country. I think, like anything in life, it would definitely have its pros and cons. I would worry that it would make students think that they did not have to come to class anymore. Richard Lucic, a professor at Duke University says that he sends podcasts to "complement his lectures," which I think is great. I also read that using iPods has made class attendance increase because students want to discuss what they have heard on the podcasts. If this is working then I think it would definitely be something to try.

In thinking about it, one problem for me personally, would be making the time to listen to the podcasts. However, I think it would be so helpful to be able to listen to a piece of a lecture that I struggled with on the way to take my test. How beneficial! There are six schools that have participated in a pilot program with Apple called iTunes U. Those schools are Duke, Brown, Stanford, the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Missouri School of Journalism. I don't think that this should ever become a substitute for the classroom environment because I believe that that is always important, but technology is changing and why shouldn't we change with it. I think incorporating iPods in teaching would be a great thing!

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