iPod usage on campus surges in popularity

The Apple iPod came out in 2001. One year after it’s debut, GC&SU took it from the conveyer belt to the classroom.

“The dots on the i’s were still wet when they came to the university,” GC&SU Chief Information officer Jim Wolfgang said. “This is really what makes us unique. We were the first to use iPods in the classroom.”

GC&SU pioneered the use of the iPod in college education. The learning tool began in two classes and is now involved in 33 programs at the university. From study abroad to the Coverdell Institute’s Times Talk, the iPods are used in numerous ways across campus.

“We use the iPods interactively,” Wolfgang said. “None of them are being used for just lectures. We are the most diverse campus in using iPods.”

The project is run by a group of faculty and staff members known as iDreamers. The group started a year and a half ago with a goal to innovatively use technology in the curriculum. iDreamers meet regularly to make improvements to the program. Recently, the iDreamers added iPods to four classes: Music Chorus, Music Education, Neuropsychology and Dance.

“We are to be a tank in discovering different ways of using Apple technology to enhance the GC&SU educational experience,” Wolfgang said.

English Professor Rob Viau was one of the charter iPod-users at the university. He uses the iPod in Utopia/Dystopia: Studies in No Place, a class that studies broad gothic music.

Each student enrolled in the class is loaned an iPod by the university. The iPods are filled with music ranging from classical to popular; music selections also include international music such as Tibetan and Middle Eastern music.

“It broadens students’ horizons,” Viau said. “We are shaping our future. We are shaping our taste. Music is everywhere in our lives– in our cars, and in our heads half the time.”

Students listen to the music in class and then they are given assignments to complete on WebCT. The WebCT assignments may be individual or open discussions.

“Students are introduced to a tremendous amount of music.” Viau said. “There is a whole new world of music that most people never knew existed.”

Many students believe iPods have been beneficial in the classroom but also wish for some additions.

Freshman Alex Smith took Viau’s Utopia class in the fall and said he likes using iPods in the classroom.

“They add a new layer to the learning experience by allowing students to be exposed more readily to audio, and in some cases video, media related to the subject,” Smith said. “I personally think it’d be useful if they put lectures on them or recorded books onto them.”

The iDreamers also introduced a virtual living and learning community called iVillage. The school currently has an iVillage called the Macintosh Township. The community stays together virtually through the use of the iPod.

One student in the community is on an internship at Walt Disney World and attends meetings electronically using iCasting. The university will begin another iVillage this April.

“The iVillage gives value to the university,” Wolfgang said. “We are well noted around the world for our progress with Apple technology.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 3 2006. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry