#1 Gadget college announced
Choosing a college or university is no easy task. There are so many factors to consider: social life, breadth of majors, sports reputation and gadgets. Abilene Christian University (ACU) has become the first to offer iPhones or iPod touches to incoming students making the gadgets standard equipment for learning. Almost makes me want to go back to school.
A matter of gadget faith
ACU will provide these devices to all incoming freshman. The distribution of the converged devices will allow students to access several web apps the University has created to:
- receive homework alerts
- answer in-class surveys and quizzes
- access directions to their professors offices
- check their account balances
- and 15 more useful apps already developed
In fact, ACU is being held as a role model within the university circuit. Apple flew ACU CIO Kevin Roberts to Cupertino for a presentation on where ACU is headed with its’ web application vision. There is even a video.
And I call, “BS”
I am going to have to call this one out. I am all for gadget proliferation, but these web apps sound more like reasons a student pitched on why the University should buy the devices. These are pretty weak reasonings to substantiate a gadget give-a-way.
Maybe it will lead to advances in student behavior but I would have eBay’d the unit when I was a poor college student. Now if you could access your text books via iPod/iPhone, tests from previous years, answer keys, order Starbucks via WiFi...you get my drift. Back when we were talking about a possible Apple tablet, the academic market would be a no brainer for Apple. Maybe this is a baby step.
Is there anyone out there that wouldn’t have eBay’d this freebie in the first two weeks of school?
Read [ACU]
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ACU sounds like a happening school. I’m glad that schools have embraced high tech—they’re keeping up with what most of their students are doing anyway!
on March 7, 2008 at 10:07 AM - LINK