As University of Missouri’s School of Journalism students create their school supplies list, the basic pencils, notebooks and calculator will no longer be enough. Incoming freshman are now required to purchase an iPod or iPhone as well. You can read an article about this here.

According to their Associate Dean, Brian S. Brooks, the music player, cell phone, Internet browser etc. will now be used as a learning device to play back class lectures. Brooks claims that lectures are not an effective learning format and research has shown that students retain three times as much of a lecture after hearing it a second time. By using an iPhone or iPod to replay the lectures on one’s own time, he or she will increase retained information, further benefiting them in the classroom. While the price of these electronic devices has been an issue as some students may not be able to afford it, the school has decided to make it required, but not enforced. Requiring something will include it in students financial aid estimate. Also, in previous years, Apple has offered a back-to-school deal where students who purchased a Mac laptop received a free iPod touch. Apparently, there are 50 other schools in the country that are also using iPods as a new study alternative.

As a college student entering my junior year, I believe that there will be pro’s and con’s to the use of iPods in the classroom. After sitting in lecture classes for two years, I can agree with Brooks that lectures are not quite the best learning format. Many professors speak for fifty minutes or longer while students hide in an auditorium filled with 300 other students, most of which sitting on their laptops or cell phones. I think that, in general, there are good students and bad students. Many will take advantage of the required iPod using it to take notes and playback lectures, while others will simply use it for the luxuries of surfing the Internet during class and listening to music during free time.

How often do students carry their textbooks with them other than to the classroom? I personally carry my iPod with me at all times using it for various reasons including surfing the web, playing games, updating my calendar or simply listening to music. I find myself using my iPod often to pass time whether I’m on my commute to work, waiting at an appointment etc. Having class lectures on your iPod allows you to listen to them and study in the time that you normally would be carrying your large textbooks and study guides with you. The convenience of studying through a handheld device and in one’s spare time as opposed to setting time aside to get to the library may encourage students to squeeze in extra lecture reviews throughout their busy days. In addition to listening to lectures, they can also be used to review notes. I think that while traditional teachers may be skeptical about the use of iPods/iPhones in the classroom, they will prove to be beneficial.
 
By Lexie Sperduto