Universities offer iPhones for Learning, Safety

OKLAHOMA CITY — Universities are modernizing the way education is approached by offering mobile learning technology to students, including iPhones, iPod touches and laptops.

Oklahoma Christian University will give students who attend new student orientation an iPhone or iPod touch and all new students will receive an Apple MacBook. Current students will be given the option to trade in their PC laptops for the MacBook.

The university introduced its mobile computing initiative in 2001 and is now completely wireless.

After the faculty of Abilene Christian University completed about 30, six-month research projects on mobile learning, university officials decided to give all incoming freshmen an iPhone or iPod touch.

Students can receive safety notifications, homework alerts, answer in-class quizzes, get directions to professors’ offices and check meal account balances. They will also have access to about 15 Web-based applications.

“We are not merely providing cutting-edge technology tools to our incoming students,” says Kevin Roberts, ACU chief information officer. “We are also providing the Web applications that ensure these tools will become critical to the students’ learning experience.”

About 93 percent of ACU students already have their own laptops, which is why college officials decided to offer iPhones or iPod touches instead of computers.

Colleges, such as the American InterContinental University Online, have implemented programs for users with smartphones but are not providing the hardware for students.

AIU Mobile allows students to access information, such as class assignments, instructor directories, campus e-mail, grades and video technology. Any smartphone is compatible with AIU Mobile, but the Apple iPhone or iPod touch are recommended.