A collaborative work by Carl Pearson and Allen Miller:
Instead of iPods, Uni should be considering cheap tablet PCs running an extensible desktop operating system. They would have several advantages:
1. iPods are not designed to be academic tools. The app database isn't really aimed at scientific or educational uses for the devices, which means that it will be frustrating or impossible to find the apps Uni would want. Apple designed the iPod to work in tandem with a PC, so iPods don't have much support for networking, file transfer, or remote control. Apple has locked down much of the functionality of iPods that desktop OSes provide. The PC, on the other hand, has already shown that it is capable of existing within and even benefiting an educational environment in Siebel. The apps, networking, and security are already configured to handle PCs, so adding a few dozen more would not be a difficult thing to do.
2. The interface on the Touch is extremely limiting compared to a tablet. It's excellent for entertainment apps, but a poor substitute for the page of a textbook or a pen and paper. A tablet PC has a larger screen so reading and working would be practical and many tablets have pen inputs or touch screens as well.
Allen has experienced tablets in two classes and found them very helpful. They give teachers another way to engage students. We're certainly not against bringing more tech into classrooms, but we think using iPods is a step backwards from those math classes in terms of usability and practicality.
Not the best educational tool
A collaborative work by Carl Pearson and Allen Miller:
Instead of iPods, Uni should be considering cheap tablet PCs running an extensible desktop operating system. They would have several advantages:
1. iPods are not designed to be academic tools. The app database isn't really aimed at scientific or educational uses for the devices, which means that it will be frustrating or impossible to find the apps Uni would want. Apple designed the iPod to work in tandem with a PC, so iPods don't have much support for networking, file transfer, or remote control. Apple has locked down much of the functionality of iPods that desktop OSes provide. The PC, on the other hand, has already shown that it is capable of existing within and even benefiting an educational environment in Siebel. The apps, networking, and security are already configured to handle PCs, so adding a few dozen more would not be a difficult thing to do.
2. The interface on the Touch is extremely limiting compared to a tablet. It's excellent for entertainment apps, but a poor substitute for the page of a textbook or a pen and paper. A tablet PC has a larger screen so reading and working would be practical and many tablets have pen inputs or touch screens as well.
Allen has experienced tablets in two classes and found them very helpful. They give teachers another way to engage students. We're certainly not against bringing more tech into classrooms, but we think using iPods is a step backwards from those math classes in terms of usability and practicality.