Since I have been on my own little discovery mission and exploration with my iPod Touch I have been starting to think about the broader possible application in the classroom for this device and devices like it. The overnight the following email drops in from the Becta ICT Research Network list, which really got me thinking:
"We are a medium-sized further education (FE) college in the UK and have just won a bid to roll out a mobile learning project in several areas across the curriculum. We intend to give around 250 iPods to students and get staff and students to create podcasts which will be hosted on a central server to be accessed by a number of local schools/colleges. I am the lead practitioner/researcher for the project and my role will be to train staff and small groups of students in the creation of podcasts, mainly using iLife on Macs but also Audacity on Win XP.
We had a meeting with our techies recently and we came up with an unresolved issue - if students are to be given iPods to access the podcasts do we need to install iTunes across the entire college PC network? If so, what are the implications if students try to sync their iPods with their home computers? I understand that iPods will only sync with 1 iTunes library?"
What a project and great idea - although it highlights one of the frustrations with the iPod and Apple in regards to Digital Rights management and ability to sync the iPod with any computer a user wishes too.
Lets consider the implications for this project and the questions I have in my mind:
- Since the school is providing the iPods to students to use in school - the school must be considering allowing the students to take the iPods home each and every day if the question about syncing at home is being considered?
- Given that then I would say from personal experience and first hand observation of Australian students that the majority of actual listening time will occur outside of the school environment (Granted the school plan to use the iPods in school time but I am sure students and teachers would look to maximise face to face instruction and activities with small sporadic use of the devices throughout a school day - but this will be an interesting part of the process I am sure).
- Given that the majority of use will be outside the school - will the school be allowing students to place their own songs, podcasts and materials on the devices? (A few issues here about legal songs and copyright I am sure)
- If the school allows the students to load on their own material as well as the schools material onto the iPod (a better solution as students will have more respect and ownership for the learning device) then the starting point for this project can be determined. The first and major sync for the students iPod is the home computer (assuming they have one and broadband access).
This then means for the school the following:
- Enabling access from the world to the central server for students and teachers to access material
- Enabling access for students and teachers to publish materials from home to the central server
- Finding and installing software that allows transfer of materials from the iPod to anther third party computer (I know you can do this - but what is not easy and I am not sure about is the loading on material back onto the iPod from a third party computer that is not the original synced computer )
There are a number of very interesting and challenging issues with this project without getting into the educational material and application. I have other questions around the supply of iPod microphones to all so that they can capture audio as and when it happens, how does the school plan to manage recharging of devices through the day and what professional development will teachers be provided in regards to classroom management with these devices.
I am not sure if the school has considered the idea of giving students control and first sync management of the iPod - but to me this seems the most appropriate course of action if students are allowed to take the devices home and load their own material. If this is the case my next question simply is:
Has the school asked the students how to solve this problem?
