Abilene Christian University to give out iPhones/ iPods to new students

I remember a few years back when some universities handed out iPods to freshmen to use at school and Abilene Christian University in Texas has upped the ante.  The university plans to hand out iPhones and iPod Touches to new freshmen to be used as part of the coursework.  The school intends for the devices to be used in class to answer quizzes and surveys and have laid out 15 web applications for them to do other things.

“We are not merely providing cutting-edge technology tools to ourincoming students,” said CIO Kevin Roberts. “We are also providing the webapplications that ensure these tools will become critical to thestudents’ learning experience. Because 93 percent of ACU students bringtheir own computers with them to college, we are choosing to take themto the next level by providing converged mobile devices.” Dr. DwayneVanRheenen, ACU provost, said, “This is exciting to me, not onlybecause we’re giving students new tools, but because we aretransforming the learning environment. The extensive research that’sbeen done on campus in the past 10 months has prepared us to launchwith freshmen this fall, and research will be ongoing as we expand theprogram in the future.”

(via iLounge)