Work has started on the Duke Digital Initiative (DDI) for 2006 with the beginning of iPod distribution to faculty using them in fall semester courses.
Some of the iPods being distributed this year come equipped with audio and photo and some with audio, video and photo capabilities, depending upon their specified course uses. The new, fifth-generation, 30 GB iPods available this year are Apple certified reconditioned models, fully functional with brand-new Belkin TuneTalk stereo adaptors for recording.
The reconditioned fifth generation models are the latest versions available from Apple and are the same models which will be made available for purchase by Duke students enrolled in an official DDI iPod course. The discounted Duke price for the iPod/recorder combo is $99, compared to the iPod retail price of $199 and Belkin TuneTalk retail price of $69.95.
"The success of the DDI has driven Duke to explore creative ways to make more iPod program opportunities available to the widest number of courses possible and improving access to the devices themselves for students and faculty," said Duke Assistant Vice President for Information Technology Julian Lombardi.
The list of fall iPod projects is still being finalized, and will also be available on the DDI website on August 21. In fall 2005, 34 faculty members used iPods in their classes. That number grew to 64 in spring 2006, with usage to increase again this semester.
"The type of course uses determines whether or not a person is eligible for an iPod," said Samantha Earp, head of Instructional Media and Language Technology Services at the Duke Center for Instructional Technology (CIT).
Among the classes that will use iPods will be several Writing 20 sections, including Freedom & Control, taught by Erik Harms. A sampling of projects for this course has students using the devices to conduct and record ethnographic interviews leading to final papers about student notions of freedom in the American university setting; collect video and print advertisements leading to a critical paper on the use of freedom as a sales pitch; conduct in-class peer reviews; and record and self-publish podcasts.
Beginning August 16, faculty members can pick up their iPods at the OIT Help Desk in the Bryan Center Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. ; Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. ; and Sunday 3 – 7 p.m.
Student iPod distribution will be held the first week of classes; in all, about 1,500 students will be using iPods in various courses during the fall semester, Earp said. That compares with 550 students taking one of 34 courses in fall 2005 and 1,474 taking any of 72 courses in spring 2006. Students in official iPod courses who are eligible for the equipment will be able to purchase the course iPod/microphone package beginning August 28 at a subsidized price of $99.
The iPods faculty and students will receive this year come with a one-year AppleCare warranty, which includes parts and labor and, for the first six months, free shipping. In the second six months, shipping is paid by the user. Extended warranties are available, with the cost borne by the user. Faculty whose iPods break while they're under the initial warranty can get a backup from the OIT Help Desk.
While the iPods likely are the most well-known digital devices being used in Duke classrooms, they are by no means the only ones the DDI is pursuing.
According to Earp, "The other DDI programs are in pilot phases, and those plans are being finalized for the fall term." Those include student video production and tablet PC use, among others. Two chemistry courses are participating in the Tablet PC semester loaner program.
"CIT is also offering a short-term faculty loaner program for four weeks for faculty who just want to check out a tablet and see how that would work for them," Earp said. Several faculty members have expressed interest in the short-term loans, she added.
DDI is running a pilot to explore what support would be needed for courses to use student-produced videos. French 76 courses used the videos in the spring and will continue in the fall. Four other courses tentatively are scheduled to require the projects this fall. Under the pilot, students borrow the video equipment and get training on how to use it from the DDI team. DDI also works with individual faculty members on various efforts including Web collaboration tools, Classroom Capture, podcasting, and creating and using digital content.
Various types of training are offered, including general information sessions about DDI opportunities, multimedia tools and techniques, iPod basics, iTunes U, and other topics. Visit www.duke.edu/ddi/help/training.html for more information.
Information on the DDI is available online at www.duke.edu/ddi.