iPod Touch Trial begins!

Today we started an iPod Touch mobile trial with Diploma of Contemporary Music students! Great fun - everyone got their iPod Touch configured and setup on the WiFi network.










Participants:

12 students – students volunteer to participate using provided iPod Touch.

Course Tutors

Technology Steward (Thom Cochrane – CTLI)

The main focus of this project is on the support and enhancement of face to face teaching and learning by using mobile wireless devices (iPod Touch) as a means to leverage the potential of current and emerging collaborative and reflective e-learning tools (e.g. blogs, wikis, RSS, instant messaging, podcasting, social book marking, etc…). These are often called “social software” tools. The iPod’s wireless connectivity and data gathering abilities (e.g. photoblogging, video recording, voice recording, and text input) allow for bridging the on and off campus learning contexts – facilitating “real world learning”.

The learning outcomes for students are

• Developing critical reflective skills


• Facilitating group communication


• Developing an online eportfolio


• Developing a potentially world-wide peer support and critique network


• Learning how to maximise technology to enhance the learning environment across multiple contexts

Students and teaching staff will be provided with an iPod Touch (16GB) for the duration of the trial (2008). Internet connectivity will also be available via Unitec WiFi network while on campus. This provides faster, free web access while on campus.

The project will be guided and supported by weekly “technology sessions” facilitated by Thom Cochrane (CTLI).

The core activity of the project is the creation and maintenance of a reflective Blog as part of a course group project. However the iPod can be used to enhance almost any aspect of the course:

The project will use the iPod Touch and PCs (Macs) for the following activities:

• A reflective Blog (Vox.com)


• An eportfolio (Vox.com)


• Email (GMail)


• RSS (Newsgator.com)


• Shared Calendars (Google Calenders)


• Image Blogging (Flickr)


• Video Blogging (YouTube)


• Podcasting


• Instant Messaging and Skype


• Shared bookmarks (Delicious)


• Accessing the Course Management System (Blackboard)


• Document reading (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF using QuickOffice and Google Docs)