Ubiquity in Higher Education

On the one hand, there’s something quaint about the question posed in this headline: “Can the iPhone Save Higher Education?”  This question has been asked breathlessly about various forms of technology for decades now, and, what’s more, it becomes obsolete this weekend, when the newest higher-ed saving technology comes out.  (And on Easter weekend, no less!)

On the other hand, contemporary handheld computers–whether powered by iPhone OS, Android, or something else–really do seem finally to offer a combination of power and convenience that could provoke meaningful change.

We’ve taken up this question at ProfHacker before: For example, I often lend all my students iPod Touches, and I’ve posted before about Abilene Christian University, which has the best-publicized effort to give out iPhones to everyone on their campus.  The newest round of press coverage suggests that ACU is finally getting to a position where they can say some interesting things, and I very much want to underscore this point about ubiquity:

One survey found some teachers, with classes in which not all students had handsets, reluctant to make use of the devices. That result reinforced the idea that “ubiquity matters,” says Scott Perkins, director of research and coordinator of mobile learning research at ACU. “Without 100 percent device saturation, we were limited in showing more significant academic use in some cases.”

Another study found that “iPhone students were significantly more likely to say they would always bring their device to class, than were iPod Touch users,” Perkins says. “They told us they might not take their Touch to the intramural field, where it might be stolen, but their phones they take everywhere.”

Perkins says the findings suggest students have very different perceptions of the two devices, with iPhone scoring higher as a means of highly personal involvement with friends, family and campus life.

Everything about this is right.  First, it’s got to be everyone for these devices to be useful. (One of the problems I’ve had is that, since students don’t expect the iPod, they don’t always have a computer that can support it, much less wireless internet at home.) And second, you always might need your phone, and so will carry it automatically, but you’d probably have to remember to bring your iPod.  Third, no matter how spotty AT&T’s coverage gets, it’s still more widespread than wireless.

I’m conflicted on this issue as on few others.  In general, I’m in favor of mixed computing ecosystems, and so am reluctant to support edicts of the “everyone should have X” variety.  And I’d be reluctant for schools to become overly associated with particular brands–the way some colleges are known as Nike or Adidas schools.  But teaching with the iPod Touch showed me that, even with technology that “just works,” there’s a lot of hand-holding and explaining to do.  If we’d been trying to support a whole variety of smartphones, I’m pretty sure my head would’ve exploded.

The article has a host of interesting examples and anecdotes from ACU’s trial, and is definitely worth a read.  (Thanks to Prone to Laughter for the tip.)

Image by Flickr user davidmaitland / Creative Commons licensed