Times are changing. We see it every day in the way we live, the things we buy, and the way we live with the things we buy. Technology is riding the wave of change, and this wave is about to break on the rocks of education. Technology is looking to change the way we go to school and make higher education easier and more cost effective.

Last year a whole series of trials were conducted on the Amazon Kindle DX devices, putting them in the hands of students and professors on several university campuses for free. They wanted to see if the Kindle could replace paper textbooks. The gadgets were distributed across the country, from Arizona State University and U. of Washington, to Pace University, Princeton and UVA, along with others in between… and on each campus, they got kicked out in a flash. Not lugging around big, heavy textbooks was great, said most students, but the limited functionality — like search, markup features, slow page refreshes, and inability to open multiple tests at once — were big drawbacks. Seems the idea was there, but the technology wasn’t yet.

The Kindle is so “last year” anyways. Now the iPad’s the new kid on the block at school, and there are multiple universities launching iPad test programs. And why not? Apple already achieved iconic status at universities with its iPod years ago.

Apple has always had strong ties to major universities, with discounts, promotions and other initiatives geared toward educators and students. Just take a look at this commercial for the Apple II computer.

But back to the iPad: If you’re a student lucky enough to be enrolled at one of these institutions, you may have some touch gadgetry to look forward to: A list has courteously been provided by Wired:

• Seton Hill University’s “An iPad for Everyone” initiative, part of its Griffin Technology Advantage Program, will offer free iPads to every full-time student starting this fall.
• George Fox University has given a MacBook to incoming freshman for years, but now it will give them a choice between a MacBook or an iPad.
• North Carolina State University Libraries snagged 30 iPads to loan out to students and faculty in four-hour increments. It’s part of the school’s Technology Lending Service, which lets users borrow one of a variety of devices, including laptops, digital cameras, eReaders, calculators, and more. Student can use the tablets to read some of the 9,000 eBooks NC State just acquired.
• Duke University students taking a master’s course in global health research via the university’s Global Health Institute will be supplied with iPads for use in field work. Students get 3G networking,  plus pre-installed apps for data collection, importing media files, and charting graphs.
• The University of Maryland has a Mobility Initiative that integrates mobile devices into the curriculum. In conjunction with that, the university is doling out iPads to 75 honors students registered in the Digital Cultures and Creativity “living and learning program” this fall. They’ll use the tablets to access multimedia content related to their studies, as well as develop their own iPad apps.
• Reed College did some testing to find out if students preferred textbooks on the Kindle versus traditional paper books. (Paper books won.) Now it’s setting its sights on the iPad this fall. Martin D. Ringle, CTO at the college, expects the Apple tablet to do much better.

I agree with Ringle; I’m almost certain that students will take a better liking to the iPad for numerous reasons, the main being that it is an Apple product. It offers more functionality than a Kindle, and it’s more suited for fast-paced notetaking and studying. Plus, when you want to take a break, it’s nice being able to have some YouTube entertainment.

The only downside, at least for the bibliophiles out there, is that you can’t touch and smell your textbooks. Some people would rather have the tangible experience of holding or flipping pages, and sadly, there’s no app for that. But I think the pros outweigh the cons here. Not breaking your back with tons of books would be welcome relief for a lot of students, and having access to a multifunctional device that offers so much in such a thin, lightweight space is a no-brainer.

What do you think? Will the iPad revolutionize the education system, or will good old fashion books prevail?

Via: Wired

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BTW, if you (or your kid) are supplying your own iDevice this fall, there are plenty of ways to optimize that for college students. Check out Jake’s Back-to-School video on tricking out that dorm room!

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