Smartphones On Campus
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Every student on the Abilene Christian University campus has received iPhones and iPod Touches and professors have been offered training and support for research and teaching. The project started in 2008, yet no one "killer app" has emerged that fits everyone's teaching style.
But uses are popping up everywhere. A cellphone screen, the size of a 3x5 card, is good for studying. University of Florida's extension service released "iPest1" to help homeowners identify and kill pesky critters.
Louisiana State University developed a mobile app with information on the state's rice crop after learning that consultants were roaming the fields with iPads. Because campus parking is problematic, a popular feature of a smartphone is a bus schedule app showing wait time.
Research will show whether these services improve education and are worth the cost. So far Abilene students who took phone quizzes did no better than a control group -- but all are engaged. Read more in The Chronicle of Higher Education's /A Digital Campus.
Reported By Dr. Marciene Mattleman, KYW Newsradio
