While it is nothing new for colleges to turn ipods into educational or research tools, one college is finding more uses for the increasingly popular player of music and video.
Georgia College & State University history professor Deborah Vess has her students download 39 films to their iPods, which frees up class time from screening the movies. Vess said that it gives much more time for interaction and analysis in the classes which also includes historical methods.
Another use that the professors get, is one that psychology teacher Noland White does, he has freed up a lot of his office hour time by putting a podcast up on the most asked questions of the week.
The school has formed a group to throw around ideas that they can use to streamline many thing currently done at the university, ideas like portable yearbooks and campus brochures with podcasts.
Apple Computer, the iPod maker is capitalizing on this trend with their "iTunes U" service, that offers lectures and a number of other materials online for iPod users.
Another use that the colleges are making of the devices are in reference to foreign students who use them to immerse themselves in their homework. Others are using them to recruit high schoolers to their campuses, while others use them to communicate when problems that come up on campus need to be addressed.
Some schools are using the iPod to offer freshmen survival guides that offer advice on classes as well as dorms and nightlife.
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