iPhone: big hit in education market?

The iPhone has been a big hit in the market of home consumers, and might be as well in the enterprise market this July. But what about the educational market? Students of the school ACU, Abilene Christian University, created a video to outline the many uses of the iPhone at the school.

The video is a bit lengthy (eight-and-a-half miniutes), but you’ll wish you had an iPhone when you were in college or university, or wish you will. They start off by showing how easy it is for students to set up the iPhone by entering their ID and typing in a few passwords. They go into depths about how new students will find the interactive 3D map useful to find their classes. The calender, contact list and text messaging make it easy to stay on track in school. At the end of the video, they demonstrated how teachers could text the students to remind them of upcoming classes or notfiy them if they need to bring anything. Features already built into the iPhone can make it a hit in education. The iTunes Store, for example, will let students download podcasts of the classes and listen to them right on the device.

All incoming ACU freshmen for 2008 will receive an iPhone or iPod Touch.

We see mobile devices becoming a standard tool for classroom interaction among students and faculty. These “integrated backpacks” will also minimize the number of academic tools students must carry with them iPods, clickers, calendars, calculators, eBook readers, etc.easing the burden for students.
– ACU Website

Several other schools in the US are taking this approach, including Vanderblit University.

Video via [YouTube]