Mandatory Apple
What the hell? This didn't upload as planned on Wednesday - sorry, folks.
As seen in the Oregon Daily Emerald!
My MacBook has been an invaluable educational asset. I do research on it, I use it to communicate, I write my columns on it, I play Tetris on it during class, and on rare occasions I use it to take notes during class. I don’t know where I’d be without my laptop, but I do know that I wouldn’t be nearly as good at Tetris.
However, while I’d strongly recommend a MacBook to any college student who likes stylish design and cute names for applications, several universities have gone even further. The Journalism departments at Eastern Illinois University and the University of Missouri, along with the University of Maine’s College of Education and Human Development have begun to require incoming freshman to purchase MacBooks or, in the case of the University of Missouri, either an iPod Touch or an iPhone. These schools argue that students who own their own computers have easier access to information, that proficiency with newer computer software is essential in the working world, and that as so many students already own their own computers, the new policy will affect relatively few people.
This is all well and good; schools are modernizing to keep up with the information age, which means that they’re attempting to reconfigure their teaching to 21st century standards in order to give students as much bang for their educational buck as possible. Let it be known that I think these schools have all the best intentions in requiring their students to buy laptops.
But seriously, University of Missouri? iPhones?
In response to research suggesting that students are more successful if they can listen to a lecture multiple times, U of M has begun digitally recording lectures and posting them on iTunesU, where students can then go and download last week’s lecture about journalistic ethics free of charge and listen to it over and over again to their heart’s content. Brian Brooks, associate dean at U of M, pointed out that the requirement will not be enforced – if they choose, students can simply listen to the lectures on their computers. The only reason the school will require students to buy iPhones is so it will be included in their financial need estimate for loan purposes. However, if students can just as easily download and listen to lectures on their computer in the first place, it begs the question as to why U of M is even bothering to tell incoming freshmen that they need to spend an additional $229 to buy an iPod Touch from the bookstore.
Eastern Illinois University’s issued statement on their laptop requirement says that the university is merely “attempting to assist students in getting the computer that best serves their academic and professional needs.” I have to say, though, that requiring students to buy a laptop bundle that runs between $1900 and $2700 (and that’s with the $160 discount the school provides) does little to “assist” them in getting the computer that they need; if I were to point a gun at an old lady and force her to cross the street, I wouldn’t be helping her, would I? At least, as I found out, I certainly wouldn’t get a merit badge. If that old lady wanted to cross the street, she’d cross it; if the students wanted and could afford the computer that best served their academic and professional needs, they’d have bought it already. Requiring students to buy a computer effectively targets the students who can’t afford one, and EIU’s statement is vague as to how much financial aid will be available for these purchases, as “A [educational expense] budget increase does not necessarily result in funds to cover the cost.”
College students definitely should be technologically prepared for their education, which in pretty much every case means owning their own laptop. However, it’s simply not possible for all students. I know a few people who have made their way through college using library computers or outdated desktops at home for lack of funds – requiring these students to buy laptops might make their education somewhat easier but it would also make the payment portion much, much harder. I also know students who prefer Windows over Apple; so long as they’re taking care of software compatibility issues on their own, why force them to change?
Students should not be required to drop hundreds if not thousands on new technology on top of the tens of thousands they’re already paying in tuition and fees. If they can afford a laptop, they’ll buy it, if not, they’ll make do one way or another. Forcing students to buy a MacBook is only helping Steve Jobs.
As seen in the Oregon Daily Emerald!
My MacBook has been an invaluable educational asset. I do research on it, I use it to communicate, I write my columns on it, I play Tetris on it during class, and on rare occasions I use it to take notes during class. I don’t know where I’d be without my laptop, but I do know that I wouldn’t be nearly as good at Tetris.
However, while I’d strongly recommend a MacBook to any college student who likes stylish design and cute names for applications, several universities have gone even further. The Journalism departments at Eastern Illinois University and the University of Missouri, along with the University of Maine’s College of Education and Human Development have begun to require incoming freshman to purchase MacBooks or, in the case of the University of Missouri, either an iPod Touch or an iPhone. These schools argue that students who own their own computers have easier access to information, that proficiency with newer computer software is essential in the working world, and that as so many students already own their own computers, the new policy will affect relatively few people.
This is all well and good; schools are modernizing to keep up with the information age, which means that they’re attempting to reconfigure their teaching to 21st century standards in order to give students as much bang for their educational buck as possible. Let it be known that I think these schools have all the best intentions in requiring their students to buy laptops.
But seriously, University of Missouri? iPhones?
In response to research suggesting that students are more successful if they can listen to a lecture multiple times, U of M has begun digitally recording lectures and posting them on iTunesU, where students can then go and download last week’s lecture about journalistic ethics free of charge and listen to it over and over again to their heart’s content. Brian Brooks, associate dean at U of M, pointed out that the requirement will not be enforced – if they choose, students can simply listen to the lectures on their computers. The only reason the school will require students to buy iPhones is so it will be included in their financial need estimate for loan purposes. However, if students can just as easily download and listen to lectures on their computer in the first place, it begs the question as to why U of M is even bothering to tell incoming freshmen that they need to spend an additional $229 to buy an iPod Touch from the bookstore.
Eastern Illinois University’s issued statement on their laptop requirement says that the university is merely “attempting to assist students in getting the computer that best serves their academic and professional needs.” I have to say, though, that requiring students to buy a laptop bundle that runs between $1900 and $2700 (and that’s with the $160 discount the school provides) does little to “assist” them in getting the computer that they need; if I were to point a gun at an old lady and force her to cross the street, I wouldn’t be helping her, would I? At least, as I found out, I certainly wouldn’t get a merit badge. If that old lady wanted to cross the street, she’d cross it; if the students wanted and could afford the computer that best served their academic and professional needs, they’d have bought it already. Requiring students to buy a computer effectively targets the students who can’t afford one, and EIU’s statement is vague as to how much financial aid will be available for these purchases, as “A [educational expense] budget increase does not necessarily result in funds to cover the cost.”
College students definitely should be technologically prepared for their education, which in pretty much every case means owning their own laptop. However, it’s simply not possible for all students. I know a few people who have made their way through college using library computers or outdated desktops at home for lack of funds – requiring these students to buy laptops might make their education somewhat easier but it would also make the payment portion much, much harder. I also know students who prefer Windows over Apple; so long as they’re taking care of software compatibility issues on their own, why force them to change?
Students should not be required to drop hundreds if not thousands on new technology on top of the tens of thousands they’re already paying in tuition and fees. If they can afford a laptop, they’ll buy it, if not, they’ll make do one way or another. Forcing students to buy a MacBook is only helping Steve Jobs.