Nebraska Professor Uses Ipod

9:12 PM EST, February 6, 2006
By Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Psychology students and fans of Apple's popular iPod can now listen and learn at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Calvin Garbin is one of the first instructors at the university to harness iPod's versatility and use it as an educational tool. "For 30 years, I've said if I could just touch my forehead to theirs and pass on the information ..." Garbin said. "This technology, to me, is an approximation of that." Garbin uses a wireless microphone hooked to his shirt to record the 50-minute lecture, then downloads the recording onto his computer. He cuts the lecture into short audio chunks and puts it on his Web site for downloading. Students confused about certain parts of the lecture can click on a link and listen again. And podcasting makes studying for tests easier for those students who are auditory learners, Garbin said. The technology-savvy professor was already loading up recordings of his classes to the Internet, making lectures available to students. But this semester, students don't have to sit at the computer to listen. The portable player allows students to take the lecture anywhere. "I'm not worried about attendance," Garbin said. "I think I put on a pretty good show." All the course's homework assignments are online. The professor also uses Powerpoint for the lectures, and students can print off the slides to follow along during class. Garbin said technology enables him to teach about 30 percent more material a semester. It hasn't been easy, though. Garbin said he and David DeWester, a computer specialist from the College of Arts and Sciences, spent hours designing the homework assignments and smoothing out problems in the software. Garbin said he hopes to have video of his lectures on the Internet by the end of the semester.