California universities use iPads to report news, diagnose heart conditions; Penn State students are like, 'what's an iPad?'
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted August 15th 2010 9:12PM
posted August 15th 2010 9:12PM
As you know, colleges and universities love throwing in "free" gadgets to justify bumping up their enrollment fees. To this end, USC Annenberg has announced a new program to provide j-school students with iPads, digital cameras, and audio recorders to help them report the news. Now, don't get us wrong: we appreciate the importance (and we're big fans of) "the journalism," and if an upgrade from those long, skinny notepads to modern consumer electronics helps facilitate a new crop of Woodwards 'n Bernsteins, then so be it. But are these kids really supposed to type their front-line reportage with the on-screen keyboard? And haven't most students had access to proper laptops for years now?
In other "iPad in education" news, UC Irvine's iMedEd Initiative is providing first year medical students with "a comprehensive, iPad-based curriculum," according to PhysOrg. The devices are equipped with all the necessary apps for note-taking, recording audio, and faculty will develop podcasts and archiving lectures. Our favorite part of all this? The "digital stethoscope," which interfaces with the tablet for listening to and recording a patient's heartbeat. Once recorded, it can be compared to a library of over 3,000 heart sounds that typify specific heart conditions. Thornton Melon never had it so good!
[Thanks, Matt F]
In other "iPad in education" news, UC Irvine's iMedEd Initiative is providing first year medical students with "a comprehensive, iPad-based curriculum," according to PhysOrg. The devices are equipped with all the necessary apps for note-taking, recording audio, and faculty will develop podcasts and archiving lectures. Our favorite part of all this? The "digital stethoscope," which interfaces with the tablet for listening to and recording a patient's heartbeat. Once recorded, it can be compared to a library of over 3,000 heart sounds that typify specific heart conditions. Thornton Melon never had it so good!
[Thanks, Matt F]
@neojubei : Wasn't that serious about it. I know that this stuff isn't really 'free' it's just somehow tacked onto your 'fees' under technology or whatever, unless Apple or these other companies are actually giving away free swag or discounted swag to market their products more. Though of course a free Zune HD would be a perk.
Are you the new Jubei?
WHY???? WHY THE IPAD??? I DONT GET IT!!!
Joe Flatley's blog (http://lennyflatley.com/) is an advertisement for Sildenafil - a drug used mainly to treat erectile dysfunction. Nuff' said.
wow, awesome, iPad!
But I really love iPad. Apple got something very right with this product. It seems to me that much of the criticism thus far has come from those who don’t own it and haven’t used it.
It’s an incredibly tactile machine & not just in the obvious sense. I’ve found it’s portability from room to room, chair to floor, sofa to bed etc very liberating. It’s a wonderfully designed device. Honestly, I haven’t had cause to find much lacking in it all. Granted I don’t expect it do everything, but so far it’s served a purpose for anything I wanted to use it for. I’m really sucked in iPad video enjoying, as its 9.7-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1024-by-768-piexl resolution, the HD feature makes watching DVD movies with iFunia DVD to iPad video converter an utterly new experience.
@lywell
Do you realise that none of your point is related to education? Go back to check what is this news all about.
It seems to me that much of the love of iPad thus far has come from those who haven’t tried to use it for educational or productive use.
@Rockchan ipad is a media consumption device period! and a way for apple to skim off more $ from itunes purchases. Please show even ONE productive use of an ipad, and i guarantee it can be done in a more productive manner on a netbook, laptop or desktop
I don't see the need for even putting Penn State in your title other than to draw all this traffic. I'm a current Penn State engineering student and I, as well as many other PSU students, know what an iPad is. It's an unnecessary jab at one of the nation's best universities and the number one applied to university in the US. Are you just mocking us for being a "Party School" or something else? We do more than just party, we are among the top universities in the US for engineering, business, and agriculture. So next time, do some research before taking an unneeded jab.
@autoshadow Agreed!! We party WITH our iPads!! :-P
Relax, jeez. It was just supposed to be funny. I think any school could have been used here.
1) make cushy deals with corporate America
2) make device compulsory and lessen competitive choices and persona choices
3) introduce device 'free' as part of the fee structure
4) profit!
More lessons as we progress.
College Textbook publishers should start putting textbooks on the ipad.
How about spending the money on tutors. Goddamned state run institutions.
On a side note, Carnegie Mellon is currently working on some neat things for the Android platform.
Hey Engadget! Quit rapping on my home state! First you complain about "still raining in Pittsburgh" (where I grew up) and now you're taking a stab at Penn State (where I go to school)! Please try another state next time. Thanks!
Whatever! We totally know what an Ipad is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lskbO1k9VO0
Thanks for knocking my Alma Matter, Joe. If there would ever be a reason why Penn State students wouldn't care to know what an ipad is, it would be because they're smart enough to know how to use a REAL computer, and to also see through the smug of apple and its users.
@Peter S
EDUCATIONAL INTERNETS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS MAJOR!
I don't even care what the story or the article is about....
Rodney Dangerfield ftw!!!
@MartinMMC
You know why they used Rodney Dangefield's Back to School? Because it was filmed on USC's campus.
You do realize that the world's first general purpose computer was developed in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania universities like CMU, University of Pennsylvania, and Penn State have made major contributions to the field of computer science. You should probably pick a different state to make technology jokes about because you come across as ignorant and it simply doesn't make sense.
@MobileGeorge
Does every Penn State fan still use that old "You do realize..." kicker on their comments? Maybe you're not as advanced as you think, at least in debate. Or taking a joke.
.
@Darkroom
That is what the average person does with a freaking laptop anyway.
*Surf the net
*Listen to music
*Watch videos
*Play games
That is it. Apple got it right and the ipad is selling like a mother******!
Probably 15 million this year will be sold.
KA CHING!!!!!
Apple will be rolling out the new education-based version of iOS 4 for the iPad this fall, code-named "iOS Quadruple Lindy."
(shrug)
maybe their point is that Penn State students are too busy learning and researching to know what an iPad is. I dunno.
ear-regardless:
STOP THE INSANITY!!
Sounds like apple marketing/advertising. They make great products don't get me wrong but I'm pretty sure one of their programmers came up with the app to make this possible. Apple still hasn't figured out that open source is the best way to go. That's why they fell once and they'll fall again if they don't learn from their past.
wow, can't believe there still ppl who dont know about ipad
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http://arrimages.com
Am I the only one who thinks that tying your entire curriculum to a closed device manufactured by only a single company is a bad idea? What if in 3 years they decide to change product lines so that they're no longer compatible with what they're doing? Is the school going to revamp its entire curriculum every time Apple decides to do something new? Stupid...
Honestly, what does this have to do with PSU? I'm a Penn-Stater ... I know what an iPad is. AND ... we've had podcasts FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would be careful about picking on the school with the largest alumni association in the world. What is this, Gizmodo?
some people can't take a joke...
I am a PSU alumni 1997 and i too dont exactly know what is an ipad...is that something youre wearing in your pants while writing this filler for the "aol tech". You need an ipad...its the shiiit...i can do sooooo many things with...all the celebs have them...i even saw a guy at my gym busted out a ipad while he between reps. ipad is magical...was i too dumb to use a mac in our comp lab back in the day and i want an iphad cause it looks cool even though its complicated with all true multitasking features in which Android wishes it has. As a software quality assurance engineer, i can tell you the iphad is the only device i will ever take it to the gym and use it while i do my bent-over row.
Oh by way, please keep with the Apple fanboyism on this "aol" tech site....its comical and make my day. For some reason everytime i see writers they tend to use Apple and Aol...i guess they know tech best.
Gee nice unprovoked dig on Penn State. Think I'll go look for a new tech blog.
@pspitts
You sold me. When I go back to college, I'm just going to buy an iPad and nothing else. That way, when people give me music on a USB drive, I ca...
Well, when I buy a CD, I...
Nevermind that. When I want to play Bioshock, I'll just fire up...er...
Doesn't matter. It's for school anyways, so let me just go to the school's website and access those obligatory e-learn flash courses through the...uh...browser...
Huh.
Guess it was meant to be a supplement, not a replacement.
For those of you not up on the intra-state rivalry at play here...
Both of the notable universities in Pittsburgh tend to resent Penn State for being bigger, more successful, and ranking higher than them on the vast majority of academic and athletic ranking lists. What really galls them is the fact that there is only one Public Ivy in PA and neither of them are it.
CMU and Pitt are like the upper-middle class sons of privilege who, even though they've achieved much on their own and have much to be proud of in their particular areas of expertise, still resent the farmer's kid next door for being smarter, more popular, wealthier, and better at sports than they are.
Perhaps these are issues that they should look into with the help of a competent therapist.