Duke to cut back on free iPod program

So it looks like handing out free iPods willy-nilly to all incoming first-year students might not have been absolutely the most optimal use of that $500,000. Duke plans to continue their free iPod program next year, but will only be offering the players to students who actually enroll in courses that make use of the iPod as part of their curriculum, after they discovered that less than 40 percent of the incoming students had enrolled in such a class. Next year's sophomores are going to be expected to keep their iPods on deck for any classes they take which use them — wonder if Duke is going to kick in to replace all those batteries, eh? Apparently the faculty's reaction to the program has been very mixed, but the IT unit that coordinated the program still feels that without having done so, Duke "wouldn't be having such active discussions about what value new technologies have in teaching." There ya go, kids — we encourage every one of you to try that line on whatever institute of learning you happen to be in. Let us know if you score a free iPod.