The tiny white earpieces implicating an attached iPod can be seen in students' ears all over campus. Most often seen in places such as the library or the Rec Center, iPods provide listeners with the songs that suit their mood and get them through the daily routine.
Aside from blaring music into students' ears, iPods now allow prospective students to listen to a virtual tour of the university they have downloaded. Students are also using them to download lectures and other class material through podcasting.
Taking downloaded tours
The university implemented a virtual iPod tour in late August for prospective students who are unable to take a tour at the university or who visit campus when the Office of Admissions is not open, said Jeff Lochowicz, senior assistant dean of undergraduate admissions, in an e-mail.
The tour can be downloaded through iTunes or prospective students can check out an iPod at the Alumni Memorial Union information desk.
"We decided that an iPod made the most sense given its size and the familiarity of students with the device," Lochowicz said.
According to Lochowicz, the iPod tour is not intended to replace tour guides or prospective students' personal interaction with Marquette. It does, however, help to bridge the gap between the university's availability and prospective students' desire to take tours on Sundays and holidays, he said.
Lochowicz estimates that around 100 prospective students have downloaded or looked into the virtual tour.
"Based on the feedback we have been receiving the iPod tour has been doing quite well," Lochowicz said.
Many students say they would have used the virtual tour, had it been available to them when they were looking at schools.
"As long as it was well publicized, I definitely would have used it," said Tina Crivello, a freshman in the College of Health Sciences. "It's a really good idea."
Other students say the virtual tour would be helpful for prospective students who live far from the university.
"The tour would be especially helpful if you were from far away, because then you would be able to tell if it would be worth it to go visit," said Meaghan Kaupe, a freshman in the College of Communication.
iPods already used in classrooms
In order to make class material more accessible to students, teachers have recently been using podcasts to present information.
Michael Havice, associate professor of broadcast and electronic communication, said he is using podcasting to provide class information to his students for the first time this semester. Havice provides audio messages for his students and leaves it optional for them to download, he said.
"It gives me an opportunity to communicate better with my students," Havice said.
According to Havice, it can be difficult for teachers to make podcasts easily accessible to students.
"Teachers have to train themselves to make what they want available in a variety of formats," he said.
According to Havice, the challenges in using podcasting are presenting it so students see it as useful, and ensuring it will improve learning. Determining which materials to make available to students takes much preparation, he said.
Havice said he keeps his audio comments short and includes few links, so that students stay focused on the important course information.
"The general consensus so far is that students have listened," he said.
Havice said in subsequent semesters he hopes to add more opportunities for students who choose to download.
"A lot of neat stuff is happening around the corner," he said.
