Advancing The Story: Why Missouri J-School is asking students to have iPhones
May 11th, 2009Posted by Laura Oliver in Editors' pick, Mobile, Training
While iPhones could be a tool for students to experiment with mobile journalism, the journalism school at the University of Missouri is making the device a requirement for new students for another reason entirely: the institute is going to make its lectures available for free on iTunes.
Is this requirement necessary, asks Deborah Potter, especially if students can access them through iTunes.
But a good free resource for non-Missouri students too.
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May 12th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Misleading headline — the “requirement” is for iPodTouch or iPhone.
Moreover, the reason is pretty mundane:
From the primary source, The Columbia Missourian – linked to in the source you’ve linked to (above):
“The reason we put required on it is to help the students on financial need,” Brooks said. “If it’s required, it can be included in your financial need estimate. If we had not required it, they wouldn’t be able to do that.”
It’s the same reason that I make some books “required” in my courses. Universities and professors try to work around rules to help students — of course, it helps to note (somewhere) that the “requirement” is, in reality, optional. The primary source of this story does just that.
May 12th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Thanks for pointing that out Kathy – I had completely missed the link to the Missourian in the original post.
I’m including it below as I think there are some more interesting issues raised including that which you mention above and Brooks (the dean of the j-school) who says they’re intending to aid students’ learning:
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/05/07/school-journalism-requires-ipod-touch/
May 13th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Just to add that we did include the original Missourian link in our first link to this story on May 8, which gave the what, but not the why:
http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/2009/05/08/columbia-missourian-journalism-students-advised-to-buy-ipod-touch-or-iphone/
In that summary, it was clear that it was an iPhone or iPod touch, and also that while the students were advised to purchase one, the requirement wouldn’t be enforced.
May 13th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Thanks for the clarification. I think the bigger story is the arcane and micro-management rules of the U.S. financial aid program. :-/