iPhones take top billing on Oklahoma Christian students' schedules
iPhones take top billing on Oklahoma Christian students' schedules

By Jim Stafford

Published: August 26, 2008

Academic life at Oklahoma Christian University entered a new dimension Saturday when the university began distributing iPhones or its twin, the iPod Touch, to every full-time student.

The line of students in the Gaylord Student Center buzzed as they waited for the new technology that will either expand their learning opportunities or distract them.

"It's a pretty sweet toy, pretty exciting,” said freshman Brett Vanderzee as he caressed the new iPhone in his hands. "It's kind of an added bonus.”

Well, yes and no, university officials said as they began distributing about 725 iPhones and 1,100 iPod Touches. The iPhone is a definite enrollment bonus along with the MacBook laptop that OC gives every full-time student.

But it's more than a sweet toy, said John Hermes, chief technology officer.

"We know they all carry phones, they communicate by SMS (text messaging), they do all those kinds of things already,” Hermes said. "What we are trying to do is get them to use that information in a different way. We are encouraging our faculty to find ways to incorporate them in class.”

The school has created an Internet portal called Intouch, just for the iPhone, where class, weather and event information will be available.

"That's going to be their gateway to the campus information,” Hermes said. "We'll provide news announcements, course announcements. They will be able to look up anybody on campus in the campus directory.”

But there are potential disruptions that the iPhone might introduce to the OC classrooms. Students might use the phones to text, instant-message or e-mail each other during class instead of taking notes, for instance.

Actually, that's nothing new, said Amber Vanderzee, Brett's older sister and an OC senior.

"Everyone has a cell phone now anyway,” Amber said. "So it's not like they couldn't pull out their old cell phones and text in class. I know I did.”

Hermes said that faculty must decide whether to use the phones or iPod Touches in their courses just as they have with the laptops that OC students have been given since 2001.

Hermes said, "It's all about classroom management and engaging the students and teaching them to think critically, all the things the faculty are experts at doing.”

Said Mike O'Neal, Oklahoma Christian's president: "I don't know how we are going to handle that well; that's one challenge. But I think the positives outweigh the negatives.”

Oklahoma Christian launched its mobile computing program seven years ago and distributed Dell laptops until switching to Apple products this year.

The iPhone brings more than just new academic experiences, Hermes said. It's also a recruiting tool for competing with other Church of Christ-affiliated schools such as Abilene Christian University and Freed-Hardeman that also have iPhone-for-everyone programs.

"That's part of it, honestly,” Hermes said. "We focus on the academics, but it's also about trying to be competitive in a very competitive higher end market.”

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