14 DAY TRIAL // What would one do to get a free iPhone? A lot of things, I'm sure. Well, starting the fall of 2008, all you have to do is become a student of the Abilene Christian University (ACU), a private university from Texas, affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university will provide free iPhones and free iPod Touches to all its freshmen, helping them to answer in-class surveys, receive homework alerts, check account balances or get directions around the university.
"We are not merely providing cutting-edge technology tools to our incoming students," said Kevin Roberts, ACU Chief Information Officer. "We are also providing the web applications that ensure these tools will become critical to the students' learning experience. Because 93 percent of ACU students bring their own computers with them to college, we are choosing to take them to the next level by providing converged mobile devices."
"This is exciting to me, not only because we're giving students new tools, but because we are transforming the learning environment," said Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen, ACU provost. "The extensive research that's been done on campus in the past 10 months has prepared us to launch with freshmen this fall, and research will be ongoing as we expand the program in the future."
Using advanced technology to improve the learning process of its students is not new at Abilene Christian University, as the institution was one of the first universities in the US to work with mobile devices as learning tools in its graduate distance learning programs.
ACU currently has about 4,700 students, and I assume the free iPhones and iPods announcement will make this number to grow. I already imagine some sort of ceremony that will take place when the freshmen get their free gadgets and someone will solemnly say "In the name of Jesus, I offer you this free iPhone. May the Lord be with you." Well, I'm joking (of course), and I hope no one will take what I've written as being malicious.