This fall, incoming freshmen at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro will be required to have iPads for their classes.
It becomes the first public university in the state to make such a requirement.
Officials at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have done a similar experiment on students in Education programs, but haven’t considered on making this a requirements for all students.
“Apparently, this came out of a smaller experiment up there where students who were in Education programs were using iPads. And we had a very similar demonstration kind of project here. I find it kind of interesting that we both sort of did the same experiment and now they’re following up. So I am going to be getting in touch with that group to see where they are on that,” said Daryl Rice, UALR’s Associate Vice Chancellor for academic affairs.
“The electronic devices, they’re in classes already. So, the question, I think, is about a requirement like this. And of course we’re always sensitive to adding costs to students… And there’s a fair number of logistical issues. I believe they’re requiring this of incoming freshmen. So then the question is if you have a course that doesn’t have all freshmen and only the entering freshmen have the iPads, then there’s a kind of problem there,” said Rice.
Rice says he is curious to see how this will work out for ASU.