In a pilot scheme, South Kent College in Dover has spent 25,000 on iPods promised to the first 250 students to enrol on their September courses. All 40 full-time childcare students have signed up for their provisional iPod Nanos, including 25 taking CACHE Diploma in Childcare and Education Level 3.
Assistant principal Josh Coleman confirmed that iPods would not be issued until 19 October. 'Between now and then students must have full attendance, submit all their work and show they've engaged with the course,' he said.
'It's an incentive for them to improve, rather than an incentive for them to enrol on the course in the first place.'
Early years lecturer Alex Smith said, 'As I see it, a student's attention may drift in a lecture, whereas with the iPods they will be able to listen again when they are more focused. Some students come from schools where they're not used to using textbooks and don't even know how to use an index. But with the iPods they can pull up information quicker than I can get it from an index in a textbook.'
The majority of Ms Smith's lectures will be recorded and put on the course website to download, as well as revision sessions and exam tips.
'We want to improve achievement,' said Mr Coleman. 'A lot of the students, especially on the childcare courses, have jobs as well. They can attend lectures but then have time to go over them on the way to work.'
South Kent College plans to roll out iPods to its other sites in Folkestone and Ashford if the scheme is successful.