May 28 (Reuters Life!)
May
28
(
Reuters
Life
!
)
- A Japanese university is giving away Apple Inc's (AAPL.
-
A
Japanese
university
is
giving
away
Apple
Inc
's
(
AAPL
.
O) trendy iPhone to students for free, but with a catch: the device will be used to check their attendance.
O
)
trendy
iPhone
to
students
for
free
,
but
with
a
catch
:
the
device
will
be
used
to
check
their
attendance
.
The project, which is being tested ahead of its formal launch in June, involves 550 first and second year students and some staff of a department at Aoyama Gakuin University, which is located just outside Tokyo in Sagamihara city.
The
project
,
which
is
being
tested
ahead
of
its
formal
launch
in
June
,
involves
550
first
and
second
year
students
and
some
staff
of
a
department
at
Aoyama
Gakuin
University
,
which
is
located
just
outside
Tokyo
in
Sagamihara
city
.
The school's iPhones are meant to create a mobile information network between students and professors, but they are also a convenient way for the teachers to take attendance in class.
The
school
's
iPhones
are
meant
to
create
a
mobile
information
network
between
students
and
professors
,
but
they
are
also
a
convenient
way
for
the
teachers
to
take
attendance
in
class
.
As students enter the room, instead of writing their name on a sheet, they simply type in their ID number and a specific class number into an iPhone application.
As
students
enter
the
room
,
instead
of
writing
their
name
on
a
sheet
,
they
simply
type
in
their
ID
number
and
a
specific
class
number
into
an
iPhone
application
.
To prevent students from logging in from home or outside class, the application uses GPS location data and checks which router the students have logged in to.
To
prevent
students
from
logging
in
from
home
or
outside
class
,
the
application
uses
GPS
location
data
and
checks
which
router
the
students
have
logged
in
to
.
"We don't want to use this to simply take attendance.
``
We
do
n't
want
to
use
this
to
simply
take
attendance
.
Our hope is to use this to develop a classroom where students and teachers can discuss various topics," professor Yasuhiro Iijima told Reuters as he demonstrated the application.
Our
hope
is
to
use
this
to
develop
a
classroom
where
students
and
teachers
can
discuss
various
topics
,
''
professor
Yasuhiro
Iijima
told
Reuters
as
he
demonstrated
the
application
.
University officials insist the project is not intended to infringe on students' privacy or track them down.
University
officials
insist
the
project
is
not
intended
to
infringe
on
students
'
privacy
or
track
them
down
.
"With Japanese cellphones it's possible that the location data is automatically sent.
``
With
Japanese
cellphones
it
's
possible
that
the
location
data
is
automatically
sent
.
However, with the iPhone, you must always confirm before the GPS data can be sent," Iijima said.
However
,
with
the
iPhone
,
you
must
always
confirm
before
the
GPS
data
can
be
sent
,
''
Iijima
said
.
Many of the students testing the system said they were happy with it.
Many
of
the
students
testing
the
system
said
they
were
happy
with
it
.
"Up until now, we've been using little slips of paper to take attendance.
``
Up
until
now
,
we
've
been
using
little
slips
of
paper
to
take
attendance
.
But with a cell phone, you don't have to spend time collecting all of those and so I think it's quite nice," 20-year-old student Yuki Maruya.
But
with
a
cell
phone
,
you
do
n't
have
to
spend
time
collecting
all
of
those
and
so
I
think
it
's
quite
nice
,
''
20-year-old
student
Yuki
Maruya
.
When the system goes fully online next month, the university also hopes to provide video podcasts of lectures to help students who missed classes, or just can't remember their lessons.
When
the
system
goes
fully
online
next
month
,
the
university
also
hopes
to
provide
video
podcasts
of
lectures
to
help
students
who
missed
classes
,
or
just
ca
n't
remember
their
lessons
.
May 28 (Reuters Life!) - A Japanese university is giving away Apple Inc's (AAPL. O) trendy iPhone to students for free, but with a catch: the device will be used to check their attendance.  The project, which is being tested ahead of its formal launch in June, involves 550 first and second year students and some staff of a department at Aoyama Gakuin University, which is located just outside Tokyo in Sagamihara city.  The school's iPhones are meant to create a mobile information network between students and professors, but they are also a convenient way for the teachers to take attendance in class. As students enter the room, instead of writing their name on a sheet, they simply type in their ID number and a specific class number into an iPhone application. To prevent students from logging in from home or outside class, the application uses GPS location data and checks which router the students have logged in to.  "We don't want to use this to simply take attendance. Our hope is to use this to develop a classroom where students and teachers can discuss various topics," professor Yasuhiro Iijima told Reuters as he demonstrated the application.  University officials insist the project is not intended to infringe on students' privacy or track them down.  "With Japanese cellphones it's possible that the location data is automatically sent. However, with the iPhone, you must always confirm before the GPS data can be sent," Iijima said.  Many of the students testing the system said they were happy with it.  "Up until now, we've been using little slips of paper to take attendance. But with a cell phone, you don't have to spend time collecting all of those and so I think it's quite nice," 20-year-old student Yuki Maruya.  When the system goes fully online next month, the university also hopes to provide video podcasts of lectures to help students who missed classes, or just can't remember their lessons.