Technology conscientious Universities in the UK are today taking note of an innovative scheme used in the US, which involves courses providing students with iPod as an advanced learning tool and added incentive.

Duke University revealed an extremely positive set of results from the year-long program in which 1,600 iPods pre-loaded with orientation material were distributed to all incoming first-year students.

“We weren’t sure what to expect when we launched this project, but we’ve been pleased by how it’s succeeded in encouraging many faculty and students to consider new ways of using the technology in fields from engineering to foreign languages,” commented Peter Lange, Duke’s provost and senior academic officer.

“We’ve been focusing on iPods and other mobile computing, but our wider goal is to integrate technology broadly into the teaching and learning process. The iPods have helped jump-start this process, and we plan to keep pushing ahead.”

Plans are in place to develop this educational use of Apple’s successful music player in the near future.