iPhone considered ‘Required Material’ by MU Journalism School.

MU Journalism applicants won’t have to worry about trying to justify buying a new iPhone (or iPod Touch) for their new semester of school, the associate dean of the school Brian Brooks, as done that for them.

Now considered a necessity by this school official, he explains that these gadgets are specifically helpful for education in this article from Columbia Missourian.

“Lectures are the worst possible learning format,” Brooks said. “There’s been some research done that shows if a student can hear that lecture a second time, they retain three times as much of that lecture.” Additionally students will be able to download and review lectures via the school’s iTunes U program, launching this year.

But before anyone gets in an uproar about having to dish out that much more money for school supplies (as if books and tuition wern’t enough), Brooks advises that students who don’t have an iPhone, or iPod Touch will not be penalized in any way. They’re listing iPhones as required, so that people can include them in their financial aid estimates, and have the cost covered by student loans, Brooks explains “If it’s required, it can be included in your financial need estimate. If we had not required it, they wouldn’t be able to do that.” He’s following suit from a few other American schools that have added Apple products to the required materials lists, although none yet have done so in Canada.

Why the Apple products? Well, because they’re awesome, right? Well, basically yes, but really just because it’s the device that most students are familiar with. Apparently there are a few students who don’t think it’s so awesome, and they’ve started an Anti-Apple Facebook group. What do you think?

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