By Ed Madison, Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication

Cisco surprised consumers and educators earlier this month by announcing plans to discontinue production of their popular Flip Cams. The handy palm-held video cameras averaged $100, and gained wide acceptance by educators because of their durability and general ease-of-use. However, consumer electronics analysts noted that most newer model smartphones include full-motion HD quality video cameras as one of their many features, signaling a short future for single-function mobile devices.

Apple’s iPhone is generally credited with revolutionizing the mobile phone — and introducing “app” technology, which sparked a wellspring of productivity, game and educational software development. In September 2011, Apple announced that more than 10 billion apps had been downloaded from their iTunes online store. An ever-increasing percentage of apps are educational. However, the iPhone’s pedagogical benefits are by no means limited to software. Educators are using the devices to engage students in digital storytelling with greater ease and affordability.

There was considerable buzz at April’s Broadcast Eduction Association (BEA) conference in Las Vegas about a new line of video enhancing attachments for the device. Canadian-based Vericorder, is augmenting the iPhone’s video capabilities with hardware and software that expand its functionality. They offer kits for approximately $250 that include: a stabilizing frame, a wide angle lens attachment, a small microphone, and a small light. The combination transforms a standard iPhone or iPod Touch into a digital storytelling device that rivals broadcast cameras that can cost as much as $10,000.

This video shows how the Vericoder is empowering indigenous Aborigines in the Australian Outback to document their own stories through the Global MoJo (mobile journalism) Project. Vericorder provides low-cost servers that facilitate immediate online distribution of videos — right from the phone. It’s like having an entire broadcast network right in the palm of your hand.

A number of my colleagues and I are already discussing the opportunities these devices make possible for instruction that expands beyond the confines of the classroom. Their simplicity and affordability allow teachers to engage younger-age students in new and exciting ways. Students can go out into their communities and document stories that are relevant to their lives.

Expect a sharp proliferation in journalism and self discovery projects in elementary and secondary level language arts programs, since there are now fewer barriers for scholastic publishing. You can easily embed the videos into students’ written stories using free blogging platforms like WordPress. They are highly intuitive to use and can be set up in minutes. Reasonably priced templates for school publication are available through companies like Issue.

About the Author:

Ed Madison is a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication, where he is completing his Ph.D. in Mass Communication and Society. He is a 2011 ISTE Emerging Scholar Award Fellow. Madison has 30+ years of professional media expertise and served as a founding producer at CNN. His own subsequent companies have produced for CBS, ABC, Paramount, and Disney. He’s also founder of Media Arts Institute, a nonprofit organization that creates documentary profiles on media professionals for classroom use.