With the changes in technology, Missouri Southern is bringing the classroom to the iPod.

“I was trying to make the material more available to the students,” said J. Chris Moos, instructor of international business and management.

In the International Management course offered in the spring semester, Moos said the material is available to the students to use if they have iPods.

“Of course you could also play an iPod file on a computer,” he said.

“You don’t have to have an iPod. You do not want to lug a big desktop around with you.”

Moos said he recorded the material in different ways.

He said he used streaming video and iPod video and audio.

“I didn’t think that any students wanted to listen to my terrible voice for 50 minutes over the Internet,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to.”

Moos said he came up with what he calls Lecture Light.

“(It’s) one-third less information that you really need for the chapter,” he said. “I tried to make it 10 to 15 minutes.”

He said he records the most important material from the chapters and places them on Blackboard.

He said he puts the material together in his office, records his voice, saves the video and audio and converts it to mp3 and mp4 files.

“(Students) use this as one more support for your study of the material in the textbook,” Moos said.

Because the International Management course is taught on the Internet, Moos said the students miss the face-to-face interaction in the classroom.

“(The) Internet course requires a lot more self-discipline and self-study by the students,” he said.

“There are more barriers for reaching out and establishing communication with an Internet course.”

Moos said he has received positive feedback from the students.

“They liked it,” he said. “The length is right. It worked out well.”

Moos believes video will not replace the student study.

“I think it’s just one more tool,” he said.

Dr. Brad Kleindl, dean of the school of business administration, said back in the old days, students would take tape recorders into class.

“(It’s) simply an extension using new technology,” he said.

“It’s a great way for instructors to provide instruction to students.”