I believe that the Apple Shuffle is an excellent compromise among the conflicting requirements of simplicity, elegance, size, battery life, and function.
In my opinion, no single design is apt to be optimal for everyone.
I think there is a tendency in science to measure what is measurable and to decide that what you cannot measure must be uninteresting.
Sure, one can always get the students to relax and be happy - entertained, but although being laid back and relax can also lead to creativity, mostly it means that nothing much gets done.
And to get real work experience, you need a job, and most jobs will require you to have had either real work experience or a graduate degree.
So what does a good teacher do? Create tension - but just the right amount.