Building the Case for--Ubiquity
Standardization
Laptops
Brand Name
Thoughts of David G. Brown
VP (WFU) and Dean (ICCEL)
November 11, 1999
WHY
COMPUTERS?
WHY COMPUTERS?
…the institutional answer
•
•
•
•
•
•
Communication!
Level Playing Field
After College Use
Faculty/Students Demand Them
Customized/Personalized
Digitized Scholarship
WHY COMPUTERS?
…the faculty answer
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Interactive Learning
Learn by Doing
Collaborative Learning
Integration of Theory and Practice
Visualization
Communication
Different Strokes for Different Folks
WHY
UBIQUITY?
With Ubiquity--The Culture Changes
• Mentality shifts-- like from public phone to personal phone.
• Teaching Assumptions shift-- like from readings are on
reserve to everyone owns a copy of his/her own.
• Timelines shift-- like from “our class meets MWF” to “we
see each other all the time and MWF we meet together”
• Students’ sense of access shifts-- like from “I can get
that book in the library” to “I have that book in my library.”
• Relationships shift-- like from a family living in many
different states to all family members living in the same town
WHY
STANDARDIZATION?
WHY STANDARDIZATION?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Communication Utility! (George Gilder)
99% Reliability A Must in Classroom
Buddies Share Hardware & Knowledge
Better, Cheaper Support Systems
Marketing Advantages
Faculty “Trusts” Equality of Access
WHY
PORTABILITY?
Distinctive Opportunities
Available Only in Laptop Settings
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Faculty are always available
Students expect messages between classes
Student PowerPoint talks are common
Team assignments increase
On site data collection & essay writing
Papers often include visuals, even motion
Study at best location, not limited to dorm
Continuous contact
Distinctive Opportunities
Available Only in Laptop Settings
• Students take computers to faculty offices
and their study mates.
• Quick exchange when machine is broken
• Fewer computer labs are needed
• Departmental clubs thrive
• Student Portfolios Emerge
• Students teach faculty
• Access to college continues when abroad
and after graduation
WHY
BRAND
NAME?
Why Brand Name?
(Laptop Plus)
•
•
•
•
•
Here Today. Here Tomorrow!
Brand attracts students (associates w quality)
Brand attracts recruiters (dominant in business)
Maximizes student self confidence
General Contractor (full service)
– Responsible for interfaces (compatible w servers)
– Available in every crisis (full service)
– Diversity of strategies (e.g. big server, small client)
• Size enables flexibility
Actions Toward Capitalizing on
Ubiquity, Standardization, and
Portability
• Ask more of students! (new day)
• Encourage students to use computers in
their non-course life (as well).
• Design activities that start before class and
extend beyond class.
• Expect students to bring computers to prof
office, to friend’s dorm room, adjunct prof.
• Add Fieldwork
Continued...
• Explore team taught courses, especially
between departments and schools
• Facilitate continuing contact with students
after course and after college
• Require all students to submit in class
answers (so none coasts)
• Structure rewards for collaborative projects
• Recognize that old limits of lab availability
are gone.
Continued….
• Create student portfolios
• Other things equal, design projects that may
be completed on the laptops as well as in
computer labs
• Put students and faculty on same software
systems, especially email
• Study the competition
• Use students to train faculty.
Continued…
• Expect slower students to repeat in class
demos, etc.
• Revitalize departmental clubs
• Consider offsite studio labs (in the garden)
• Get more students studying abroad
• Recognize the laptop as a portable presentation
tool (both faculty & students)
• Use anytime, anywhere access by students-including in class (updated info)
• Don’t use laptops where they don’t make sense