Mobile Computing at Rensselaer
Mark Miller
Ed Seeger
Pat Valiquette
http://www.rpi.edu/dept/acs/siguccs
1 July 2016
1
Rensselaer Overview
• Educates the leaders of tomorrow for
technologically based careers
• 5,000 Undergraduate / 2,000 Graduate
• Programs – Architecture, Engineering, Humanities
and Social Sciences, Management and Technology,
Science, Information Technology
1 July 2016
2
Mobile Computing Goals
• Increase client systems for public access
• Provide a ubiquitous student mobile computing
environment
• Provide anytime/anywhere computing and network
access
• Support studio model of instruction
1 July 2016
3
Mobile Computing Overview
• Laptop required for all incoming freshmen
• Rensselaer offers a standard model including
software at an excellent price
• Students can purchase, lease, or bring own
• Laptop used inside and outside of class
• http://www.rpi.edu/dept/cis/web/laptops/
1 July 2016
4
Why a Standard Model?
• Equality- all students have the same powerful tools
• Commonality - students can help each other,
faculty know the software available to all students
• Value – excellent prices for hardware and software
• Appropriateness – right software loaded and tested,
configured for network
• Better Support – staff more knowledgeable, loaner
and parts inventory
1 July 2016
5
Making the Decision
• Four years of voluntary pilot laptop programs
- 100 students per year
• Obtained approvals
• Consulted with student government
• Formed implementation teams for curriculum,
acquisition, image, distribution, etc.
• Some resistance from students, faculty, and staff
1 July 2016
6
Getting Ready
•
•
•
•
Negotiate with vendors (Jan-May)
Prepare laptop image (June)
Students sign up (June-July)
Update courses, classrooms, services & network
(Summer)
• Distribute laptops (August)
• Evaluate (Fall)
1 July 2016
7
Fall 2000 IBM ThinkPad T20
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
700 MHz Pentium III with Intel SpeedStep
128 MB RAM (expandable)
12 GB internal hard drive
14.1" high-resolution active matrix display
10/100 Ethernet card with cable, 56Kbs modem
DVD/CD-ROM drive, 3.5" floppy drive
Security cable, padded backpack carrying case
1 July 2016
8
Fall 2000 Software
•
•
•
•
•
MS Windows 98
MS Visual C++
MapInfo Pro
Netscape
Norton Anti-Virus
1 July 2016
•
•
•
•
•
MS Office Pro 2000
Maple 6
NI LabView
MS Internet Explorer
TSM File Backup
9
Laptop Acquisition
Purchase
Two Year Lease
Four Year Free Use
Gift
Brought Their Own
527 40%
324 25%
356 27%
92 7%
23 2%
• 343 Non-freshmen purchases
1 July 2016
10
Sunday Distribution
Dorms
Fill Out
Paperwork
Pick Up
Laptop
• 900 laptops delivered, configured,
and tested
• 80 students, faculty, and staff
helped
1 July 2016
Configure
Laptop
•
•
•
Configure
Laptop
11
A Good Beginning
• Laptops used in all major freshmen/sophomore
classes (No information on learning impact)
• Anytime/anywhere computing and network access
for freshmen and sophomores
• Spring 2000 student survey results were uniformly
favorable (comments were both positive and negative)
• Larger, better qualified freshmen classes
1 July 2016
12
Classroom Utilization
Classroom Count Total Class
Average Class
Type
Hours per Week Hours per Week
Laptop
PC/Laptop
PC
Unix
1 July 2016
21
6
3
2
695
237
89
13
33
40
30
7
13
Spring 2000 Student Survey
• Laptops in class enhanced learning 77% of students agreed
• Laptops made learning more enjoyable –
88% of students agreed
• “I love the laptop computing program.”
• “In class it is a huge distraction…”
1 July 2016
14
Bumps in the Road – Fall 1999
•
•
•
•
•
•
Network problems at start of semester
Hardware problems (battery, network card)
Students careless – software, handling
No media for software
File backup too difficult
No centralized tracking
1 July 2016
15
Potholes in the Road – Fall 2000
•
•
•
•
•
•
Last minute deliveries
DHCP problems at start of semester
Students careless – software, handling
Too many repairs – old and new systems
No media for software
Insurance – deductible doubled
1 July 2016
16
Laptop Repairs
• IBM ThinkPad 600E (since Sept 1999)
1,433 Hardware repairs
356 Software image reloads (91 since Sept 2000)
• IBM ThinkPad T20 (since Sept 2000)
245 Hardware repairs
95 Software image reloads
1 July 2016
17
Types of Repairs
IBM ThinkPad 600E
IBM ThinkPad T20
Battery
Ethernet card or dongle
Keyboard
System board
Hard drive
Bezel
AC adapters
Loose video connector
System board
Ethernet card
Screens
Keyboard
1 July 2016
18
Laptop Thefts
• Laptop left unattended in a public area
• Dorm rooms not locked
• ~35 thefts from July 1999 to June 2000
(more than half occurred in April and May)
• ~10 thefts during July 2000 to present
1 July 2016
19
Summary
• Mobile Computing Program - a success (so far)
• Students careless – software, handling, security
• Number of repairs much higher than expected
1 July 2016
20