Without Ubiquity Computers Have Little Impact Upon Learning

Without Ubiquity Computers Have Little Impact Upon Learning ICCEL Conference on Eight Models of Ubiquitous Computing February 17, 1999 By David G. Brown VP, Dean, and Professor of Economics Wake Forest University http: //www. wfu. edu/~brown and brown@wfu. edu

Positioning for the Future • What are your institution’s strengths & weaknesses • How do you determine your place in an electronic world? • What will be your primary student markets--program areas? Degree credit? Geographic span? Age? • What are the appropriate delivery technologies next year? 5 years? Etc? • What is a realistic staffing plan? Outsourcing? Support personnel? Executive leadership? • What institutional partnerships make sense?

Computers Enhance My Teaching and/or Learning Via-Presentations Better--20% More Opportunities to Practice & Analyze--35% More Access to Source Materials via Internet--43% More Communication with Faculty Colleagues, Classmates, and Between Faculty and Students--87%

BIG ISSUES • • • Laptop vs Desktop vs Network Standard vs Threshold Single Vendor vs Multiple Vendors Buy vs Lease vs Student Buy Course. Info vs Web Course in Box Cold Turkey vs Pilot

BIG ISSUES • Communication vs Presentation vs Analysis vs Access to Internet • Virtual Courses vs Hybrids • Academic vs Administrative • Consortia vs Going It Alone • Today’s Students vs Alums Also • Mandatory vs Optional

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 STANDARDIZATION? WHY PORTABILITY? • • • Communication Utility! (George Gilder) 99% Reliability A Must in Classroom Buddies Share Hardware & Knowledge Better, Cheaper Support Systems Alums Stay Connected Students are Nomads. Study Abroad.

7 MODELS OF UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING • • All + Powerful + Laptops + Annual Refresh Substitute Desktop Computers Provide One Computer Per Two Beds Substitute Network Computers Provide Public Station Computers Specify Threshold Level Teach with Explicit Assumption of Access

6 MORE MODELS OF UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING • • Annual Lease Phase in by classes Phase in by programs Phase in by type of program Phase in by category (faculty, students, staff) Hand me down Loaner Pool

Brown’s First Year Seminar • Before Class – Students Find URLs & Identify Criteria – Interactive exercises – Lecture Notes – E-mail dialogue – Cybershows • During Class – One Minute Quiz – Computer Tip Talk – Class Polls • After Class – – Edit Drafts by Team Guest Editors Hyperlinks & Pictures Access Previous Papers • Other – – – Daily Announcements Team Web Page Personal Web Pages Exams include Computer Materials Forever

METAPHORS • • • Automobile in the Jungle Teenagers Learning How to Drive 1000 Times More Powerful Telephone Learning a Second Language by Immersion State Religion House Calls

METAPHORS • • • Cost of the Library Students as Nomads Rural Electrification Key to the Library General Contractor