Ubiquitous Computing

1
Ubiquitous Computingteaching on the assumption
that you dont have to dumb down the curriculum
because not all students have access to the
Internet
1

• By David G. Brown
• VP, Dean, and Professor of Economics
• Wake Forest University
• http//www.wfu.edu/brown and brown_at_wfu.edu

2
8 BASIC MODELS OFUBIQUITOUS COMPUTING(Ordered
by total cost, starting with the most expensive)
2

• All Laptops Annual Refresh (U Minnesota-Crk)
• Refresh Less Frequently (Wake Forest U)
• Substitute Desktop Computers (US Air Force Aca)
• Provide One Computer Per Two Beds (Chatham)
• Specify Threshold Level (U North Carolina)
• Substitute Network Computers
• Provide Public Station Computers (Boston College)
• Teach with Explicit Assumption of Access

3
Phase In Strategies
3

• 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

4
THE WAKE FOREST PLANIBM A21m, Pentium III, 800
Mhz, 20GB, 14.1ActMatrix, 192mbRAM, Re-writable
CD56k modem, 8MB Video Ram, 10/100 Ethernet,
Floppy, Lithium-ion Battery12mbps USB Serial
Parallel Infrared Ports, 6.7 lbs.
4

• Windows 98
• Netscape Communicator 4.77
• MS Office2000 Pro
• Dreamweaver 4
• Shockwave Flash
• Apple QuickTime 4.1.2
• Waterloo Maple V 6.0
• SPSS 10.1
• Real Player Producer
• Adaptec Easy CD
• Norton Antivirus
• Remedy AR Client 4.05/01

• IBM Laptops for all
• Printers for all
• New Every 2 Years
• Own _at_ Graduation
• 31.000 Connections
• Standard Software
• 99 E-Mail
• Start 1995, 4 Year Phase In
• 15 Tuition for 37 Items
• 40 Faculty and 30 Staff

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001
5
5
Wake Forest University

• 3700 undergraduates
• 92 residential
• 500 each Med, Law, MBA, PhD
• Winston-Salem, NC
• 1300 average SAT
• 28th in US News World Report
• Top 35 Privates in Barrons Guide
• Rhodes Scholars

6
6
The Big Three
1. E-mail 2. Course Web Pages (Blackboard) 3.
Internet URLs
7
7
Ways of Thinking About Presidential Campaigns and
Debates A First Year Seminar Introducing Students
to the Liberal Arts
15 Freshmen Meet twice per week All with open
laptops
ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001
8
Consequences for Wake Forest
8

• SAT Scores Class Ranks
• Retention Grad Rates
• Satisfaction Learning
• Faculty Recruitment

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001
9
Computers Enhance My Teaching and/or Learning
Via--
9
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
10
Computers allow people----
10

• to belong to more communities
• to be more actively engaged in each community
• with more people
• over more miles
• for more months and years
• TO BE MORE COLLABORATIVE

www.ankerpub.com
11
With Ubiquity---The Culture Changes
11

• Mentality shifts-- like from public phone to
  personal phone.
• Teaching Assumptions shift-- like from books in
  the public library to everyone owns a copy of
  his/her own.
• Timelines shift-- like from our class meets MWF
  to we contact each other all the time and MWF we
  meet together
• Time horizons shift like from Ill be able to
  use this computer while in college to Im
  learning to use a lifetime tool
• Students sense of access shifts-- like from
  maybe 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

12
12
Confirmation from Professors at Americas Most
Wired Universities

• Interactive Learning
• Collaborative Learning
• Communication
• Visualization
• Different Strokes for Different Folks

www.ankerpub.com
13
With standardization---
13

• 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

14
With Portability---
14

• Continuous Contact Faculty Availability
• More Student Collaboration
• More Curriculum Flexibility
• Easier Travel Abroad
• Quicker Exchange When Machine is Broken
• Fewer Computer Labs More Classrooms
• Greater Sense of Ownership

15
BIG ISSUES
15

• Communication vs Presentation vs Analysis vs
  Access to Internet
• Virtual Courses vs Hybrids
• Academic vs Administrative
• Consortia vs Going It Alone
• Todays Students vs Alums Also
• Mandatory vs Optional

16
BIG ISSUES
16

• Laptop vs Desktop vs PDA
• Standard vs Threshold
• Single Vendor vs Multiple Vendors
• Buy vs Lease vs Student Buy
• Blackboard vs WebCT vs Learning Space vs Other
  Mgt Systems
• Cold Turkey vs Pilot

17
Positioning for the Future
17

• What are your institutions 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?

18
WHY COMPUTERS?the institutional answer
18

• Communication!
• Level Playing Field
• After College Use
• Faculty/Students Demand Them
• Customized/Personalized
• Digitized Scholarship

19
Browns First Year Seminar
19

• Before Class
• Students Find URLs Identify Criteria
• Interactive exercises
• Just-in-Time Quizzes
• E-mail dialogue
• Cybershows Lecture Notes
• During Class
• One Minute Quiz
• Computer Tip Talk
• E-mails to Classmates
• Class Polls
• Team Projects
• Chat During Lecture

• After Class
• Edit Drafts by Team
• Guest Editors
• Access Previous Papers
• Follow Up Discussion
• Other
• Daily Announcements
• Team Web Page
• Personal Web Pages
• Personal Portfolio
• Exams include Computer

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001
20
Thoughts About the Future
20

• Customized Learning
• Collaboration in All Disciplines
• Hybrid Methodologies
• Every Person A Server
• Electronic Publications
• Confederations
• Branding
• Always in Touch

21
21
Five Course Design Strategies That Work
1. Continuous Communication 2. Preview and
Review 3. Controversy and Debate 4. Different
Strokes, Different Folks 5. Outsider Involvement
22
Faculty Development Concepts Worth Considering
22

• Eager Faculty
• Friendly Sharing (standardize!)
• Standard Course Shell
• Centrality of Educational Theory
• Diversity Among Disciplines
• Big 3 First (KISS)
• Start with Hybrid Courses
• Faculty to Faculty

23
Faculty Development Strategies-- Most Effective
23

• Friends and Neighbors!
• Full Time Academic Computer Specialists Trained
  and Located in Disciplines (ACS)
• Well Trained Students Assigned to One Faculty
  Member for Full Semester (STARS)
• Seminars Sponsored by the Center for Teaching and
  Learning (not only technology)
• Tutorials re Equipment by Librarians
• All Campus Help Desk

24
David G. BrownWake Forest UniversityWinston-Sale
m, N.C. 27109336-758-4878email
brown_at_wfu.eduhttp//www.wfu.edu/brownfax
336-758-4875
24