Faculty Senate Introduced by
Resolution No. 304 Academic Information Technology Committee
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF
A Proposal to Require Mobile Computing Devices
at the University of Wyoming
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Note: The Resolution is contained here in pages 1 and 2 only.
I. Rationale
The University of Wyoming’s vision for education in the 21st century is a learning environment that embraces technology to improve student access to information, promote the development of independent learners, encourage greater student-faculty communication and collaboration, and prepares individuals for work. Student computing and communications capabilities are an important element of this vision.
There are at least seven principal reasons why a mobile computing requirement makes sense.
Equal access by all to computing and communications resources;
Improved and enhanced communications between faculty and students;
A student-centric, versus a faculty-centric, pedagogical paradigm. Today’s students are accustomed to learning in a technologically-rich environment. Modern technology is moving us toward a learning environment that employs a combination of in-class and electronic/online instruction and resources;
Ready access to student services such as registration, grades, financial aid, student account information, and email;
Operational efficiency in software licensing, use of software applications, network access, and virus protection;
Institutional metrics. Many institutions that have adopted mobile computing requirements experience more and higher quality applicants, higher student satisfaction ratings, and higher national rankings;
A mobile computing environment mirrors the world of work.
First-year university students have spent countless hours interacting with computers in activities ranging from electronic games, to word processing, to complex modeling activities. College graduates are confronted with a work environment heavily reliant on cell phones, Personal Digits Assistants, Web-enabled information systems, and teleconferencing technologies that facilitate collaborative work among geographically dispersed individuals. However, between high school and graduation from university, individuals experience a process little changed than that for countless previous generations of students. It is now necessary for us to transition to a technologically enhanced learning environment. Higher education must keep pace with the incorporation of mobile computing and communications technologies as an integral part of the learning process. We need to transition from the traditional lecture-based, location-restricted, and time-constrained model of higher education to a new technology-enabled model. The adoption of a learning environment supported by modern technologies expands the possibilities for student-centered, active learning approaches. The resulting environment will more closely mirror the world of work and support a focus on lifelong learning. Acceptance of this proposal will also accelerate the changing the role of faculty from dispensers of knowledge to classroom facilitators who guide students to learn more effectively, efficiently, and rapidly.
II. Proposal
Be it resolved that the University of Wyoming continue the conversation involving the administration, the faculty and the students on a requirement for all students at the University to possess mobile computing and communications technology meeting prescribed standards set by the institution.
1. It is recommended that the Vice President of Academic Affairs select an ad hoc committee with the purpose of studying and evaluating the feasibility of implementing the above proposal.
2. The various alternatives in implementation of mobile computing will need to be considered as well as not implementing mobile computing.
3. It is recommended that the ad hoc committee establish a time line to finish their work before the end of Fall Semester 2005, so that the Faculty Senate can reconsider requiring mobile computing technology based on the ad hoc committee’s report and suggestions in the last Senate meeting of 2005.
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III. Issues to be Considered
The committee has discussed a number of efforts that will need to be undertaken if the University decides to require laptop computer or an equivalent mobile computing device as part of its academic requirements. Listed below are some of those areas which the committee considered salient.
A. Computer Systems
1. Hardware
a. The determination of the consistency of platforms
b. What kind of choices should be available in models and vendors? Should there be a range of alternatives or is uniformity a more important priority?
1) Would having a choice of different brands of laptops encourage competitiveness among vendors with the result of better prices on laptops?
c. The replacement cycles of laptops must be determined, made realistic and at the same time be congruent with changing technology.
d. Types of services need to be considered, such as memory, hard drives, etc.—by college
2. Software
Not only do we determine consistency of software but kinds of software that will be needed, both initially installed on the computer (OS, Office) and that to be added later (Antivirus)
a. Software licensing will need to be a very important priority.
1) Centralized software purchasing for licensing purposes.
2) Distribution and access to software to meet licensing requirements, i.e., concurrent or per seat. In other words, a lab computer requires a specific program, but 200 people may use the computer and only one license is needed. With mobile computing, you would now need one license per student or 200 more licenses. This change will need to be addressed.
b. As new technologies become available, they will need to be studied and implemented where advantages can be shown to impact mobile computing . The kind and variety Windows Remote Desktop, Citrix thin client, etc., need to be studied and implemented.
3. Support
a. This has been seen as one of the most important areas and will need careful planning.
1) What kind of support would be available from vendors?
2) Increased funding for University of Wyoming Information Technology support personnel.
3) What happens when a student’s laptop goes down? What do they do while it is being fixed? Who fixes it? What about their data?
4) On campus Depot repair service will be needed.
B. Campus Acceptance
1. A critical area is how are faculty brought ‘up to speed’ to effectively use the technology?
a. A support, as well as a reward, system needs to exist for faculty a least one year before the requirement for mobile computing devices for students begins.
2. A reasonable time-frame from commitment to requiring laptops on campus is probably about two years.
3. What kind of monetary benefits and learning benefits will students experience while at the University and, more importantly, when they graduate?
C . Infrastructure Issues
1. Implications of the use of mobile computing units must be part of the planning for the Classroom building, the Library and all other classrooms and laboratories across campus.
2. What are the logistics of using laptops in the classrooms—such as types of configurations, desks, chairs, outlets, and hardwire and wireless connections to the network/lan.
3. Estimates need to be made of the reassignment of resources due to reducing the number of University computers and the concomitant computer lab space?
a. How will the more general use ones be adapted to laptop use?
b. Specialized labs and software will need to be examined to determine how and if needs are to be handled. The costs and responsibilities for specialized labs are complex and will need special attention from those responsible.
4. An important task will be to provide wireless access points with sufficient density to ensure connectivity by large numbers of students.
5. Numerous everyday problems will arise that will need solution, e.g., "What will be needed to protect the network from attacks or misuse (e.g., downloading a 500 MB file over the wireless and bogging everything down)?"
6. Responsible Personnel: Overall, careful planning and the assignment of personnel to the consideration of the above issues will need the cooperation of administration, faculty, staff, and students. If, and when, The University of Wyoming commits to the use of mobile computing devices as a part of its academic mission, the Academic Information and Technology Committee suggests the formation of a mobile technology steering unit/division that would be responsible for the implementation of a laptop requirement at the University and/or within its colleges. This will mean naming specific persons who will be responsible for carrying out the initiation and maintenance of a laptop program at the University of Wyoming. This responsibility needs to be either the complete responsibility of the person or a significant part of the job description of that person.
IV. Financing Options
There are two basic options for financing mobile student computing requirements; purchase and lease:
A. One option is that some institutions bulk-purchase laptops at a heavily discounted price and distribute them to incoming students. Students may be required to pay for the machines in advance or via an increase in tuition. Alternatively, a separate technology fee may be levied over a period of 6 to 8 semesters. Other institutions elect to stay out of the transaction and instruct students to purchase their machines on their own from a preferred vendor(s). The primary disadvantages of the purchase option are that students may not receive preferred pricing (depending on the number of vendors qualified for the program) and students’ computing devices will be outdated after 2-3 years. As a result, freshman students will possess more advanced technology than seniors who will graduate with outdated equipment.
B. The other common approach is leasing directly from the university, through vendor financing organizations, or in cooperation with another lending institution. Leasing from the university may include buy-out options at decreasing amounts after each semester and a nominal purchase price (e.g., $1) at the end of the lease term. Leasing from the vendor is a preferred option at many institutions because it can be linked to a technology "refresh." Under such an arrangement, students receive their mobile computing device(s) during orientation and new equipment again at the beginning of their junior year. This overcomes problems associated with technology obsolescence (hardware, software and network) and maintains standardization across the four cohorts of students in a typical undergraduate curriculum. In some vendor programs this option provides students with two machines for about 150% of the cost of one machine and spread over four years. This alleviates students from having to use outdated, four-year-old computers to complete senior year work, arguably the most important and intensive of the students’ undergraduate careers.
The cost of student mobile computing devices may be offset several ways under either a purchase or lease option. Some institutions have established endowments from public and/or private sources to provide technology "grants" to offset the purchase or lease payments. Other institutions obtain state funding each year earmarked to partially reduce the purchase cost.
Also to be considered in the cost of some kind of computers—laptops, notebooks—is the fact that about 70 percent of all students at UW buy a computer before they come to campus or while they are here. In many cases, they often have to update or buy another more suitable computer to meet their needs. Having a set policy on what to buy, which several colleges do, will enable wiser use of computers and computer facilities.
V. Learning
A most basic question is, why should an educational institution require their students to have access to a computer that connects them to a network of communications and knowledge at all times? A straightforward answer is that this is the world in which we all now live.
A. Learning takes place in many different ways for students at a university, but increasingly the common denominator is access to recorded knowledge via the use of a computer. What has become increasing important in this access is the use of laptops, notebooks, personal data assistants, cellular phones, etc.—in other words some type of mobile computing and communication device.
B. For at least a thousand years, the model of teaching has been for the most part a teacher-centered approach . It is suggested that learner-centered and active approaches to learning offer as much or more than that of the past. Use of mobile computing enable teachers to become facilitators in the learning process shifting the focus of learning from the teacher to the student. Both become learning participants on a much more equalitarian basis.
C. Classroom learning and behavior is predicted to change significantly with the possibility that the processes of discovery and justification can take place sequentially so quickly as to be simultaneous. This learning will not necessarily be anchored in the classroom itself.
D. Communications between faculty and student will not only be immediate in the classroom, but outside of class as well. This is already seen in the volume of email experienced by most instructors who use it to communicate about classes with their students.
E. The rate of technological change will not slow in the immediate future based on the rate of change over the last decade and especially over the last few years. A significant proportion of students already surpass most instructors in the use of technology and in the numbers of students learning from it. It is important that the University consider the role that technology is now playing in learning within classes and outside of them. It is imperative that the University incorporate this tool into the learning process.
F. A careful examination of students’ goals, desires and who they are today reveal they are significantly different than students of the past—even from a decade ago. Many, if not most, work significant hours each week—part-time and full-time and have family commitments of some kind. This means that some kind of mobile computing access can solve real logistical problems in terms of access to knowledge of the instructor, the class and the typical existing computer laboratories today.
An approach to learning where students have universal computer access represents a significant shift in the learning paradigm that will impact the University in a number of predicted and unpredicted ways. An open exchange of dialogue between students, faculty, staff and administration is necessary for the conduct of this new learning environment. Such an exchange will be much easier than the implementation, but the possibilities of enhancing the learning process are great as evidenced by what has already occurred for many students and many classroom settings on-campus and off-campus. Perhaps the most important driving force for students will be their belief that becoming adept in learning in a technology rich environment will give them a competitive edge in the labor force. The driving force for the for the University will be meeting the needs of students with mobile computing units.
Summary of the Impact of Mobile Computing Upon Learning
Teaching and learning at the University of Wyoming will be directly and positively impacted by a mobile computing and communications requirement for students and faculty. This improvement of teaching and learning will happen during all phases of the endeavor, from its very introduction through to full implementation. Currently, students use a variety of computing solutions, ranging from sometimes overcrowded campus labs to home machines that vary considerably in their capabilties. By making a mobile computing device a requirement, faculty will be able to rely upon all of their students having an essential tool for interactive research, creativity, and learning. What is more, the flexibility offered by ubiquitous mobile solution will open up our classes to more authentic and interactive learning. Faculty development will play a particularly crucial role in the success of a mobile computing program, and time must be allowed for faculty to experiment and adopt the new paths that a ubiquitous mobile computing environment will entail. However, even during the introductory phase of a program and before faculty take full advantage of the pedagogical benefits, students will benefit from a ubiquitous and equalitarian mobile computing environment
The Present Position of the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming
The following is taken from a resolution passed (24-1-0) by the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming on February 15, 2005:
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Associated Students of the University of Wyoming (ASUW) would support the creation of a program as that aforementioned which would lead to the University of Wyoming providing laptops to all students; the ASUW is still concerned about the costs which students would incur because of thecreation of such a program; and
Therefore, let it be further resolved that the Academics and Technology committee shall work with existing university personnel to research the costs and ways to institute a laptop program at the University of Wyoming.
VI. Faculty Support and Innovation
The use of the new tools of technology will lead to positive changes in the classroom only if instructional technology is strongly supported by students, faculty, staff and administration. It is not an understatement to assert that there will be a real need for the development of faculty support in the use of technology. This need for faculty support and development at the University of Wyoming will increase significantly as the use of mobile technology devices are adopted across campus. Guidance of technological development should focus on effective and innovative uses of technology to enhance teaching and learning.
Typically, faculty development focuses on the use of technology in teaching situations, such as the use of PowerPoint, interactive white boards, and classroom response systems. The need for this type of development will remain. The Academic Information and Technology Committee recommends that faculty explore innovative ways technology can be used to enhance teaching, rather than using new tools to perform old tasks. The insertion of student laptops and related mobile computing devices into teaching situations will provide increased opportunities for adopting new teaching strategies.
A new area of faculty development is understanding how technology can be used to enhance learning. Rather than asking students to use costly computing units only to replace notebooks, textbooks, and computer labs, faculty need to explore and implement new strategies for engaging students, both in and out of the classroom setting. Wireless access to networks and shared resources provide opportunities for students to wrestle with concepts, issues, and applications in new and exciting ways. However, these choices can also distract students completely from intended instruction. Students with wireless laptops in traditional classroom settings can participate in unrestrained web surfing, chat sessions, and game playing. Faculty will need to learn how do engage students sufficiently to prevent poor use of time, bandwidth, and hardware. Other key issues faculty will need to address include:
Appropriate use of technology in assessment, i.e. on-line quizzing/testing, in-class assignments, and homework.
Academic honesty
Effective uses of the Internet during instruction, i.e. accessing university libraries to retrieve research abstracts on current discussion topics.
Software needs beyond basic university requirements - availability and cost.
As a research university, we have a prime opportunity to provide national leadership in changing the way faculty teach and students learn through the infusion of technology. Using new tools to perform old tasks will be simple but will not yield significant change. Extensive faculty support and development will be required to revolutionize teaching and learning.
VII. Viewpoints of College Deans
What follows below are summaries of views expressed by the Deans and/or their representative about considering the use of laptops (mobile computing units) at the University in a series of meetings with the Gary Hampe, Chair, and Kenton Walker, Member, of the Academic Information and Technology Committee. The question that was put to each was "How favorable (or not) would you be to participate in a pilot project involving the required use of laptops/mobile computing units in their college?"
College of Agriculture, Associate Dean James K. Wangberg. "Very positive, but there is concern over the cost to the student. The field itself is ready."
College of Arts and Sciences, Oliver Walter. "A good idea, but the cost needs to be considered… ..I think a pilot of all A&S would be too large—why not select a division or several departments. I certainly support your initiative."
College of Business, Dean Brent Hathaway. "Absolutely. Our students are ready for us to implement the use of laptops. Many of our faculty are already doing it." But we will need local support
College of Education, Dean Patricia McClurg. "A emphatic yes." The College of Education is already integrating technology into its courses and creating courses dealing specifically with technology.
College of Engineering, Dean Ovid A. "Gus" Plumb and David Whitman. "Yes, we are positive, but we need to know the details."
College of Health Sciences, Dean Robert O. Kelley. "We need this. In fact our field of health and the profession in it are the driving force for us to do this." One of the very important issues raised by Dean Kelley was the need for a comprehensive information technology policy on technology and its use at the University. Such a policy would be invaluable in guidance to the Colleges and its Deans.
College of Law, Dean Jerry Parkinson. The use of technology in the classroom is clearly coming. If required, there would be no opposition to it, but no sure about requiring the students to have a laptop at this time. Approximately one-half of the incoming students now use them in class.
Graduate School, Dean Don Roth. "I think it is a good idea." Two qualifications would be consideration of the cost and that some departments have significant different needs, i.e., Mackintosh computers versus windows-based computers.
Overall: Very favorable reception by the Deans. All contacted stressed that we need to be concerned with the cost to the student and the importance of support for the technology in terms of students and faculty.