panel -
95 Mobile Computing at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Pat Valiquette, Renasselaer Polytechnic Institute
Sharon
Roy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Mark
Miller, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Ed Seeger, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
The mobile computing program has transformed computing
on our campus. Students and faculty now move about on and off-campus with their
laptops and have come to expect constant access to their personal computing
environment and to the Internet.
Starting with the class of 2003 our students are
required to have a laptop computer. The mobile computing program is a four-year
phased in plan with each new freshman class participating in the program. The
size of the 2003 freshmen class was 1340 and the size of the class of 2004 is
expected to be 1150. During our presentation we plan to cover the program from
the early days of the voluntary laptop pilot program through the second year of
the current required program.
We will cover the following topics as they relate to
mobile computing program.
The pilot programs - three years worth of learning
The proposal - why we did it
The implementation team - the planning stage
The academic goals- what does mobile computing add to
the educational value
Why standardize - could we support multiple systems
The system - the specifications
The remodeling of the classrooms - need to adapt the
classrooms
The costs - debits and credits
The change in the academic program - the academic
program has been changed
The distribution process - many hands are needed
What has the program meant to Rensselaer - the student
body
The student survey - the student responses
The problems - some mistakes and a few surprises
The future plans - what's next