Evolution of a laptop university: a case study

Abstract

Technology is integral to carrying out many types of business transactions and has become entwined in the very fabric of everyday life. In the educational environment-particularly higher education-technology is underutilised as a pedagogical tool and in many cases remains largely untapped. Winona State University and its laptop programme learned some valuable lessons from the marriage between the application of the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education and technology. The transformation into a leading laptop university was neither smooth nor easy, but it is a successful case about principle-centred technological change and improved student learning outcomes. IntroductionIn response to ongoing and predicted changes in student demographics, employer requirements, and institutional funding, "a new pedagogy more relevant to the twenty-first century has been evolving" (Lewis, 1999, p. 141) in higher education. Technology is a recognised part of the overall tools for supporting and enhancing teaching and learning. Many colleges and universities have responded by making technology more ubiquitous. The assumption behind most ubiquitous computing initiatives has been that mere access to technology would lead to its usage directly. After several years and substantial investment, many universities are reviewing their technology strategy and asking important questions such as, "Did our investment in technology support our institutional mission and vision or were we simply responding to a

Assessing laptop use in higher education classrooms: The Laptop Effectiveness Scale (LES)

“…First, the predominant method of data collection is the case study (Weaver, 2005;Weaver & Nilson, 2005;Hyden, 2005;Birrenkott, Birtrand & Bolt, 2005;Brown, 2005;Granberg & Witte, 2005;Ohland & Stephan, 2005;Pargas & Weaver, 2005;Stephens, 2005;McVay, Snyder & Graetz, 2005). While this approach offers guidance and advice on best practices for using laptops, the reliability and validity of the data have yet to be confirmed for the general population.…”

“…Mitra and Steffensmeier (2000) found that students who used laptops preferred taking classes where they could use the computer. Despite the affinity for using the computer, student satisfaction is higher when students report using the laptops for academic purposes (McVay, Snyder & Graetz, 2005).A number of studies have reported that students believe that laptops make learning "easier" (Barak, et al, 2006;Mitra & Steffensmeier, 2000; Hyden, 2006;Weaver & Nilson, 2005). This may be an extension of the notion that modern students have grown up with technology, and the progression to having the "convenience of a personally configured computer [that] students naturally use it as a life tool" (Brown &Lauricella and Kay 153 Pettito, 2003, p. 27).…”

“…Arend's (2004) work showed that out of class work such as writing papers, using software programs, searching the Internet, and completing group projects constituted the bulk of laptop use. McVay, Snyder and Graetz (2005) added that students reported using their laptops an average of five hours per day, with 36% of that time being spent on academic activities. …”

Maintaining, changing and crossing contexts: an activity theoretic reinterpretation of mobile learning

“…Some educational institutes provide students and academics with portable technologies to be used for learning and teaching (Zelin and Baird 2002;Demb, Erickson, and Hawkins-Wilding 2004;McVay, Snyder, and Graetz 2005), as these devices are believed to offer portability, accessibility and convenience (Kukulska-Hulme, Evans, and Traxler 2005). In addition, as reported by Savill-Smith and Kent (2003) in their study on the use of palmtop computers, these devices are relatively inexpensive, provide access to information and promote the development of information literacy, collaborative learning and independent learning, all within the context of students' learning.…”

Mobile Computing Initiatives Within Pharmacy Education

“…Successful implementation of a mobile computing initiative requires that administrators, technical staff members, and department faculty members support the initiative. 12 Professional development for faculty members 4,9 and their buy-in to the purpose and benefits of the initiative 13,14 are 2 of the most prominent issues to address. Without faculty members who are supportive of the initiative and/or who have been adequately trained on how to utilize mobile computing within the curriculum, the initiative will not reach its full potential.…”