Mobile Teaching and Learning

Mobile Computing Progress Report

Spring 2006 Progress Report

The FHSU Mobile Computing Task Force began meeting during September 2005 and consists of faculty, staff, and students.  During the Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 semesters, the Task Force has consider policy and implementation issues associated with the Universities mobile computing initiative, has interviewed vendor representatives, has produced the Mobile Teaching and Learning Conference, and has monitored the progress of the initiative.

This report compares progress made with the initiative to specific goals outlined in the original charter document for the initiative.  The goals shown in the report and actions taken within the committee fit within the following categories:

• infrastructure,
• faculty development,
• faculty technical support,
• student technical support,
• and policy.

Infrastructure

Goal:  Provide time for the wireless infrastructure to be put in place and advertised to prospective students.

Response: Technicians completed the installation of cabling to all academic buildings Fall 2005.  Data Communications staff completed implementation of 802.11 wireless connectivity within academic buildings Spring 2006.

Goal:  Work out procedures with open source software for students to store their files on FHSU servers (so they can be backed up).

Response:  Students are allowed access to place files on the network drive.

Goal:  Enhance the faculty checkout area to include digital audio recorders (IPods), small digital video cameras, a videoconferencing-in-a-box solution, and other equipment.

Response: In Progress

Goal:  Standardize as much a possible and support only specified hardware and software.

Response:  University mobile computing hardware standards, operating system software standards, application software standards are defined

Goal:  A mobile cart of selected laptops will be available to share among departments for student participation in classroom applications.

Response:  Six mobile carts with 15 Hewlett-Packard tablet computers were allocated to pilot departments January 2006.

Goal:  Begin process of providing laptops for faculty members who request them.

Response:  In progress

Faculty Development

Goal:  Provide faculty support for laptop pedagogical uses in both traditional and virtual learning environments, for learning software applications, for wireless connectivity, and for hardware issues.

Response:  CTELT has provided workshops and brownbag luncheons for faculty working in pilot departments.  Plans for expansion of faculty support are in place.

Goal:  Provide adequate resources for Year One pilot projects and experimentation 

Response:  Orientation meeting and luncheon attended by administration and faculty during September 2006.

Response:  Training and equipment provided for faculty in pilot departments. DyKnow software pilot to begin Summer 2006.  Interviews conducted with faculty from all departments to determine needs.  Reports submitted to administration by Mobile Computing Task Force.

Faculty Technical Support

Goal:  Provide the highest quality and most responsive maintenance and laptop repair for students and faculty at all times.

Response:  In progress

Goal:  Train technicians to be Mac-certified, PC-Vendor certified so that some repair can be completed at FHSU (CTC). 

Response:  Apple, Gateway, and Dell have responded with plans to provide free, on-line training for FHSU technicians.  Training will begin during summer 2006.

Student Technical Support

Goal:  Provide the highest quality and most responsive maintenance and laptop repair for students and faculty at all times.

Response:  Approval of an action plan for a student help desk occurred January 2006.  Planning for implementation of the help desk is in progress.  Interviews of prospective student employees will begin during the first part of April 2006.  Equipment orders for the help desk are in progress.

Goal:  Train technicians to be Mac-certified, PC-Vendor certified so that some repair can be completed at FHSU (CTC). 

Response:  Apple, Gateway, and Dell have responded with plans to provide free, on-line training for FHSU technicians.  Training will begin during summer 2006.

Policy

Goal:  Establish a monitoring agent for the mobile computing initiative such as a “Student Computer Ownership Committee” consisting of faculty, staff and students to provide oversight and make software load recommendations  

Response:  The Mobile Computing Task Force began meeting September 2005. 

Goal:  Provide a plan that complements the fact that 40% of new students are likely to have a laptop/computer of their own upon admittance to FHSU

Goal:  Do not implement financial requirements that contradict the university brand of “affordable success.”  Financially disadvantaged students must be accommodated along with virtual and part-time students in any demand- or supply-driven mobile computing initiative. Keep all fees and other costs as low as possible.

Response:  The Mobile Computing Task Force approved a policy that allows students to purchase their own equipment and software according to University standards February 2006. 

Goal:  Support a number of pilot programs with at least four departments (one in each college) by providing laptops for the affected faculty. Departments must enter in local performance agreements with the Office of the Provost.

Response:  Pilot department agreements were established with Geosciences, Health and Human Performance, Political Science, Teacher Education, Economics and Finance and Physics during September 2005.

Goal:  Departments, programs and faculty engaged in the pilot programs and experiments must identify best practices and applications in writing to be shared with other faculty in Year Two of the plan.

Response:  In progress

Mobile Computing Task Force Past Actions

1. Reviewed mobile computing programs at other institutions
2. Implemented the inaugural FHSU Mobile Teaching and Learning Conference – February 2006
3. Authored student purchases policy statement – March 2006
4. Reviewed student help desk needs and challenges – March 2006
5. Defined university mobile computing hardware standards – March 2006
6. Defined university mobile computing operating system software standards – March 2006
7. Defined university mobile computing application software standards – March 2006
8. Began review of campus printing issues – March 2006
9. Began review of campus electrical infrastructure issues – March 2006
10. Approved application for iTunesU – March 2006
11.  Authored memorandum of agreement between university and mobile computing vendors

Mobile Computing Task Force Future Actions

1. Training of Freshman Orientation advisors – April 2006
2. Review of Faculty Development Activities and Options – April 2006
3. Participation in Freshman Orientation – April, May, June 2006
4. Implementation of Student Mobile Computing Symposium – October 2006
5. Review and recommendation of SmartPhone technologies
6. Review and recommendation of new mobile computing technologies
7. Implementation of iTunesU Pilot Program– Summer, Fall 2006
8. Implementation of DyKnow Pilot Program – Summer 2006