June 2005 1

Diamond in the Rough – a Mobile Computing Program

Myra Williams

Mark Miller

http://www.rpi.edu/dept/arc/thinktank/thinktank2005.ppt

June 2005 2

Facets for Discussion• Overview of Mobile Computing Program

• Campus involvement and partnerships

• Laptop as a recruitment tool

• Integration of mobile technology into the curriculum

June 2005 3

Rensselaer Overview• Educates the leaders of tomorrow for technologically

based careers• Private institution founded in 1824 • 7000 students - 5000 undergraduate, 2000 graduate • 520 faculty, 1430 staff• Schools – Architecture, Engineering, Humanities and

Social Sciences, Management and Technology, Science

June 2005 4

Mobile Computing Overview

• Laptop required for undergraduate students• Single standard high end T-xx model including

software at an excellent price• Students can purchase, lease to own, or bring own• Laptop used inside and outside of class• Over 6,000 laptops on campus• http://www.rpi.edu/laptops/

June 2005 5

Mobile Computing Program Evolution• 1999 Freshmen only, Emphasized lease to encourage refresh, 600E

• 2000 Freshmen/Sophomores, Administrative database implemented,Security cable added to package,Increase insurance deductible from $500 to $1,000,Student involvement in backpack design begins, T20

• 2001 Freshmen/Sophomores/Juniors, De-emphasized lease,Self insured, Refurbished laptop program, T22

Homo sapien

June 2005 6

Evolution Continues• 2002 All undergraduates, No sales tax collected,

ThinkPad Protection added, Rapid Restore with hidden partition,Laptop information in Student Information System, T30

• 2003 Rest period, T40

• 2004 Trade Up program, Request for Proposal, Lite image available,Updated all images to latest software versions, T42

• 2005 Lease to own, President’s Award, T43

Over 95% of incoming freshmen acquire the Rensselaer model

Homo sapien golfus

June 2005 7

Campus Support for the ProgramDivision of the Chief Information Officer team coordinates with groups across the campus to implement the Mobile Computing Program

• Students and Parents• President• Provost/Dean of Undergraduate Education• Academic Departments/Faculty • Residence Life• Enrollment Management (aka Admissions)• First Year Experience• Financial Aid

June 2005 8

Campus Support – Can’t Get Enough• Volunteers –

Employees from across the campus plus students• Campus Planning and Design• Environmental and Site Services• Physical Plant• DotCIO –

Banner Student Information SystemNetworkingMedia OperationsCampus Computer StoreRensselaer Computer RepairHelp Desk

June 2005 9

Corporate Partners• IBM-Lenovo – ThinkPad• MapInfo – MapInfo• National Instruments - LabVIEW• Kelty - backpacks• Maplesoft - Maple• Mathworks - Matlab• Microsoft – Windows, Office, Visual Studio

1924

June 2005 10

• Issued RFP for Mobile Computing Program partner(more than hardware)

• Vendor presentations with on-line feedback• Hands-on day for faculty (disappointing attendance)• Hands-on day for students (moderate attendance)• User feedback (strong for IBM and Apple)• Decision matrix and discussions• RFP awarded to IBM

2004 Request for Proposal

June 2005 11

IBM-Lenovo Partnership• Troy Campus Visits

Mark Cohen, Distinguished Engineer

Tony Corkell, Director ThinkPad and ThinkCentre Development

• Raleigh Visits – Products and roadmaps, technology futures• Logistics - Model selection, image management technologies,

delivery scheduling• Account team stability• Joint research projects, speaker series, campus activities• IBM is major employer of Rensselaer graduates

June 2005 12

RecruitmentDevice Think it’s

coolPlan to

purchasePassing fad

iPod/MP3 63% 32% 20%Camera phone 55% 23% 28%Laptop 70% 45% 5%WiFi 53% 14% 13%Palm/PDA 42% 9% 30%

Source: NERCOMP 2005 talk “The Young and the Wireless”, Young People’s Immersion In Technology by Dan Drath, VP Teenage Research Unlimited, 8 March 2005

June 2005 13

College Bound Teens (16-18)

Source: NERCOMP 2005 talk “The Young and the Wireless”, Young People’s Immersion In Technology by Dan Drath, VP Teenage Research Unlimited, 8 March 2005

Device Extremely / Very Likely to have

Cell Phone, parents’ area code 61%

Laptop 59%

Digital Camera 39%

MP3 Player 25%

Landline Phone 34%

Cell Phone, college’s area code 24%

June 2005 14

Recruitment Experiences

• Students expect to use a laptop • Program with standard models reduces parents’

anxiety• 2004 – Laptop incentive to reduce summer melt

Confused parents/students, failed to reduce melt• 2005 – Laptop incentive to increase enrollment

Indicators promising but more analysis needed

June 2005 15

Academic Integration

• Laptops are useful for nearly all classes• Anytime/anywhere computing and network access• Used in the classroom for some courses (depends on

the instructor and material)• Students like the portability of the laptop• No information on learning impact

June 2005 16

Laptop Integrated Courses• Calculus• Physics• Introduction to Engineering Analysis• Engineering Graphics and Computer Aided Design• Freshmen Studies• Advanced Manufacturing Lab (AML) • Next Generation Studio Biology• Laboratory Introduction To Embedded Control (LITEC)

June 2005 17

Fall 2005 Course Software

• Maple – Mathematics, Engineering• SolidWorks – Engineering• Matlab – Engineering• MS Visual Studio – Computer Science• Microstation – Architecture• LabVIEW – Engineering, Computer Science• Cygwin – Computer Science, Engineering

June 2005 18

Engineering Graphics and Computer Aided Design

• WebCT – calendar, assignments, quizzes, grades, video lectures for first three weeks

• DVD – contains lecture videos and example files• Students work on drawings inside and outside of

class using SolidWorks• Pre-configuring SolidWorks saves one day of class

June 2005 19

Advanced Manufacturing Lab• Teach, by experience, how to plan and execute

cost-effective manufacturing operations• Laptops used for designing parts (SolidWorks), for

manufacturing (MasterCam), communicating with team members, writing reports, preparing presentations, creating posters

• No room for desktops in machining area• Floppy drive required to load machines

June 2005 20

Next Generation Studio Biology• Evolution, Genetics, Cell & Molecular Biology, Ecology

• Uses WebCT and the Internet extensively

• Laptops are required for each session

• On-line, pre-class session prepares student for in-class session and on-line, post-class session explores concepts and materials presented in the pre- and in-class sessions

• Genetics Construction Toolkit

June 2005 21

Genetics Construction Toolkit

June 2005 22

Why Such A Large Image?• Faculty can plan computer assignments and exercises

knowing students have the software installed and properly configured

• Do not waste class time installing/configuring software in class

• A problem fix applies to a large segment of any class• Easier for student to remove SW than to install/configure• Does not solve problems caused by students installing

adware, spyware, and trojans

June 2005 23

What’s Missing?

• Adobe and Macromedia software due to licensing costs and issues

• Serial port and floppy drive for external instruments• Automatic technology refresh • Consistent Faculty Mobile Computing Program• Macs for the Arts folks • Include in cost of attendance• Ship to home• Add-on devices to complement laptop

June 2005 24

Spring 2003 Student Survey• Laptops essential to course work -

83% of students agreed • Laptops significantly enhanced learning –

81% of students agreed• “I have loved the laptop…”• “The laptop is the devil.”

June 2005 25

Summary

• Program is a success and largely taken for granted• Computing power and portability are a win for the students• Technology issues can be solved• Tough issues are not technology related – policy, budget, or

third party