Ubiquitous Computing at Seton Hall University

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Ubiquitous Computing at Seton Hall University
Presented to TLT Group April 18, 2006
Stephen G. Landry CIO
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Key Ideas

• There is a rich array of excellent teaching and
  learning resources available online
• To take full advantage of these resources,
  institutions need to ensure universal access to
  those resources
• Access to the technology is necessary but not
  sufficient to use these resources to improve
  teaching and learning support, particularly
  support for technology enabled redesign of
  teaching and learning, is needed
• Access to the technology has become much more
  attainable in the last ten years, to the point
  where this is a tractable issue for most
  institutions

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Seton Hall University

• Mid-Sized private Catholic-affiliated research
  intensive University located in suburban NJ,
  approx. 15 miles from NYC
• Main campus in South Orange NJ
• Law School in Newark, NJ
• 4,400 full time undergraduate students
• 50 live on campus / 50 commute
• 400 full time faculty

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Strategic Planning at SHU

• Following 1994 Middle States accreditation, SHU
  embarked on an intensive strategic planning
  effort resulting in the Universitys 1996
  strategic plan
• Increased undergraduate enrollment target from
  900 per year to 1200 per year
• Increased scholarships / tuition discount
• Launched new schools of Diplomacy and Graduate
  Medical Education launched SetonWorldWide, the
  Universitys online university with seven wholly
  online degree programs
• Built new library and new academic building
• Made a substantial commitment to technology
• GOAL To provide a technologically advanced
  learning environment for our students and faculty

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Implementation of Ubiquitous Computing

• During planning in 1994-96, faculty saw the
  potential of online resources to improve student
  learning but saw access and support as
  impediments to their taking advantage of these
  resources in their own teaching
• University launched its Mobile Computing Program,
  aimed at providing access, services, and support
• First pilot in 1995 with twelve faculty in
  Business and AS and twenty Business Honors
  students
• Mandatory for all incoming first year Business
  Majors in 1997
• Mandatory for all incoming first year students in
  1998

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Mobile Computing Program

• Seton Hall Universitys Mobile Computing Program
  is an innovative academic program involving three
  components
• Access The University licenses the use of a
  laptop computer to students as part of their
  tuition and fees
• Curricular Integration The University provides
  support and incentives to faculty to use
  technology in innovative ways to enhance teaching
  and learning
• Network and Support Services The University
  provides the infrastructure and support services
  that enable the effective use of technology in
  teaching and learning

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Impact on Learning Environment

• Mobile Computing Assessment Program demonstrates
  that the program has had a positive impact on TL
• Benefits have come primarily through the
  sustained support for using technology to improve
  TL
• Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center
• Internal Grants to Promote / Support Effective
  Faculty Use
• Focus on Technology-Enabled Redesign of Large
  Enrollment Courses (along lines of PEW LCR
  Project)
• Examples English / Psychology / Precalculus
  Mathematics / Oral Communications / First Year
  Experience (Freshman Studies)
• Adoption of ePortfolios in Education / English /
  Psychology / First Year Experience (Freshman
  Studies)

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Implementing Ubiquitous Computing

• Models of Ubiquitous Computing
• Student Ownership vs. Institutional Ownership
• Standardization vs. User Choice With Minimum
  Specifications
• Examples
• Institutional Ownership / Standardization
• Wake Forest University, Seton Hall University,
  Ontario University Institute of Technology
• Student Ownership / Standardization
• University of North Carolina / Chapel Hill,
  University of Vermont
• Student Ownership / Minimum Specifications
• Sonoma State University, Dartmouth University, RPI

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Implementing Ubiquitous Computing (cont.)

• Ubiquitous Computing has become more attainable
  in the past ten years
• Hardware costs for laptops have come down (e.g.,
  2800 in 1996 vs. 1400 in 2006)
• Costs of network hardware and bandwidth have come
  down (e.g., vs. 500 / mbs in 1996 vs. 50 / mbs
  in 2006)
• Software has become more stable and supportable
  (e.g., MS Windows 98 vs. MS Windows XP, better
  virus protection / antispyware, better network
  and computer management software, etc.), reducing
  the cost of technical support
• Wide variety of instructional software and
  content now available (e.g., Blackboard, Moodle,
  MyMathLab, etc.)

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Implementing Ubiquitous Computing (cont.)

• Points to Consider
• Access
• many campuses have nearly all students with
  laptops but arent acknowledging / supporting
  ubiquitous computing
• some campuses have access issues and need to
  develop plans to ensure their students have
  appropriate access to technology
• But access is only one part of using technology
  resources to improve student learning other
  parts include
• Support Services
• Faculty Adoption / Faculty Engagement
• Technology-enabled redesign of courses and
  curricula

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Future Considerations

• What kind of computing is sufficient for
  ubiquitous computing? What about handheld
  devices, cell phones, iPods, etc.? Is the
  minimum standard access to a Java-enabled Web
  browser and a reasonably fast Internet
  connection?
• If we extrapolate Moores Law, what will the
  ubiquitous computing environment be like in ten
  years? In twenty? How will colleges and their
  faculty respond to teaching in an environment
  where all students have a very small, discrete,
  always on computing device with essentially
  unlimited storage and bandwidth and the resources
  of a future Google providing a wealth of
  information and applications?
• What kinds of privacy and access to we value in
  our current computing environment that we dont
  want to loose in the future?

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For More Information Contact

• Stephen Landry
• Seton Hall University
• landryst_at_shu.edu
• www.shu.edu