Campus Mobility Resources
Wireless is a hot technology right now, and so are portable computing devices.
That combination means there's lot of information on the Web about mobility -
who's doing what on which campuses, roll-outs of new technologies, and more. Here
are some interesting resources to kick off your search:
Panel
Discussion: Campus Mobility - Syllabus TechTalks
Listen to a panel discussion on campus mobility, covering issues such as distributing
laptops universally, an experiment with PDAs, and more. Guest speakers were
Jay Dominick and David G. Brown of Wake Forest University.
Interview:
Beyond Networking: Mobile Computing on Campus - Syllabus
Syllabus g'es in-depth with Carnegie Mellon's Chuck Bartel, the university's
director of network services and project director for Operation Andrew.
Article:
Software Phones at Dartmouth - Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College's innovative use of Voice over IP to replace traditional phones
has attracted a lot of media attention. Take a look at what's happening on their
campus.
Article:
PDAs at the U - University of South Dakota
Handheld devices like PDAs are an example of a technology that, when combined
with wireless, can be very compelling on campus. At the University of South
Dakota, for example, PDAs are encouraged as a means to help students with time
and schedule management, e-mail, faculty and general school communications,
and more. There are "sync stations" around campus and a friendly Web
site promoting their use.
· Free Software: Also at the USD a list of free downloadable software
for PDAs that helps highlight the usefulness of PDAs for students. http://www.usd.edu/pda/free_stuff.cfm
Article:
PDAs Enhancing Classroom Participation - Dartmouth College
An interesting article about how a Dartmouth professor uses wireless PDAs distributed
to students to enhance class participation.
Article:
Wireless Network Presents Location-Dependent Opportunities - Dartmouth College
This article discussed location-dependent technologies, in which wireless access
points are used to calculate the location of an object, such as a PDA, cell
phone, notebook computer, or simply a "tag" affixed to a book.
Article: Policies
on the Usage of Wireless Devices on Campus - University of Idaho
As you go wireless, be aware that you may need to restrict use of the airwaves,
especially in dorms or other places where students may use other sorts of "wireless"
devices. Devices such as newer 2.4G cordless phones share the same space as
the 802.11g wireless standard, as do 5G devices (802.11a uses this band). Therefore,
conflicts can occur. Bluetooth devices, cameras and audio speakers can also
cause problems. Examples abound at campus Web sites, but here's a concise notice
posted by the IT department at the University of Idaho restricting the use of
certain devices on campus: