University Business - May 2012 - (Page 42)

Tech SpoTlighT: Tablets, Laptops, Desktops The Wharton MBA for Executives program issues slate tablets on which students can access course materials. There are apps available to help with studying and note-taking. CoMputing trends, Today and Tomorrow omputer platforms are broadening on campus as colleges and universities invite students to use a variety of tablets, laptops, and desktops in mobile and traditional learning environments. Device choices expand as the emphasis is on apps over hardware. Some institutions offer specific makes and models. Many are opening up to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), so long as the machine in question can leverage the learning environment. Technologies such as desktop virtualization are set to change the game further, taking the workload off the computer and putting it on the web. Read on for trends in how tablets, laptops, and desktops are being used—and managed—on campus. Tablets: Portability Rules Slate tablets are trending fast on campus. The Wharton MBA for Executives pro42 | May 2012 By David Geer C Managing computer devices across campus gram at the University of Pennsylvania illuminates the advantages. As Dan Alig, senior director of administrative technology at Wharton, explains, it’s “a full MBA program with a highly mobile student body meeting alternate weekends on campus.” Wharton once required students to carry mountainous study packs and textbooks. Now, all that data is accessible on standard slate tablets weighing less than two pounds. The tablets access courseware through collaboration suites. Students select from a wide variety of additional apps for working with that content. “There are apps for studying, taking notes, and highlighting elements on screen,” says Alig. Students stream data to their tablets in classrooms in San Francisco, Philadelphia and globally (when traveling for business between classes). Streaming wireless enables student productivity anytime, anywhere. The tablets leverage servers that push apps and data to students. Wharton tracks tablet use and applies that data to improve the learning experience. At Wharton, tablets enable study groups that collaborate through video conferencing using multipeer connection tools. Students bring in applications offering text and visual collaboration. “The interactions are very dynamic,” says Alig. At Post University (Conn.), tablets and other devices abound as students enjoy BYOD support. However, devices must meet certain minimal criteria for students to enjoy the full benefit of the learning environment. “Requirements include some type of computer with internet access (wireless access is a plus). Students using Post’s network must have antivirus software on their computers before they can connect. Students also need the Microsoft Office universitybusiness.com RAi POquiz, WHARTON | SAN FRANCiSCO http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - May 2012

University Business - May 2012
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Ad Index
Behind the News
Human Resources
Education Gateways
Big Ideas
Reaching Higher
Admissions Goes Social
Learning Disabled Students Welcome
Who Goes There?
Computing Trends, Today and Tomorrow
Money Matters
End Note

University Business - May 2012