Mobile Computing and Learning Space Design

• Ken Graetz, Director of E-Learning, Winona State University
• Kenneth D. Janz, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Information Officer, Winona State University

Looks like "mobile computing" is focused on laptop-based, not mobile phone, etc - they have programs to provide laptop for students.  They are starting to consider Apple mobile devices in design.  Very much a moving target... devices are constantly changing, the resources & media they use are changing, and the pedagogy is changing.

I like this quote "It's becoming less about stuff, and more about what you're doing to do in that classroom."  Getting faculty involved in the classroom design process has been absolutely invaluable.  IT Governance has also been very important.

Have made a strong effort to get away from a laptop focus, and really moving more toward digitizing and making resources available.  Have also used enhanced the wireless infrastructure (using multiple funding sources).

Out of the things that are working, some of the most important are standardization, rotation schedule for hardware, and ongoing funding.  Virtual meeting tools are also working out very well (they are using Adobe Connect).  For this session, they are using Breeze as a back-channel during the session so that participants can interact.

Demonstrating Adobe Connect, DimDim, Dino and another particpant has brought up Poll Everywhere as a viable alternative to clickers in the classroom - using mobile phones (texting) instead.

Efforts to put power outlets at every seat have not worked. It's been too expensive and the power is never in the right place.  They're also having no luck getting instructors to go to training on how to use technology-enhanced classrooms.  Clickers are not working (partly because they didn't have a single, standardized clicker for the campus).

Some other resources that they recommend include:

• Tidebreak TeamSpot
• Social Media Classroom project
• University of Minnesota Active Learning General Purpose Classroom Initiative
• TechSmith Relay