ASU idiots dont think anything about driving up the cost of education.

http://www.statepress.com/issues/2006/01/31/news/695498

Downtown students may need laptops

by Tara Brite

published on Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Students attending ASU's downtown campus in the fall may not have to wait in line at a computing commons to get online since they may be required to have a laptop.

Adrian Sannier, a University tech officer, is working with different groups at the downtown campus to implement a "1:1" technology plan where there will be one computer for every student on campus.

Under the plan, ASU would invest money in helping students purchase laptops and choose the appropriate software programs for their majors.

"The benefit of this is that it is student-owned technology. That computer is yours," Sannier said. "It represents your own connection to your academic life."

In the current technological system, the University invests its money in common computers for students to share, Sannier said.

Requiring students to purchase laptops would allow them to connect to the Internet all over campus through wireless networks and would also allow them to store more files, he said.

"Instead of technology being this thing you sometimes use, it can become a much more integrated part of your entire academic enterprise," he added.

While Sannier does not know how much this venture would cost students or the finances available by the University, affordability would not be a problem in the 1:1 model, he said.

The University would use its technology funding to help increase financial aid for students who cannot purchase their own laptops, Sannier said. They would also try to team up with computer companies to offer discounts and extended financing periods, he added.

Sarah Hughes, assistant vice provost of information technology, said she is working to find out what costs are associated with the 1:1 initiative.

She said she is evaluating the current cost of maintaining computer labs on campus versus the cost of implementing the new plan.

"The money part is kind of tricky," Hughes said.

Sannier said he hopes purchasing a laptop that would last a student four years would save students money in the long run by offering online textbooks and instant communication.

"If we can put together a robust digital textbook program, then we may be able to reduce the overall amount students spend," he said. "We're still trying to figure it all out."

Samuel DiGangi, assistant vice provost for information technology, said he would administer a survey in February to find out what types of technology students and faculty currently use and what they could do with additional resources.

The survey would focus on individual colleges and programs to see how they use technology differently, he said.

"The focus is on the learning platform," DiGangi added. "We are working with students and faculty to design a learning environment that is engaging."

Sannier said 50-to-80 percent of students on the Tempe campus bring their own computers to school.

Mike Munroe, a mechanical engineering junior, said he just purchased a laptop two weeks ago to bring to campus because the computer lab he used to use in the Goldwater Center recently closed.

"I'm not going to wait two hours in line at the computing commons," he said.

Munroe said having a laptop would help him post on Blackboard, among other things.

Sannier said these were not the only benefits of a 1:1 technology ratio on campus.

"Once we build an institution that embraces this idea of ubiquitous computing, then it becomes the educational platform," he said.

This would include using online textbooks, podcasts and blogs for classroom purposes, he said.

Sannier hopes this technology could eventually spread to all the ASU campuses, he added.

Education junior Erica Barragan said she does not think laptops are necessary on campus because of the availability of the computer labs.

Barragan said she uses the computer labs on campus at least three times a week and thinks not all students would be able to purchase a laptop.

"It's not fair for students who don't have that much money," she said. "It will make their lives harder."

Reach the reporter at tara.brite@asu.edu


Crazy Atheist Libertarian
Crazy Atheist
Government Crimes
Government News
Religious Crimes
Religious News
Useless News!
Legal Library
Libertarians Talk
War Talk
Arizona Secular Humanists
Putz Cooks the ASH Book's
Cool Photos & Gif's
More cool Gif & JPEG images
Az Atheists United
HASHISH - Arizona
Messy Yard Criminals
Papers Please, the American Police State
Tempe Town Toilet
Tempe Town Lake
"David Dorn"    -    Hate Monger
"David Dorn" Government Snitch?
Free Kevin Walsh
U.S. Secret Service
Secret Service Political Prisoner
News about the Secret Service
WLA
Western Libertarian Alliance
Phoenix Copwatch
Copwatch
Friends