You can now perform a simple search of all the issues of Infobits by using the search tool at http://its.unc.edu/tl/infobits/. Just type a word or phrase in the search box and press the Enter key.

LAPTOPS CHANGE STUDENTS' WORK HABITS

"It's not that laptops are good or bad for learning. It depends on how they are used." A two-year study of the use of laptop computers by students in Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design "was designed to investigate how students use laptops inside and outside the classroom and how these practices enrich or diminish their university experience. . . . The study examined whether laptops affect the nature of the instructor-to-student or student-to-student interactions in and out of the classroom; how students conduct their out-of-class work in terms of location, time-on-task, and physical and social setting; and the process and quality of student work."

Some of the findings of the study showed that while students with laptops may spend more time on assignments, the time is not reflected in higher grades. Students with laptops tended to work more from home and were more likely to work alone.

Read more about the study on the Carnegie Mellon website:

Press release:
http://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2006/november/Nov.%2020%20-%20Laptop%20Study.shtml

Draft report of study:
http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/LaptopStudyReport-2006.pdf

THE $100 LAPTOP REVISITED

In 2005, Nicholas Negroponte announced that beginning in 2006 he would build 100-200 million units of the Hundred-Dollar Laptop, or HDL (http://its.unc.edu/tl/infobits/bitaug05.php#7) and distribute them to children across world. According to a November 30, 2006, New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/30/technology/30laptop.html), the projected distribution date is mid-2007 and the projected cost is closer to $150 per computer. Now that the project is nearing realization, detractors (including Intel, which is marketing its own low-cost computer, and Microsoft, whose Windows operating system is not part of the HDL software load) are voicing reservations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Laptop_per_Child#Criticism).

COURSE REDESIGN PLANNING RESOURCES

Using the experience gained from large-scale course redesign projects, the National Center for Academic Transformation has developed a collection of materials to help institutions starting their own course redesign projects. The materials include planning resources, recommended readings, and forms and worksheets. Resources are available online at http://www.thencat.org/R2R/R2R_Planning_Resources.htm.

The National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) is an "independent, not-for-profit organization that provides leadership in using information technology to redesign learning environments to produce better learning outcomes for students at a reduced cost to the institution." For more information, contact: The National Center for Academic Transformation, PO Box 5077, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 USA; tel: 518-695-5320; fax: 518-695-5633; email: info@theNCAT.org; Web: http://www.thencat.org/.

HIGHER EDUCATION IT BEST PRACTICES

The theme for the December issue of Campus Technology is "best practices." Projects from over one hundred colleges and universities around the U.S. are cited as exemplars in the areas of smart classrooms, connectivity, and administrative IT. The complete list is available online at http://campustechnology.com/.

Campus Technology [ISSN: 1089-5914] is a monthly publication focusing exclusively on the use of technology across all areas of higher education. Subscriptions to the print version are free to qualified U.S. subscribers. For more information, contact: Campus Technology, 101communications LLC, 9121 Oakdale Ave., Suite 101, Chatsworth, CA 91311 USA; tel: 818-734-1520; fax: 818-734-1522; Web: http://campustechnology.com/.