The e3 Laptop Program

Integral to the School of Architecture and Urban Planning’s (SARUP) mission to provide students with a competitive and comprehensive education in architecture is keeping abreast of information technology.

Because computer-aided design programs and image-editing software are used every day in the world of architecture, SARUP developed the Electronic Educational Environment (e3).

Rolled out in the Fall of 2002 and through cooperation and collaboration with I&MT, the Financial Aid office and the Bursar’s office, the e3 program provides some 300 SARUP students with a laptop computer installed with state-of-the-art software that they learn and then use. The goal is to provide the students with the most reliable, transparent technology possible.

Many SARUP faculty members use the same hardware and software and incorporate the technologies into their courses. Over the past year, and with each new class, the laptops have been integrated into the curriculum.

James Dicker and Gil Snyder, both professors in the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, and Joseph Fieber, Computing Services Manager for SARUP, applaud the communication and teamwork prevalent between the various departments, units and vendors while the laptop program was developed and has evolved.

While I&MT staff provide ongoing walk-in, email and phone support for SARUP students and faculty, this fall the program had additional support from Dell Computer Corp. who sent representatives to the campus when students picked up their laptops.

Staying competitive with other higher-ed architecture programs is important to SARUP, and four components of the e3 program illustrate how the students’ needs and concerns are also addressed: Savings
For students participating in the e3 program, the cost of leasing the laptops is approximately $525 per semester, or for students in a two-year program, about $2,200. A comparable laptop computer purchased through Dell’s online store would cost $2,400 plus taxes and shipping. Additionally, SARUP faculty estimate that each student would pay an additional $3,000 to own licensed versions of the software currently installed on the e3 laptop computers.

Fieber points out the elimination of the “haves vs. the have nots.” By having students use similarly configured laptops, all are learning by way of a level playing field.

Professor Snyder says that before the standardized program, even students who were able to buy the latest equipment still were often lacking the tools and applications the SARUP courses use.

Professor Dicker adds that students come into the e3 program with different levels of computer experience. Students also may have poor computing habits. A baseline system with baseline standardized training has helped to reduce or eliminate poor habits. Fieber adds that another training benefit has been the increased general computer knowledge the students gain, which has translated to greater comfort in using computers.

Support
If an online shopping trip included shopping for technical support service, including the support of the e3 wireless network configuration, student costs would skyrocket. However, the e3 program includes highly customized support services offered to the school at a bulk rate, and students bring faulty laptops to the I&MT on-campus service site.

Before standardization, hardware breakdowns were a never-ending challenge in SARUP, delaying assignments, causing lost files and generating overall frustration. With the e3 standardized laptop and training, students should never lose more than thirty minutes worth of work. Also, because of standardization, there need only be “one fix for all” notes Fieber.

Financial Aid
Because SARUP currently requires the laptops, the e3 program costs are included in the formula used to determine financial aid awards (student loan and grant money) to students. If a student applies for financial aid, some or all of the cost of the laptop can be covered with aid money.

Reflections on Year 1
The laptops create the opportunity to learn faster. Professor Dicker comments that computers definitely play a large role in how well a student comprehends the architectural concept of scale. Unlike a traditional paper-and-pencil drawing, a computer model can be manipulated infinitely in all three dimensions. Virtual tours of designs are possible within minutes of making a design change.

Professor Snyder adds that as students and faculty gain a greater understanding of the capacity of the laptops, he observes increased use of the computers. Peer instruction has increased as students share application tips among themselves.

The laptops have also changed the way students interact with the indispensable textbook. In the past, students would have books stacked around them; text books, reference books, inspirational books. Now students tend to access these materials via the Internet.

Snyder has also been impressed by how the laptops have been powerful tools in enabling the students to express high-quality, detailed ideas earlier in the learning process.

Things to Come - Cloning?
SARUP’s e3 laptop model and configuration will continue to be reviewed annually. Students in the e3 program may keep the same hardware for their studies, but the system and application software will likely be updated.

The early and ongoing success of e3 has led other departments around campus to scrutinize the laptop program to determine if it is a workable model for their situations.

Future issues of Focus on Technology will feature interviews with some of the SARUP students, as well as people from the other departments who continue to help shape this successful integration of transparent technology.

For more information about the e3 program, please visit the Web site at sarup.uwm.edu/e3.

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