With more students bringing their own devices to
campus, there’s a growing trend of moving away from the traditional computer lab in favor of comfortable areas that encourage students to connect to the
Internet to study.
“The whole dynamic is changing inside computer labs,” said
Casey Gordon, director of IT for College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN, and St.
John’s University, Collegeville, MN. “By virtualizing IT resources, we can
revolutionize the way students do their work, give them spaces that foster
greater collaboration, and expand how they use their own devices.”
However, making the transition requires planning, a
commitment to training and support, and a willingness to discuss the change
with all stakeholders because eliminating a bunch of desktop computers doesn’t automatically
mean the move will cost less. Available campus bandwidth has increased threefold over the last five years, requiring more investment into the technology necessary to support it.
“I shy away from discussing cost savings and focus
instead on deciding what’s the best use of our dollars to meet the changing
needs of students,” Gordon said.
Faculty must also be part of the conversation. The
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, found that some faculty members saw the labs
as a way to attract students into their department.
“So if you remove them, that’s a major concern,” said
Heath Tuttle, assistant vice chancellor for IT services at UNL. “We discuss the
benefits of collaborative learning spaces where students can sit down with
their laptop or a device they check out, have a coffee, and do their work.”