News & Events
SEPTEMBER 17, 2003
How Wireless is Changing Teaching and Learning at UBC
By Krista Charbonneau, Editor, e-Strategy Update Newsletter
UBC’s newly completed Wireless network is giving faculty, staff and students Internet access to resources and research from anywhere on campus. This new level of connectivity creates opportunities for how people use information - from instantly sharing meeting notes with other colleagues to introducing online content in the classroom.
“Because the Internet is accessible all the time, it places the emphasis on what you do with the information rather than the information itself,” said Dr. Cyprien Lomas, Research Associate in the Science Centre for Learning and Teaching. “It allows for very rapid follow-up on new ideas or references, in workshops and seminars.”
Staff, faculty and students can access the Internet wherever they are, whenever they need it, not just in the office or at their desk.
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" Posting information about events as they occur on a weblog is a way to share with the wider community that isn't in the room, such as at conferences."
— Dr. Cyprien Lomas,
Research Associate in the Science Centre for Learning and Teaching.
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“In seminars, I can look up references as they’re mentioned,” said Lomas. “In meetings, I don’t need to print out an agenda, I simply bring my laptop. It’s also great if I just want to get out of the office and get work done in other settings.”
In the classroom, it’s easier for instructors to access demonstrations and resources on the Internet during their lectures.
Jonn Martell, the Wireless project manager who is also an instructor, says that it’s much easier to go from the office to the front of the class when all the material is on his own laptop.
“Introducing online material to your class becomes a lot easier with the wireless network,” said Martell. “As classrooms get updated with AV equipment, I can simply plug my laptop in and project on screen. Unfamiliar machines need set up time, or they might have a virus. All the things I’m familiar with, the machine itself, my own booksmarks, everything is already there.”
Having instant access to information and resources on the Internet is also changing the way people interact in meetings and workshops.
“Taking notes in an outline and posting to a weblog forces me to process and organize my thoughts more carefully,” said Lomas. “It also makes it easier to share meeting notes. Posting information about events as they occur on a weblog is a way to share with the wider community that isn’t in the room, such as at conferences.”
While some may wonder if people will pay less attention in seminars, having access to the network isn’t necessarily a distraction if people are involved and engage with the work.
“I might now be tapping on a computer during presentations instead of taking notes,” Lomas said. “In some cases, I feel like I should explain that I’m still concentrating on what’s being said. I’m not reading email or surfing the net – I’m engaged in the presentation in a way that fits better.”
About UBC Wireless
This month marks the successful completion of the UBC Wireless Network. It is the largest high-speed wireless network in Canada, with 1,200 access points across campus and more to come.
It’s free for students, faculty and staff at UBC. Connecting to the Wireless is secure, fast and simple. It’s easy to log on - a laptop or PDA, a Wireless NIC card and a CWL account is all that’s needed access to the network.
Currently, 2,500 people use the UBC Wireless network each week and the number of people who use wireless continues to grow. By the end of September, Martell expects between 3,000 to 3,500 users.
VPN (virtual private networking) is available as part of the service to provide high-grade encryption. The project team is also planning a rollout of 802.1x, a new form of security that will eventually replace the VPN as the preferred means of ensuring security on the wireless network.
The UBC Wireless network was developed as part of the University Networking Program (UNP), $30.6 million project to upgrade and enhance UBC’s wired high speed broadband network.
UBC Wireless and the UNP are integral to UBC’s e-Strategy, a university-wide initiative to support work, learning and research, through technology. The wired and wireless networks provide access to advanced regional, national and international research networks that are essential to the success of UBC's
e-Strategy.
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About UBC's e-Strategy
UBC's e-Strategy enables students, faculty and staff to excel in one of the world's leading universities by enhancing learning, research and community through leading-edge technology initiatives.
e-Strategy is a guiding framework to align UBC's technology initiatives with the university's strategic goals. Activities include project development, information and resource sharing, and setting long terms goals for technology at UBC.
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