Green Computer Science Courses! We’re going mobile!

Gary Hill, Espen Svennevik & Scott Turner

Department of Computing & Immersive TechnologiesSchool of Science and Technology

The University of Northampton

Content:

• The problem

• Removal of specialist laboratory facilities (Benefits/Issues)

• Going Mobile (Green?) – How?

• Discussion

• Conclusion

The Problem:

Traditionally technical computing courses have been taught using laboratories full of expensive desktop computers. This approach may have been valid in the past, but is buying; maintaining and replacing laboratories full of computers still a requirement (or Green!)?

Whilst there are issues associated with such a ‘bold’ step, could this potential solution make Computer Science courses at such ‘brave’ institutions more appealing – a ‘win-win’ situation?

Removal of specialist laboratory facilities:

The benefits and issues, related to the “removal of specialist computing facilities” and “freeing up resources” are the cost of:

• Purchase (How many?)• Replacement (How often?)• Set-up, Maintenance and repair• Technician support • Running • Infrastructure for network/internet access• Data back-up• Space

Going Mobile (Green?) – How? (1)

It has been suggested that:

“Mobile wireless technologies are the new frontier for teaching and learning in institutions of higher

education”,

and that the:

“use in higher education will continue to grow and will become the learning environment of choice”

(Kim et al., 2006).

Going Mobile (Green?) – How? (2)

Students would therefore need access to:

• Laptop and/or External Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

• Internet/Intranet

• Data storage

• Learning resources

Laptop and/or External Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

An incentive to student recruitment, whilst negating the need to purchase laboratory based computers, could be the introduction of laptops available:

•Reduced cost through University or recognised supplier

•Free/Incorporated into fees (Orr et al., 2008).

•Partial cost where the University meets a proportion of the cost.

•Leasing of the laptop (Orr et al., 2008)

Discussion:

Stimulate discussion about the need for computer laboratories.

Exceptions may include the disciplines of:

•Computer Networks e.g. students ‘make and break’ hardware networks.

•Internet security e.g. specialist testing.

•Specialist development e.g. iPhone programming, where Mac OSX computers are required

•Access to Web Servers/MySQL – use on local laptop

Conclusion:

Mobile computing is inevitable.

Computer Science departments should lead the way.

Benefits of using of laptops is the ‘obvious’ solution.

There are a ‘few’ logistical problems of setting up the purchase/loan/support of laptops, would far outweigh these. 

Appreciate the complexity of computer science and the need for different applications, operating systems and the use network hardware and internet security labs etc.

Computer Science departments to consider reducing the number of laboratories and to reduce the need to continually buy and dispose of desktop computers