Wireless content on the University of Wisconsin-Stout campus

by Spielman, Wyatt A.

UW-Stout provides wireless internet access to all users in academic buildings throughout campus. The wireless internet access throughout campus provides many educational opportunities and learning benefits for faculty, staff and students. U'W-Stout does not block content from users on the wireless network, but restricts bandwidth to programs that have been known offenders of federal copyright laws. The University ofWisconsin-Stout has a successful laptop implementation in place since 2001 where students were required to buy laptops based on their academic major and moved to issuing laptops to all undergraduate students registered for three or more credits in 2002. The literature review provided an information background on laptops in a higher education classroom setting, benefits to students who have laptops and negatives of laptops in the classroom. The goal of the literature review is to provide a well rounded discussion and III review ofbenefits oflaptops in the classroom and the distractions laptops create while being utilized. The data collected did reveal a significant amount of non-academic content being accessed on the wireless network and also revealed that students utilized the course management tool, D2L as the number one destination for academic content. The data also revealed that a significant number of users utilize an instant messaging program while utilizing the wireless network in academic buildings at UW-Stout. v