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Handsprings to Learning


Fri May 4, 2001 - 11:12 PM EDT - By James Hromadka

The Future

Hromadka: It's good to see that the program has the faculty's backing. Have you been contacted by any other universities about the program?

Watkins: Yes, in fact we have had many institutions contacting us about what we are doing. For example, one of our faculty members will be presenting about the program at the University of Southern California at the end of the month. Two weeks ago, other two other faculty members were making presentations on the Handsprings to Learning program in Atlanta and Seattle.

HromadkaPrograms like "Handsprings to Learning" are a great way to get students started with handheld technology. It always amazes me how the initial concept of the PalmPilot has ballooned into a technology platform that universities and corporations alike are using in ways that no one could have imagined. I recently attended the Shell Houston Open and saw some amazing ways that the PGA Tour is using handheld computers. IBM updates the in-progress leader boards instantaneously by using a technology called SHOTlink, which wirelessly updates the players' scores after every stroke. I watched as an official scorer followed behind the golfers and tapped onto her Palm V after each stroke. This information was fed to another person farther down the fairway. He then used a distance measurer that was also connected to a Palm V to update a special web feature of the PGA that allows golf fans to see exactly where their favorite pro is hitting the ball. I've seen commercials for a similar program for baseball fans, and to me this is a fantastic way to utilize handhelds in the enterprise market.

So what does this mean to Visor owners? You could start seeing your favorite handheld computer being used for everything from golf tournaments to hotel registration. We've seen news items on Bluetooth demonstrations; now it's time to see the Visor in action. The scorekeeper I saw had a "fanny pack" that held the wireless equipment, but a Visor solution could incorporate the technology into a Springboard module.

We should also start seeing handhelds used more in programs such as the one at ECU. No more standing in long lines for last-minute registration -- just hand out a few wireless-enabled Visors and let the students register for their courses with a few quick taps. It will be interesting to read this article again in about five years and see how far we've come in handheld usage.

Watkins: It is an exciting time for all as we see the power of the handheld computer take hold in the education and corporate environments. None of us truly knows what the future will hold when it comes to communicating with information technology tools; but it is becoming more obvious everyday that the handheld computer, in whatever form, will be a device that will transform how we educate and do business.

For example, wireless Ethernet networks on college campuses and elsewhere may soon be so pervasive and used so widely that students and faculty will no longer be tethered to desktop computers. They will have teaching and learning opportunities occurring in new environments (independent of the traditional classroom) because of the mobility that wireless connectivity permits. This may likely be true for the corporate setting too.

Smaller and less-heavy notebook and handheld computers will be the tools of choice as more wireless networks become available. Soon persons will be able to eat lunch in a McDonald’s or have coffee at Starbuck’s and access the Internet to exchange email, browse the web, work on course assignments, forward sales data, file reports, etc. at speeds far faster than are currently available using a VisorPhone or a Prism with Yada Yada.

James, thank you for your time and thanks to VisorCentral for the positive impact it is having on handheld computing.

Hromadka: Thank you, Dave for providing students with an excellent foundation in handheld technology. It won't be long before handhelds become as common as binders in American schools. If you would like additional information about ECU's program, you can contact Dave Watkins at [email protected].