The University of Texas at Dallas 1 Palm Pilot 2003 at UT Dallas EDUCAUSE Southwest Regional Conference February 26, 2004 Doug Jackson Daniel Calhoun Copyright Daniel Calhoun and Doug Jackson, This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the authors. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

The University of Texas at Dallas 2 Topics Perspectives Project Definition and Goals Participant Responses Lessons Learned Perceived Utility Followups and Predictions

The University of Texas at Dallas 3 Perspectives Why PDAs? – Why not notebooks? – Unit cost – Data synchronization Why Palm? – Market share – Internal adoption – EDU availability – Ease of Use

The University of Texas at Dallas 4 Perspectives Why UTD? – Institutional focus on technology – Culture shift “small mobile easy-to-use” – Integrates well into technology infrastructure – Convergence with cell phones, VoIP solutions – Reduce student orientation paperwork “glut”

The University of Texas at Dallas 5 Project Definition Prepare for PDA Onslaught – Smartphones, WiFi hybrids Infrastructure Impact – Campus communications and documents Lead or Get Out of the Way – NearSpace “special” with “free” Palm devices – Pending technology store – Pending SanDisk SD WiFi card

The University of Texas at Dallas 6 Project Definition Preparation (Acquisition Phase) – 33 Palm devices – NearSpace application – Specific documents (A to Z Guide, Academic Calendar) – 4 infrared beaming stations Distribute to Participants (30 Students) – 16 Freshman Scholars – Student Government President and Vice-President – Student Newspaper Editor – President’s Ambassadors (volunteer group) – Select Residence Assistants Survey and Evaluate

The University of Texas at Dallas 7 Project Goals Overall Level of Satisfaction “Things Done Right” “Things Done Wrong” Suggestions for Improvement and/or Growth Novel Applications or Ideas

The University of Texas at Dallas 8 Participant Questionnaires Two Questionnaires – Before Pilot Program – After One Semester of Use Most Questions on 5-Point Scale

The University of Texas at Dallas 9 Questionnaire Responses Key Measures – Overall Level of Enjoyment (5-point scale): 3.26 average; 56% 3; 86% 3+ – Expected Usefulness vs. Actual Usefulness: 47% less useful, 42% more useful

The University of Texas at Dallas 10 Lessons Learned No Such Thing As One Best Solution Ubiquitous Is Not Universal Wireless Connectivity In High Demand More Content Means More Useful NearSpace Locator: Useful Across the Board

The University of Texas at Dallas 11 Perceived Utility Campus Maps and Floor Plans Faculty and Staff Phonebook Course Syllabi Calendar with Reminders and Alarms Electronic Handouts (academic calendar, tuition and fees costs, FAQ)

The University of Texas at Dallas 12 Application Demonstrations NearSpace Campus Locator – Campus Maps – Room Finder Palm Reader Documents – Academic Calendar – Functional Directory – Student A to Z Guide

The University of Texas at Dallas 13 Future Utility WiFi Connectivity! – access – Web access – Up-to-date directories and documents

The University of Texas at Dallas 14 Followups Continue to Offer Help and “Extras” to Pilot group Plan 2 nd Pilot for Fall 2004 (if funding permits) – More participant diversity – More training and orientation – WiFi connectivity for PDAs !! – More campus documents available Technology Store with PDAs and Smartphones – Discounts, branded devices, service plans Monitor Technology Progress

The University of Texas at Dallas 15 Predictions (IMHO) Smartphone Hybrids Will Boom, Then Continue Steady, If Not Dramatic, Growth Threshold for Explosion: Hybrid with Keyboard, Expandable Display, Built-In WiFi for $250 and $50/mo. Unlimited Data Service Notebooks Will Outsell Desktops Smartphone Hybrids Will Outsell Notebooks (and TVs) Within 5 Years

The University of Texas at Dallas 16 Shameless Plugs DFW PDA SIG UTD Mobility Expo 2004 April 16, 2004 (Student Union, Galaxy Room)

The University of Texas at Dallas 17 Palm Pilot 2003 at UT Dallas Doug Jackson Daniel Calhoun

The University of Texas at Dallas 18 How Much Did You Use Your Palm?

The University of Texas at Dallas 19 Rate Your Enjoyment

The University of Texas at Dallas 20 Primary Uses