Many of our academic programs are the leading programs in their fields. It's appropriate for us to be leading on laptop computers. At UW-Stout, officials see the laptop as just another essential tool in education, one they ultimately want to see the university's more than 8,000 students using on a daily basis. The campus already is testing the laptop requirement in a pilot program this year. About 50 students in two majors technical communication and graphic communications management - are required to tote the computers to their classes.
Technical communicators lead the nation in telecommuting, largely from their homes.
They do it with laptops. The laptops in his classes aren't just used for taking notes, checking e-mail or navigating the Internet for research. Maylath said wireless technology allows him to view what his students are writing as they compose their papers in his English and writing classes. In chemistry classes thermometers can be plugged into laptops so data can be downloaded directly into the computers, Maylath said. UW-Stout senior Sarah Schroeder said she thinks the move to a laptop environment is a good one.