In its sixth year, the laptop initiative has created what David Brown, vice president and dean of the International Center for Computer Enhanced learning, calls one of the nation's "most fully-integrated technology systems."

The university's dedication of personnel and funding to technology has put it on the forefront of educational computing.

But with even more advances on tap for what has been ranked among the country's most wired schools, some students and faculty wonder about the direction of technology here.

"My greater concern with the steps we're taking is the lack of human contact and where we are going to draw the line," junior Rosita Najmi said.

Najmi said she has been a computer person as long as she can remember. During high school, she was actually introduced to the university through the computer when she met an alumnus who let her know about the laptop program. She even recently purchased a Palm Pilot, further integrating technology into her routine. But this hasn't changed her opinion that the university should proceed with caution when introducing more technology into the university community.

While students like Najmi lament technology's effects on community living and learning, Brown said greater integration of technology could bring students and faculty closer together.

"The Pro Humanitate mission depends heavily on group members reinforcing each other," he said. "The computer facilitates the formation and the sustaining of those groups."

But Najmi isn't convinced. She cites the fact that there are myriad calendars of events available via the Internet, giving students opportunities to gather. But she said these calendars don't necessarily bring students out to campus activities in droves.

Aside from its effects on community living, some professors debate the effects of technology on academic standards. Russ Schweller, a visiting assistant professor of English, has seen a decline in writing and critical thinking skills in recent years that he attributes to the overuse of technology.

"I'm less optimistic than some of my colleagues about whether or not it's helping things, or helping to destroy things," he said. "It tends to promote a certain kind of thinking, that is the 'cut and paste' version over the synthesizing version."

But Brown reiterated that the use of technology figures largely in the university's pursuit of its goals.

"This is our educational strategy," he said. "This is the way a good, vibrant liberal arts community works."

No cords attached

In recent years, buzz about national tech rankings has caused some students to ask where striving for the top spot ranks among administrative priorities. President Thomas K. Hearn Jr. said, however, that he isn't interested in rankings, just on using technology as a teaching tool. "We're not trying to win a prize here," he said. "Information is not the objective of education, but it is its raw material."

To make sure it stays ahead of the technology curve, the university is still making a priority of exploring technology options. Anne Bishop, director of research and development for Information Systems, said she is confident that a campus-wide wireless network will be in place soon, possibly next year. There is also talk of wireless-ready laptops for next year's freshmen and juniors.

But Bob Swofford, a professor of chemistry and chairman of the Committee on Information Technology, said no definite deadline has been set for a full wireless integration. It is something there is widespread support for among university officials, however.

"Nobody wants to make another interim decision," he said, although the university is considering a number of vendors and standards. "Everyone agrees it's probably time to move away from the relatively slow, non-standard (wireless) network we have at this time."

Need a hand?

Handheld devices are another possible area of development. A pilot program is underway in which students and faculty are trying out ipaqs, handheld computers made by Compaq. Five professors are working the use of the device into their classes this semester and some members of the Old Gold and Black's editorial board have also been asked to try them out.

Swofford, whose Chemistry 111 class uses the ipaq, said the devices have a high "cool factor" but don't yet have the support software that would give them a foothold in the school's arsenal of educational hardware.

"It is very nice software," he said of software written by a team of IS programmers. "But in itself, it hasn't dramatically affected my approach to teaching."

He said that there simply aren't a lot of companies out there developing handheld software for the sciences. And while the IS material is effective, handheld software is not a widely produced medium for large companies like Microsoft.

But Swofford said software is available that could aid other disciplines. Business students, for example, could benefit from the accesibilty of e-mail, Word or Excel programs.

He also said the ipaqs have been very useful in getting past the barrier of student shyness. The devices can be used to allow students to respond to an instructor's questions without raising their hands or speaking.

He added that students are using the devices responsibly in class. "No solitaire as far as I can tell," he said.

Freshman Johanna Blue, a student in Swofford's class, agrees that the device has interesting potential.

But she echoed the sentiment that the software hasn't quite caught up to the interest among students and faculty.

"The technology is not quite to the point where it would be worth it," she said of the prospect of the university rolling out such a program to all students.

Blue, who considers herself an average student when it comes to technological inclination, said difficulties with the machine include the inability to multi-task, lack of space to save work and the difficulty of synchronizing with a laptop.

Swofford still thinks the university should continue to explore the option of working ipaqs into curricula on some scale. He said the idea has merit, but the cost factor should be central to any decision.

He said it costs about ,000 to fully outfit an ipaq including wireless capability.

Bishop said now the question is "what is available and what can we afford," as far as further technological advancements are concerned, and that the university would like to avoid passing a large cost onto students.

Hearn said it is too early to talk about costs for such programs but that "it would probably mean cost shifting."

Give and take

English Professor Anne Boyle thinks the effect of technology on students' work has been positive here. While some professors restrict student use of the Internet in presentable research, Boyle believes the presence of the Internet conditions young scholars rather than misleads them.

"In some ways technology has enhanced critical thinking," she said, adding students must now more than ever, "learn to evaluate and assess information."

Schweller, however doubts the ability of the Internet to provide worthwhile research resources in his field.

"There's no way you can do good research on the Internet," he said. "You still need the books."

Boyle also said use of programs like Blackboard, where students post work on a collective class Web Site, can also add to the learning process.

"Computers can be used and have been used to support community, collective thinking and learning," she said.

Schweller agreed that the computer offers some tools, but thinks certain aspects of computer communication have hurt academic performance. He said the dominance of the Internet encourages students to glean surface information only, comparing the Internet to a library full of encyclopediae.

He also thinks other aspects of computer use drag down writing skills, giving the example of e-mail.

"E-mail itself has contributed to the use of scribble," he said. "Gibberish and scrawl is threatening to become something of a national standard for writing."

Another concern the Internet brought along to campus is the threat of new plagiarism tactics. But professors and administrators say they are dealing with it. Plagiarism detection software is available to teachers. And Ricardo Hall, assistant dean and judicial officer, said the Internet has changed the face of plagiarism rather than given rise to it.

"There has been a shift in the method," he said. "But not a recent explosion."

Six plagiarism cases crossed his desk last year, but he said more could have just been handled between professors and accused students.

In terms of student life, the administration plays a large role in the way students access technology. And while Najmi doesn't think the university should control students' use of technology, she believes the university does have a certain responsibility to frame it in an educational manner.

"The university has a degree of responsibility in how we use our technology," she said. "The university needs to recognize it's during college that students develop habits. I think it would be unwise to just throw things at us."

A certain grace

Both proponents and opponents of a technological push by the university understand that too much of anything is a bad thing.

"There's no such thing as a purely good outcome, whether it is in education or in life," said Hearn.

Brown agreed, saying that technology is merely one aspect of a university education, not its defining factor.

And plenty of students still opt for more traditional aspects of the learning process, despite the emergence of technology. After all, people still use the library, and, said Najmi, "there is a certain grace about holding a book."