Do mobile and wireless technologies add value to higher education?

Will handheld, wireless devices replace traditional teaching and enhance student learning? In the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, we set out to find answers to these questions. In the fall of 2001, the College was awarded a grant by Hewlett-Packard (HP) to focus on two key arenas: the instructional redesign of the traditional higher-education classroom and the expansion of the engineering community environment for anytime, anywhere learning and access. This grant, known as the Mobility Initiative, built a college-wide wireless network using HP Access Point technology as well as pioneered mobile technologies in two courses. This paper describes the wireless environment, changes to the teaching approaches, preparation of materials, student issues (both technical and instructional), and lessons learned.