August 2002 — Editorial
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Information Overload
I am sure that others, like myself, are victims of "information overload," especially after attending the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) held in San Antonio, Texas, in June. The nearly 11,000 registered attendees who participated in workshops and meetings also heard about many new products, as well as refinements and updates to older products. About 450 products and services were displayed at the conference, while nearly 3,500 exhibitor personnel were on hand. The exhibit hall was busy the entire time, and it seemed almost impossible to visit every booth. The conference also provided hands-on workshops, many lectures and interactive sessions, as well as student showcases featuring technology projects developed by students.
Software products and their use in both administration and instruction occupied a large part of the exhibit hall at NECC. Administrative software was shown by more than 60 vendors and instructional software by about 200 companies. Software to match curriculum standards to resources using a variety of assessment features was also available. Internet and Web-based products and service exhibitors had more than 100 booths. Another area of great expansion was that of professional development, where more than 100 companies promised to fulfill educators' needs. But, the two technologies drawing the most attention at NECC were wireless technology and handheld computers.
Wireless Technology
Use of wireless computing has grown. The Georgia Wireless Classroom Project, a three-year $10 million pilot for Georgia, has completed its first year. As part of the project, eight schools across the state, serving 4,800 students and 336 teachers, provide Internet-based instruction with wireless laptop computers to every student and teacher. PLATO Learning Inc.'s merger with NetSchools also offers wireless capabilities for students and teachers. In addition, Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pa., with its new wireless service worldwide, Drexel One Mobile, provides students with campus news, their grades, a search of the university directory, etc.
However, wireless technology is said to be still in its infancy; though its surge in popularity is such that it's predicted its number will overtake that of fixed phones this year. Using mobile devices is just as natural to young people - heavy users of mobile instant messaging - as using a pen and paper. However, greater efficiency and better versatility are needed. In business, mobile commerce has not proceeded as quickly as anticipated. The graphs from Information Week (June 17, 2002) on Page 10 (below) illustrate this fact. Small, low-resolution screens, spotty network support and insecure transactions are major concerns. Mobile devices need to be rugged, lightweight and have a long battery life. Major advances in mobile commerce using wireless are predicted to occur when higher bandwidth becomes more available and wireless service providers start cooperating with each other.
