Engarde: The
Wireless Project
A Nomination
for the Innovation of the Year Program, 2005
An
Executive Summary of
the Innovation
Engarde: The Wireless Project bolsters learning
and student success by carrying access to the Internet, files on the
campus network, and other online student services away from the
confines of the lab and into a variety of new “unplugged” environments
in the heart of the college campus.
A Description of the
Innovation
Glendale Community
College has long been a leader in providing
computer network services to students, with innovations such as the
High Tech Centers and the Instructional Palette gaining national
recognition. In fact, Yahoo! Internet Life ranked GCC among
the “most wired” colleges in the country a few years ago.
Ironically,
shaking off those famous wires is the next major breakthrough in
expanding the benefits of technology within the campus community.
Connecting
to the World Wide Web or to online course materials used to mean
working where computer equipment could be plugged into a wall. Imagine,
instead, finding a shady spot in the green grass of the beautiful Glendale campus
to settle down and look up articles in the library database, deliver an
assignment directly to an instructor, or use Maricopa Online to
register for a class.
That
is what GCC students are already doing with their portable computers,
as these devices have become common and affordable. The Wireless
Project extends the power of the campus network from the computer labs
to their own free hands.
The
Information Services departments at GCC pioneered wireless networking
for instructional purposes with the success of cordless, traveling
laptop computer labs in the Physical Sciences building, where the
freedom from excess cables is a necessity. In Fall
2003, the “zones” of wireless access were expanded to include areas
surrounding nine buildings in the central corridor of the campus,
including the Student Union. Now any registered student or employee
with compatible equipment can log on to the wireless network – named “Engarde” -- to share in campus Internet access
and the files on the Academic Network.
The term
“wireless” is common at other colleges too, but the unique and
innovative aspects of GCC’s wireless
network are in the implementation. Engarde utilizes the same synchronized, password
protected, registration-dependent student accounts that are used for GCC’s Instructional Palette. The project
team built upon GCC’s strong wired network
infrastructure by utilizing existing Ethernet ports, and further
decreased installation costs by using Power over Ethernet (POE) so that
only Ethernet cables needed to be attached to the ports. The
system utilizes “dumb” access ports regulated from a central,
web-accessible switch to minimize maintenance costs and greatly enhance
the flexibility of the system. Access to the system is gained through
an automatic browser redirection to the login page. And within the last year, Engarde also provided an innovative solution for
instructors who needed to log on to projector systems without logging
onto GCC’s usual Palette system.
The Wireless
Project has a positive impact on the education of students according to
the following criteria, relating to the Values, Mission, Vision, and Goals of
Maricopa Community Colleges as follows:
·
Quality (Value Education): Engarde has brought the value of computer labs
to students in classes outside of the typical computer lab environment,
and to many more students using a variety of online applications.
·
Efficiency (Value Responsibility):
The Wireless Project ushers in a highly efficient era of campus
networking, with fewer space and infrastructure concerns restricting
the environments (formerly just computer labs) in which students and
employees can use on-line campus resources.
·
Cost
Effectiveness (Value Responsibility): Engarde
adds value to the institution in a way that compares to the
installation of the High Tech Centers; yet the wireless network largely
involves allowing students to tap into the network using their own laptop and notebook computers.
·
Replication (Value Excellence): The
methods used to make Engarde work can be
shared with any campus interested in replicating the system.
·
Creativity (Value Excellence): For
the success of the Wireless Project, Information Services personnel
devised a way to make equipment from the modern computer marketplace
work out of scope in an original manner. Technology from different
vendors is made to work together in order to control the costs of this
resource, and to provide a relatively secure access that takes no
special setup on the student’s wireless device.
·
Timeliness (Value Excellence): The
Wireless labs at GCC have been a proven success since Spring of 2001. The expansion of the wireless
network to include students’ own equipment on campus was developed just
as the compatible equipment was becoming more common, available and
affordable to college students who appreciate the cutting edge of
technology.
·
Learning (Value Students): The
Wireless Project impacted numbers of students in Applied Sciences labs
early on, while the expanded wireless access continues to catch on and
expand. The web site at http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/wireless
explains how the system works, who can
access it, and the standard equipment users need for this access.
·
Collaboration (Value Excellence): The
success of Engarde is the result of
collaboration and cooperation between faculty, Information Services
personnel, and the students who have helped create the demand for this
exciting new service. The continuous improvement of this resource will
continue to depend on constant communication between these areas of the
campus community.
Team Members Who
Developed the Innovation: