�� British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, 2005. Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA. British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 36 No 3 2005 513���524 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.Oxford, UKBJETBritish Journal of Educational Technology0007-1013British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, 2005January 2005363513524Articles Evolution of a laptop universityBritish Journal of Educational Technology Evolution of a laptop university: a case study Gloria J. McVay, Kimberlee D. Snyder, and Kenneth A. Graetz Gloria J. McVay is an assistant professor in Accounting at Winona State University. Her research interests include classroom technology, community-service learning, executive compensation, and biases in judgment and decision making. Her teaching interests are in the areas of managerial accounting and business combinations. Kimberlee D. Snyder is an associate professor in Operations Management at Winona State University. She has presented and published several articles on active learning and health care technology. She also works with manufacturing companies in implementing lean improvement practices. Kenneth A. Graetz is the Director of e-Learning (http://www.winona.edu/elearning). His research interests include the impact of educational and collaboration technology on teaching, learning, and teamwork. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in research methods, statistics, social psychology, and group dynamics. Address for correspondence: Kimberlee Snyder, College of Business, Winona State University, PO Box 5838, Winona, Minnesota 55987 email: ksnyder@winona.edu Abstract Technology is integral to carrying out many types of business transactions and has become entwined in the very fabric of everyday life. In the educational environment���particularly higher education���technology is underutilised as a pedagogical tool and in many cases remains largely untapped. Winona State University and its laptop programme learned some valuable lessons from the marriage between the application of the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education and technology. The transformation into a leading laptop university was neither smooth nor easy, but it is a successful case about principle-centred technological change and improved student learning outcomes. Introduction In response to ongoing and predicted changes in student demographics, employer requirements, and institutional funding, ���a new pedagogy more relevant to the twenty-first century has been evolving��� (Lewis, 1999, p. 141) in higher education. Technology is a recognised part of the overall tools for supporting and enhancing teaching and learning. Many colleges and universities have responded by making tech- nology more ubiquitous. The assumption behind most ubiquitous computing initia- tives has been that mere access to technology would lead to its usage directly. After several years and substantial investment, many universities are reviewing their tech- nology strategy and asking important questions such as, ���Did our investment in tech- nology support our institutional mission and vision or were we simply responding to a

514 British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 36 No 3 2005 �� British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, 2005. national trend?��� and, ���Did our investment in technology result in enhanced learning outcomes and promote the new, learner-centred pedagogy or did it have little impact on learning?��� In addressing these questions, it may be helpful to consider the case of Winona State University (WSU), an institution guided by the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987). The University applied the Seven Principles whilst implementing a laptop mandate programme in the fall of 1997, a programme that has become one of the largest in the country. Currently, virtually every WSU student and faculty member participates in the programme. The literature suggests that computer mandate programmes can lead to the integration of technology into the curriculum and help meet the need for technology savvy graduates (Hall & Elliott, 2003 Lowther, Ross & Morrison, 2003). However, WSU learned quickly that access to laptops is not sufficient to support and transform pedagogy. Successful imple- mentation depends on support from administration, technology staff, and individual departments. In addition, there are changes that must occur when moving to a laptop- based computing environment that will impact processes, facilities, budgets, and teach- ing methods (Cradler et al , 2002 Rice & Miller, 2001). The transformation of WSU into a leading laptop university was neither smooth nor easy, but it is a successful case with several important lessons learned about principle-centred technological change and improved student learning outcomes. A brief history of the WSU laptop programme Winona State University is located in the city of Winona, a residential community of 25 000. The WSU Rochester campus, located 45 miles west in the growing city of Rochester, Minnesota, helps the University serve the academic needs of the region. Enrolment at WSU is approximately 7800 undergraduate and graduate students. The campus is divided into five distinct colleges: the College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the College of Science and Engineering. The University offers 8 master���s degree pro- grammes, 60 undergraduate degree programmes, 11 preprofessional programmes, and several licensure and specialist degree programmes. The laptop programme was implemented in three phases. The first phase was a pilot programme carried out by four departments. The second phase expanded the laptop programme to include all entering freshmen. Faculty members across campus were issued laptop computers, and the infrastructure was put into place across campus. The third phase consisted of the total integration of the laptop programme across campus and the ongoing planning and enhancement of the programme. Phase 1 In the academic year 1997���1998 about one-third of the faculty members received leased laptops, and initial wiring of buildings started. A faculty liaison position was established to aid in the communication of ideas and issues between the faculty, admin- istration, and information systems personnel. During the spring of 1998, a representa-