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RIP the Campus Computer Lab, 1960-2009

theodp writes "When every student has a laptop, why run computer labs? That's a question schools have been asking themselves as computer ownership rates among incoming freshmen routinely top 90%. After only four freshmen showed up at the University of Virginia in 2007 without a computer of their own, the school decided that it's no longer worth the expense of running campus computer labs. Student computer labs have been a staple of campus life since the '60s. So what are the benefits that will be missed as other schools follow UVa's lead?" The university's report notes understanding that "that students need collaborative space where they can bring their laptops and mobile devices to conduct group work, especially as the curriculum becomes increasingly team- and project-based." One of the spaces formerly occupied by computer labs "has been transformed into a technology-rich collaboration area."

3 of 571 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Printing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes, very easy to turn off your roommates/suitemates!

    Given the appearance of the average /.er, yes, yes it is.

  2. Re:Printing by Thinboy00 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Library's" ?? Tsk tsk.

    "??" ? Tsk tsk.

    --
    $ make available
  3. Re:Printing by mpeskett · · Score: 5, Funny

    That sounds like a complicated solution for a simple problem... all he needed was earplugs or a quiet room; a dramatic restructuring of our educational culture is overengineering the issue.