DUE WEST, S.C.-In an experiment set to run through this fall, Sprint PCS has partnered with Erskine College to merge wireless phones with computer technology to improve classroom learning.
An educational software program, “Beyond Question,” that measures student retention and learning and was developed by Erskine physics professor Dr. Bill Junkin, has been rewritten for the Sprint PCS Wireless Web and students are accessing it via Sprint PCS mobile phones. The program allows students to answer questions related to coursework so professors can gauge the level of understanding. Junkin explained, “It allows me to know immediately if my students understand the material I’m covering and if I need to spend more time covering it or if I can move on to the next topic.”
From the Sprint PCS phones, students also have wireless Internet access and can obtain online course materials. If the experiment goes well, Erskine said it will transition its entire campus to the Sprint PCS phones, making it the first completely wireless campus in South Carolina.
