Virginia Tech is developing wireless zones on campus using IEEE 802.11b wireless local area network technology that extend into several large lecture classrooms. The proposed project will provide one of the first educational beta tests of these new network capabilities. This project will initially utilize palm- or tablet-sized portable computing devices, such as PocketPC personal digital assistants or standard notebook computers, acquired or donated from industrial partners.

Faculty and staff from the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Virginia Tech’s Center for Wireless Telecommunications will supervise the evaluation of the capacity of the system using the IEEE 802.11b standard and alternative wireless technologies to ensure feasibility and scalability. These groups have experience in developing wireless network architectures and evaluating the performance of wireless networks through projects funded by the NSF, DARPA, and ONR. Positive results would provide support for moving Virginia Tech's student computer requirement from desktop computers to portable, notebook computers with wireless network cards. Eventually, multiple university courses could utilize the developing wireless connectivity and student computing capabilities. Many large undergraduate courses could benefit from more engaging, simulated exercises, including political science, sociology, finance, biology, chemistry, and others.