A growing number of UW-Madison students have the Internet right in the palm of their hand.
The results of a campus survey done by the UW’s Division of Information Technology shows nearly 45-percent of students now have smart phones or similar handheld devices that connect directly to the Internet, such as iPhone or Blackberry.
The numbers are up from about 24-percent in 2009, and the Division’s Brian Rust expects it to continue growing as students cell phone contracts expire and the technology continues to become more popular.
Rust says the increased presence of smart phones means many students are looking for ways to use them as a part of the learning experience. He says the UW is looking at a variety of ways to improve the ability of students to find campus and community resources through their phone, and possibly also access course materials. The UW-Madison is currently working on a smart phone application to connect students and faculty.
Rust says this year’s survey of students shows they’re constantly interested in new ways to make technology play a bigger role in their education.