New MyDevice Classroom in the College of Business

March 1, 2015

The College of Business Administration announced the very first “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) classroom on the Georgia Southern campus when the school year started in August. Over the summer, one of the College’s computer labs was converted into a wireless, interactive classroom. This technology allows students to utilize their own devices, whether laptops or tablets, as individuals or teams to complete assignments. Certain courses have been, and will be, designated for use of the MyDevice classroom. Additional classrooms will be converted to the BYOD classroom format over time.

Brit McKay, associate professor of accounting, stated,“The MyDevice Lab [is] unique in that it foster[s] collaborative learning among students. I was able to teach the coursework as well as team building. Students commented that it more closely resembled a ‘real world’ work environment. I rebuilt my class to take advantage of this opportunity and went to a more web-friendly delivery; and, in my class, the experience was very positive.” Steve Moss, professor of logistics and supply chain management, said, “For a test semester, there were surprisingly few technology issues with the classroom.

The ‘Smart Classroom’ has great potential. It is especially useful in facilitating group discussions and collaborative project assignments. For technical lectures, the multiple HD screens improve the students’ ability to see formulae, graphs, etc. As more of our students begin using the next generation of laptops and tablets, the benefits of the smart room technology should increase dramatically. From the instructor’s perspective, the ability to wirelessly use your own laptop or tablet to manage lectures is a huge improvement. I hope this part of the new technology makes its way into all of our classrooms sooner [rather] than later.”