Dakota State University Selects Gateway for Enhanced Interactive Curriculum
June 09 2005 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Dakota State University Selects Gateway for Enhanced Interactive
Curriculum Chosen for Their Expertise in the Education Market,
Gateway's M275 Convertible Notebook Also Rose to the Top for Design
and Functionality IRVINE, Calif., June 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Dakota State University of Madison, S.D. has joined the growing
ranks of visionary educational institutions that use Gateway tablet
PCs to support innovative curriculum and interactive learning. The
University's recently implemented tablet program will eventually
provide 2,400 students and faculty with a Gateway M275 convertible
tablet PC. During a competitive evaluation conducted by Dakota
State's faculty and Center of Excellence students, the Gateway M275
convertible tablet bested the competition based on a winning
combination of features, quality, price, and support services.
School officials noted the system's large 14.1-inch display, and
sturdy design combined with the Gateway's comprehensive training
and repair services, made it clearly stand out from the
competition. The deal is estimated at close to $4 million.
"Integrating technology into course curriculum is more than just
investing in and rolling out the latest and greatest systems. Our
tablet program develops teaching and learning strategies that
translate into stronger student engagement and performance," said
David Zolnowsky, IT Director at Dakota State University. "After
meeting with several vendors, it was clear Gateway's expertise in
this market was unmatched. Not only did we believe their product
was the best available, but more importantly, we saw them as a
long-term partner that could help us develop, maintain and evolve
the program over time. Their understanding of the operational
aspects required to institute this type of technology vision was
key to our decision." Understanding that true technology
integration is more than handing students and faculty PCs, Dakota
State restructured more than 80 general education courses in Math,
English, Science, Art, and Information Systems to be
mobile-centric, ensuring the M275's deep integration into all
course curriculums. The school uses a course management system that
allows students to download presentation materials, assignments and
pre-class quizzes. School officials have found the handwriting
feature of the tablet PC has had the biggest impact on student
engagement. "Rather than simply downloading materials and storing
them on their tablets, students can take notes in real time
directly onto course materials, which has resulted in a much more
dynamic and interactive learning session," said Zolnowsky. In
addition, course materials which have been annotated in real time
with teacher notes and comments based on classroom discussions can
be downloaded after the lecture, providing a more meaningful
presentation for students to study and learn from. The Gateway M275
tablet PC has also changed the way students are submitting and
receiving feedback on assignments. Using the Microsoft Office Suite
or the Windows Journal, students can handwrite, draw diagrams or
sketch out math calculations on the tablet PCs and submit them
electronically. Teachers are able to grade assignments, record
scores and return homework electronically as well. These electronic
transactions have also reduced copying and paper costs and the
amount of time spent in classing handing out and gathering
assignments. The versatile Gateway M275 tablet PC includes both a
stylus for hand-writing and a full-sized keyboard for typing.
Weighing less than five and a half pounds, it is as small as a
100-page spiral-bound notebook and fits easily into any backpack,
giving students the lightweight benefits associated with simple
paper and pen. Additionally, handwriting technology means teachers
can now see and access students' notes, allowing them to provide
real time feedback during the course. The searchable database of
handwritten notes in Windows Journal has also been well received by
students and faculty alike. Easy portability combined with wireless
capabilities has released Dakota State's students from wired
classrooms, dorm rooms and libraries, allowing them to work and
learn virtually anywhere. "The evaluation period clearly showed
student and faculty preference for a convertible style tablet PC.
The larger screen size as well as laptop features and feel of the
convertible tablet PC made the transition from laptop or desktop
computing much easier. The keyboard size was also an important
consideration as is the included optical drive which was a big hit,
especially with the students," said Zolnowsky. "Dakota State
University is implementing cutting-edge technology in a manner that
positively impacts their students' educational experiences," said
Jim Kaufold, vice president of education sales for Gateway. "We are
proud to partner with an organization that shares our belief that
technology used wisely can augment and elevate a quality
educational program." The Gateway M275 offers traditional notebook
features such as a full-sized keyboard, Intel(R) Centrino(TM)
technology(1), optional 768MB RAM, 40GB hard drive(2), four hours
of battery life(3), CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive, and integrated
wireless combined with Tablet PC pen input technology that allows
users to write directly on the screen -- the largest in the
industry at 14.1 inches, providing a nice, bright viewing area and
unparalleled ease-of-use. Leading the industry in providing top
value for the money, pricing for the Gateway M275 starts at
$1499.99. From high-end servers to notebooks with long battery
life, Gateway has served leading organizations for 20 years.
Gateway Professional's customers include many of the world's
leading governmental organizations and educational institutions,
including the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, Harvard University,
California Highway Patrol and others. For more information on
Gateway Professional solutions, visit
http://www.gateway.com/business. About Dakota State University
Dakota State University is a four-year public state university with
2,300 full-time students. Located in Madison, South Dakota, Dakota
State specializes in computer management, computer information
systems, elementary and secondary education programs and other
related programs. The university has a designated center for
excellence in information technology for the state of South Dakota.
About Gateway Since its founding in 1985, Irvine, Calif.-based
Gateway (NYSE:GTW) has been offering award-winning PCs and related
products to consumers, businesses, government agencies and schools
with highest quality and service and best overall value. Gateway is
now the third largest PC company in the U.S. and among the top ten
worldwide. The company's value-based eMachines brand is sold
exclusively by leading retailers worldwide, while the premium
Gateway line is available at major retailers, over the web and
phone, and through its direct and indirect sales force. See
http://www.gateway.com/ for more information. All offers valid in
United States only and are subject to change without notice or
obligation. May not be available through all sales channels. Prices
exclude shipping and handling. Applicable taxes extra. (1) Intel,
Intel Inside, the Intel Inside logo, Intel Centrino, the Intel
Centrino logo, Pentium, Pentium III Xeon, Intel Xeon, Itanium,
Intel SpeedStep and Celeron are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and
other countries. (2) Accessible capacity varies; TB = 1000 GB; GB =
1 billion bytes; MB = 1 million bytes (3) Battery life will vary
depending upon use and configuration. DATASOURCE: Gateway, Inc.
CONTACT: Media, Bryan Sherlock of Gateway, Inc., +1-949-471-7756,
Web site: http://www.gateway.com/business Web site:
http://www.gateway.com/
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