[Athen] Software licensing for student use on laptops

[Todd Schwanke]

Hi Dan:

 

Are you using push technology (or other scripted installers) to install the AT?  If so, what technology or technologies are you using?

 

Or, is the AT being installed as part of base images before they are replicated?

 

Is the technology used uniform enough at campus and department levels that you are able to deploy with the same tools at the department levels as you set up for the primary campus locations/labs?

 

Thanks,

-Todd

UW-Madison

 

From: athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Dan Comden
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2012 2:08 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Software licensing for student use on laptops

 

Hi Kathy
I agree that the times are changing and we need to think of new approaches.

At the University of Washington, we have pushed AT out to most of the primary desktop locations on campus that are shared use workstations. This means that SWDs don't have to come to a specific location or workstation in order to have access to AT. This is the case for IT-supported workstations, and we are making progress with facilities at the departmental level.

(By the way, demand for desktop computing does not seem to be diminishing from where I sit). If anything, mobile devices may have increase demand, because it is difficult to print, run relevant apps, and get the CPU cycles needed for some tasks)

Part of our challenge here is that the policy has been that we do not provide applications to students to run on their own computers. Or, at least that used to be the case.

Now students do have access to free software (WIndows operating system, MS Office for Mac and Windows) as a result of their technology fee. It could be argued that if the campus is making these applications available to all students, then students who have AT requirements in order to get to those "free" things should get AT provided as well. However the view has been that the institution does not provide software that is installed on privately owned equipment.

I know this approach is handled differently at other institutions and has been the case for quite a while.

-*- Dan

On Wed, Oct 10, 2012 at 8:24 AM, Kathleen Cahill <kcahill at mit.edu> wrote:

Hi Colleagues,

More and more, as our students use laptops in ever greater numbers, we find our current model of assistive technology software purchasing and distribution is becoming irrelevant.  Right now we have a lab with desktop computers and AT software installed on them which are not getting the use they once did.  What kinds of models do some of you have at your universities to loan software to students?  Do you loan software for a specific period of time?  Do you buy copies of software for students?  How do you budget for and fund this?

We know that the AT lab model is becoming a thing of the past but I sure would love to know what you are doing as our AT models evolve.

Thank you,

Kathy

Kathleen Cahill
Assistive Technology Specialist
MIT ATIC (Assistive Tech. Info. Center)
77 Mass. Ave. 7-143
Cambridge MA 02139
(617) 253-5111
kcahill at mit.edu


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-- 

-*- Dan Comden                       danc at uw.edu

    Access Technology Center   www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/

    University of Washington      UW Information Technology

 

 

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