Networking at Pembroke State University

The mathematics and computer science department at Pembroke
State University is just completing a two-and-a-half year
project titled Laboratory Development for the Improvement of
Preservice Teacher Computer Science Education.  The project was
jointly funded by the university and the National Science
Foundation.  

Pembroke's computer education courses for preservice and
inservice teachers are mainly taught by the mathematics and
computer science department and not the school of education.
Even though the educational computing courses are taught by
computer science faculty members, they are heavily oriented
towards K-12 computer use and software evaluation.

The project has established a multimedia, networked computer
laboratory containing eighteen IBM i386 and i486 computers.
The labUs local network is connected to two other labs in the
science building and the university library.  All of the labs
are open for general student use.  In addition, two of the
classrooms in the science building have been wired for
connection to the network file servers in the labs.  This
enables the instructors to use a mobile computer connected to a
color LCD panel and an overhead projector for classroom
demonstrations.  This way, the preservice teachers not only get
the firsthand information on how to make effective use of the
computer in a lab setting with students, but also on how to use
a single computer for demonstrations in a one-computer
classroom.  Connecting the labs also gives the department the
flexibility of closing the multimedia lab for use by individual
classes without limiting all computing facilities.  

The entire system is connected to the university's academic VAX
minicomputer which is connected to the internet.  This gives
the additional capability of discussing wide area networking
and the distinctions between microcomputers, minicomputers,
mainframes, and supercomputers in a hands-on manner.

With the aid of the local marketing representative for
EduQuest, the department has been able to offer a number of
hands-on networking workshops for local teachers.  EduQuest has
also given the department a great deal of educational
software.  This has enabled the preservice students to gain
exposure to a much wider array of quality educational software
than would have been possible otherwise.

For more information, contact:
Thomas O. Strommer
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Pembroke State University
Pembroke, NC  28372
(910) 521-6589
Internet:  mattos@pembvax1.pembroke.edu
.