Is Dumb the New Smart?

Smart classrooms have been an issue for years, as colleges and universities push to make more and more learning spaces high-tech. But now some institutes find that they are falling behind -- not in updating old-fashioned chalkboard classrooms, but in maintaining their "new" computerized rooms. In short, many smart classrooms are showing their age.

But some community colleges are finding upgrades unnecessary, and are working their way around the problem by returning to the roots of computerized research: grid computing. This 'dumb' approach uses inexpensive, decentralized terminals that link to a more powerful computer, ensuring that the server is fully utilized. Alternatively, normal PCs can be strung together to form near-supercomputer capabilities. Either way, both maintenance and upgrades see significant savings.

Meanwhile, the 'dumb' approach is finding traction with web giant Google, which has helped make cloud computing popular through applications in its popular email service, Gmail. By storing documents online, access can be granted to anyone from anywhere. Moreover, access to a supercomputer can be provided over the internet, thereby further reducing barriers to advanced computing that may face some instructors or institutes.

This isn't to say that the PC is dead. But there may be alternatives to isolated and aging smart classrooms, and to idle servers in computer labs, just waiting around the corner.