5 simple ways to streamline campus technology

Paige Francis, CIO for Information Technology Services at Fairfield University, shares five tips to prepare for a future of rapid technology growth

campus-technology

Somewhere along the line, it seems that higher-education technology leaders hit a development gap where the KISS principle was routinely ignored. The “Keep It Simple Stupid” adage states that “systems perform best when they have simple designs rather than complex ones.”

It appears this gap has coincided with significant advancements in technology, leading to near-immediate obsolescence—and resulting in an overabundance of clunky technology and an over-outfitting of space. In a nutshell, more has resulted in less. We oversupplied and over-indulged, and now many institutions are forced to maintain these cumbersome environments … or are they?…Read More

Are ed-tech startups a bubble that’s ready to burst?

Ed-tech startups raised more than $500 million in funding in the first quarter of 2014 alone, but some investors are worried about a bubble

edtech-startups-bubbleWhen Matthew Pittinksy and the other founders of Blackboard attempted to find funding for the then-fledgling learning management system in the late 1990s, they were met with a wall of disinterest.

“‘We don’t invest in education,'” Pittinsky remembers investors saying. “‘We don’t do healthcare, and we don’t do education.'”

At the time, if a company wasn’t a large textbook company or a for-profit college, it was barely worth a glance to investors. Education was a large market, but one that was notoriously slow-moving and where the players were well-defined and largely resistant to sweeping technological changes.…Read More

Top higher-education technology news: March 2013

Here are some of the highlights from the March 2013 issue of eCampus News.

A new business model emerges for MOOCs … Free electronic textbooks see growth … Colleges learn how to boost success in online courses: These are among the top higher-education technology stories in the March 2013 issue of eCampus News.

The digital edition of our March issue is now available online. You can browse the full publication here, or click on any of the headlines below to read these highlights.

A new business model for MOOCs…Read More

The 10 most popular eCN stories of the year

Here’s a list of the 10 most popular stories we’ve published in the last year.

Recently, we published a special “year in review” digital edition in which we recapped what we thought were the 10 biggest higher-education technology stories of 2012, and analyzed what these stories might mean for colleges and universities in 2013 and beyond.

(You can access this special digital publication by clicking here.)

Now, we’ve assembled a list of the 10 most popular stories we’ve published in the last year, as measured by the number of page views each received. If you missed any of them before, here’s your chance to read them now, simply by clicking on each headline.…Read More

The 10 biggest higher-ed tech stories of 2012

eCampus News counts down the ten most significant developments in higher-education technology use during the past year.

A new reciprocity agreement could help facilitate eLearning … The Internet2’s NET+ initiative turbo-charges cloud computing … Massive open online courses challenge higher education’s status quo: These are among the many key ed-tech developments affecting colleges and universities in the past year.

In this special retrospective, the editors of eCampus News highlight what we think are the 10 most significant higher-education technology stories of 2012. To learn how these stories will continue to affect campus decision makers in 2013 and beyond, click here.

What do you think of our list? Did we miss anything important? What do you think were the top higher-education technology stories of the year? Share your thoughts in the comments section below—we’re eager to hear from you.…Read More

Best practices in higher-education technology use

Here are some of the best practices in campus technology use featured in our November/December 2012 edition.

An Arkansas college has achieved success by learning its students’ technology needs … A new eLearning venture invites students to contribute course content themselves … Tufts University has become a leader in social media outreach by focusing on one word—“Vibe”: These are among the best practices in higher-ed tech use featured in the Nov./Dec. 2012 edition of eCampus News.

The digital version of our Nov./Dec. edition is now available. You can browse the full publication here, or click on the headlines below to read any of these highlights:

Boise State seeks to redefine ‘well-educated’…Read More

New higher-ed tech products: November/December 2012

Here are the latest higher-education technology products featured in the Nov./Dec. edition of eCampus News.

A convertible computing device with three different modes (tablet, productivity, and presentation); self-service copy and print kiosks for college campuses; and software for streamlining IT management: These are among the many new higher-education technology products featured in the Nov./Dec. edition of eCampus News.

The digital version of our November/December 2012 issue is now available.

You can browse the full publication here, or click on the headlines below to check out these highlights:…Read More

Top higher-ed tech news: November/December 2012

Here are some of the top higher-education technology stories in the November/December issue of eCampus News.

Campus leaders ponder eLearning’s future … colleges re-engineer remedial instruction … civil libertarians question the use of an anonymous online tool to report campus incidents: These are among the top higher-education technology stories in the November/December issue of eCampus News.

Our November/December issue is now available in digital format at eCampusNews.com.

You can browse the full publication here, or click on any of the headlines below to read these highlights:…Read More

Top higher-education technology news: October 2012

Here are some of the top higher-education technology stories from the Oct. 2012 edition of eCampus News.

A new online video platform enables schools to create their own private “YouTube” on campus … a high-tech patient simulator gives nursing students hands-on practice in a controlled environment … artificial intelligence helps teach students important writing skills: These are among the top higher-education technology stories in the October 2012 edition of eCampus News.

Our October issue is now available on our website. You can browse the full publication here, or click on any of the headlines below to read these highlights.

Open source: The new normal in higher education?…Read More

Gates Foundation supports college readiness apps

More than half of community college students require a remedial class.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is awarding upwards of $100,000 to developers who propose apps and online tools that help high school students prepare for college, fund their schooling, and complete the sometimes circuitous application process.

The College Knowledge Challenge started Sept. 27 at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., where 100 developers gathered for a “hack-a-thon”–an effort to create useful technologies aimed at better preparing incoming college students as the need for remedial classes continues to rise across the U.S.

Anyone can submit a proposal to the Gates Foundation through the organization’s website. Winners of the $2.5 million grant competition will be announced in January, according to the foundation.…Read More

Oops! We could not locate your form.