Invest in Technology that Makes Data Easy to Collect, Analyze, and Integrate
By Dr. W. Allen Richman, interim dean of Planning, Assessment and Institutional Research at Prince George’s Community College
In higher education, data is a key component of everything from graduation rates to accreditation. The “modern” higher education institution relies on data analysis to assist it in making programmatic changes that lead to better retention and graduation rates. Therefore I recommend higher education institutions invest in technology that allows them to easily access, manage and analyze their data – particularly assessment data. This technology must also allow institutions to integrate this data into the regular operations of the institution, rather than having it be, or appear to be, a separate set of work.
Prince George’s Community College launched a data initiative five years ago. The goal was to create a comprehensive assessment program that would tie courses to learning outcomes. It reorganized the Office of Planning, Assessment and Institutional Research to head this task. We spent 18 months mapping courses and aligning them to learning outcomes. We also adopted software called DataLink Connect, from Apperson, that allowed us to develop assessments and answer keys tied to each outcome. Also, make sure data collected integrates with the learning management system so educators don’t have to go into multiple places to review data. The data now helps us determine where we need to adjust instruction and how best to revise courses. Ultimately we hope this initiative will improve courses and graduation rates.
Regardless what technology an institution chooses, what is essential is that collecting, analyzing and acting on data become as much a part of the classroom as collecting, grading and providing feedback on term papers. If universities and colleges look for technology that will accomplish this, it will help to ensure student success.
Dr. Richman oversees academic assessment including the implementation of an institution-wide assessment system for the continuous improvement of courses, programs and the institution as a whole.
Pick Tech that’s Easy to Use and Versatile
By Jeremiah Proctor, director of Technical Services and Information Technology Services for John Brown University in Arkansas
The best tech to invest in is the technology that best fits the needs of your faculty and improves the faculty and student experience without requiring extensive training or preparation. You must find tech to excite and engage the faculty and students. I would also recommend investing in technology that promotes collaboration and group work. At John Brown University, collaboration and remote presentation in the classrooms have become primary focuses for both faculty and students.
In our classrooms at John Brown University, we chose Epson interactive projectors with Crestron DMPS control systems along with Dell OptiPlex 7440 AIO touchscreen computers and document cameras. We selected Epson’s interactive projectors because they are simple to use and versatile. I refer to them as a wall-sized iPad. Also, we can create a wonderful interactive whiteboard experience just by placing a piece of dry erase vinyl on the presentation decks of the document cameras. John Brown University has a theater space that we are able to still use as a traditional classroom by adopting this solution.
In addition to adding the technology, we equipped our classrooms with standard meeting chairs and small round tables around the room to make it easier to create groups for collaborative exercises. The groups use products like Crestron’s Air Media and Epson’s collaboration software which make sharing projects with the class easy.
We are pleased with our tech investments at John Brown University. By investing in technology that is versatile, easy to use and that promotes the collaborative atmosphere that is so critical in education today, you will set your university up for success well into the future.
Make Sure it’s Durable and Valuable to a Diversity of Users
By Christopher Gordon, assistant director of the Center for Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CESTEM), University of North Carolina Wilmington
The University of North Carolina’s Center for Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CESTEM) provides professional development opportunities for regional K-16 instructors and educational opportunities for regional K-12 students to improve the quality of pre-college STEM education. One way we do this is through our technology loan program, which allows teachers from 13 counties in the region to borrow various technologies, lab books, and more to use with their students.
When selecting technology for CESTEM and our institution, I am committed to choosing equipment that is easy to use, durable, and useful in a variety of settings by our diverse stakeholders. With CESTEM, teachers check out the equipment for two weeks—or longer if no one else has the equipment reserved after them—and then brings the equipment to their classrooms to engage students in hands-on, technology-enabled learning. Oftentimes, students also use the technology independently for their own science and engineering fair projects. Given this, it is important that the technology we loan out, such as Vernier sensors or Lego robotics kits, supports heavy use.
In choosing technology, it is also important to partner with companies that have an established record of success and that are focused on anticipating the future needs of its customers. Other key considerations of technology purchases include choosing technology that connects and works seamlessly with the other technology you already own or plan to own in the future; that is a good value; and, most importantly, that will enable you to accomplish your organization’s mission.
Start Small and Simple
By Linda Ding, Senior Education Program Strategist at Laserfiche
For institutions of higher education, the key to positioning a technology project for success is starting small and simple. Enterprise-level initiatives are, by nature, huge and complicated projects, and colleges and universities often find that they’ve underestimated the amount of research, resources, development and training necessary to complete them.
To prevent the premature death of a project and see results sooner, institutions should identify one clear business challenge in one department. Break down large undertakings into digestible processes—for instance, rather than using a new enterprise content management system to improve admissions as a whole, start by implementing electronic forms to automate application review.
Choose a key component that has clearly defined issues. If potential users of your new technology initiative are aware of and frustrated by a broken process, they are more likely to embrace change and help others to follow suit. This is a good way to build institutional knowledge as your initiative affects more and more departments or schools. Organizations see significant returns on technology investments once they build a community of practice—to share information, experiences and ideas—that often start with just a few champions.
Once an organization successfully deploys a technology initiative, it has proof of concept and can begin looking for other challenges that can be addressed by the same technology. This highlights another important factor: When purchasing technology, institutions should choose products that are flexible enough to address a variety of business problems—not just one. This will maximize the investment and enable organizations to scale up without requiring them to hire more IT specialists to support the products. Additionally, colleges and universities that are on the leading edge of technology and efficiency maintain strong relationships with their vendors to stay apprised of upgrades, new features and advancements.
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