Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eCampus News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Interactive campus maps could mean big bucks for colleges

Nearly eight in 10 students say campus tours are valuable.

Spiking gas prices and a growing reliance on college websites could make online campus maps a premiere recruiting tool, to the tune of $60,000 per month.

Technologists who have tracked the evolution of the interactive campus map say the online tour—complete with 360-degree views, descriptions, and videos—will take on a more vital role in college recruitment efforts as gas prices rise and the days of multiple campus visits become unfeasible for most middle-class families.

“You simply can’t afford to take your children to 20 schools to see what they’re all about anymore,” said Kyle James, founder of the popular higher-education site .eduGuru and a former webmaster at Wofford College in South Carolina, during a Feb. 28 edSocialMedia webinar. “It’s just too expensive to do that … but it’s vital in the recruitment process.”…Read More

Campus tour now comes with an iPad

Campus maps are included on Bradley's iPads.

When a group of prospective students arrived at Bradley University’s recreation center at 10:30 a.m. one recent morning, the basketball court was empty, the rock climbing wall was unused and the track had just one runner. One of the campus’ top selling points looked pretty unimpressive.

“I do want to show you a lot of things that go on here that aren’t going on now,” tour guide and Bradley sophomore Nathan Russell said to the three students and their parents.

And with that, he held up an iPad to show a 52-second video of the Markin Family Student Recreation Center bustling with activity, with students lined up on cardio machines and filing onto the court for “Late Night BU” activities such as concerts and ice cream socials.…Read More

Touring campuses in three dimensions … from your living room

Prospective students can tour Northeastern's 160 campus buildings in three dimensions from their computer.

It doesn’t require airfare or gas money, and students think it’s cool: Three-dimensional virtual campus tours have launched at seven colleges and universities, providing a welcomed alternative to the often-pricey college visit.

CampusBird.com provides Google Map-based layouts of about 4,800 U.S. college campuses, and the Boulder, Colo., company has created a virtual 3D tour for seven higher-ed institutions, allowing prospective students to scroll through any structure on campus and view it almost as they would in a traditional fact-packed tour led by a student guide.

Northeastern University, a 20,000-student campus in Boston, added CampusBird’s 3D tour model to its web site in November, and Northeastern officials said the mere presence of a 3D tour could be a valuable recruitment tool.…Read More