Brazil’s public universities move to Wi-Fi with Ruckus

Nearly one-third of the country’s public universities standardize on Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi to deliver connectivity to tens of thousands of students and staff

wi-fiRuckus Wireless, Inc. announced that its Smart Wi-Fi products and technology have been selected and deployed across nearly one-third of all public (aka federal) universities in Brazil.

Thousands of Ruckus ZoneFlex™ access points (APs) are being used for Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi networks at these higher education institutions across Brazil to deliver high performance, reliable wireless connectivity to tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff.

“The experience with Ruckus equipment was very positive, the deployment was easy and fast, and the quality and reach of the access points in the IFRN wireless network received many compliments from users,” said Carlos Eduardo Gomes do Egito, IT analyst of the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN). “We now have flexibility, control, signal stability, and high density per AP with Ruckus. We plan to expand our Ruckus wireless network to provide complete coverage in all of our campus environments.”…Read More

LastPass offers password management via Internet2 NET+

LastPass helps students and staff remember their passwords and login securely to every web account

password-securityLastPass has announced a partnership to bring its password management services to higher education institutions across the United States through its participation in the Internet2 NET+ initiative.

With NET+ LastPass, universities can now help students, faculty, and staff to remember their passwords and login to every web account while following best practices for password security.

Through the Internet2 NET+ initiative, educational institutions can enroll as early adopters to offer LastPass Enterprise and LastPass Premium packages for their campuses.…Read More

Could texting and tweeting boost retention?

New study examines the impact of course-related texts and tweets on student recall.

tweeting-textingStudents who tweet or message about anything associated with an academic lesson could demonstrate greater recall and learn more from lectures.

The finding is part of a new study, Texting and Tweeting in the Classroom: How Do They Impact Student Learning?, appears in the National Communication Association’s journal, and analyzes how different social media messaging, including tweets, impacts how much students retain what they learn during lectures.

It aims to connect past research about mobile devices, texting, and social media distracting students in class with the increasingly popular method of using mobile devices for course-relevant purposes, to better understand how mobile device use impacts student learning.…Read More

Community college boosts BYOD security

North Hennepin Community College partners with Good Technology for secure mobile BYOD solution.

BYOD-mobileIn an effort to improve its BYOD security, North Hennepin Community College is using Good Technology’s Good Enterprise Suite for its BYOD solution, enabling secure access to work emails, student assignments, strategic plans, and more.

North Hennepin Community College, part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, is one of the largest community colleges in the state with over 10,000 students and 500 employees. Faculty and administrators have demonstrated a desire to grade assignments and review documents from their personal devices, and the college’s IT department needed a BYOD solution that protects student information and intellectual property, while separating work and personal data.

“With so much back and forth between classrooms and meetings, higher education employees need the ability to work from their personal devices,” said Kristine Boike, Dean of Academic and Technology Services, North Hennepin Community College. “In addition to providing top security and usability, our faculty is saving hours each week through Good’s efficient workflows.”…Read More

University ramps up mobile network protection

Using Vectra Networks, Santa Clara University implemented automated threat detection.

mobile-networksSanta Clara University (SCU) has deployed Vectra Networks’ X-series platform to protect private university and student information on its campus network from malware and today’s advanced persistent threats.

SCU will use the automated threat detection to secure private data and address FERPA, HIPAA and PCI compliance concerns from security risks, including those introduced by the highly mobile nature of students and the university community.

“Security on campus would be a lot easier if we were dealing with just staff and faculty, but students bring on to our network a host of BYOD devices that we have little control over and are often infected,” said Bryan McClenahan, Senior Security Analyst at SCU.…Read More

looped in updates mobile payment app

Version 3.0 of mobile rewards and payment app features a more user-friendly interface for college campus ecosystem

mobile-paymentslooped in, the university community mobile rewards and payment app, has a new and improved release for Apple and Android phones. The new looped in, version 3.0, features an array of updates, advantages and user-friendly enhancements for all smartphone users.

“We compiled feedback from our users and created a fresh, enhanced system while maintaining much of the same basic functionality,” said Lisa DiOrio, Director of Customer Experience. “It’s all about making the app more user-friendly and more intuitive for all constituents in the college community.”

The new, enhanced looped in offers a more personalized design. Users now have the option to upload a profile picture to change the home screen to a personalized photo. Version 3.0 also features easier access to payment options and available funds. From the click of a “super button”, users can pay their bill, update their account balance, and send money to friends.…Read More

App brings social collaboration to cloud storage

New, free web and mobile app lets users socially collaborate on documents, photos and videos within their Dropbox or Google Drive.

social-cloud
Courtesy of FileChat.

To help make the cloud a social experience, FileChat announced that it has launched its platform, which delivers features that allow users to chat, “like” and vote on any of their files to harness the power of cloud based storage like never before.

FileChat is currently free and will be adding premium services/levels in the coming months. FileChat has secured a $3 million round of funding from private investors to support the development and launch of the platform.

(Next page: How to access FileChat)

FileChat is available at http://bit.ly/FileChatWeb (web version), http://bit.ly/FilechatAndroid (Android app) and at the Apple App Store http://bit.ly/FileChatiOS (iOS app).…Read More

3 ways tech can support future digital learning

Metastudy offers insights into how colleges and universities can evolve and leverage digital tech for student learning

digital-futureInstitutions of higher education should identify and implement technologies that support student learning, should welcome blended learning environments, and should ensure degree programs adapt to students’ digital needs, according to a new metastudy of technology’s role in higher education.

The study, Preparing for the Digital University: A Review of the History and Current State of Distance, Blended, and Online Learning, provides an overview of technology-enabled learning models and highlights strategies for colleges and universities moving in a digital direction.

One of the biggest takeaways, according to lead study author George Siemens, is that universities must evolve from outdated policies to policies that embrace and leverage digital technologies for learning.…Read More

Using UC to transform campus communications

How Unified Communications is critical for the success of mobility in higher education.

communications-unified-educationThere’s an aspect of mobility that has truly been underutilized throughout education, especially for the staff and faculty on college and university campuses. Ironically, it’s the entire reason mobile devices are with us today – mobile communications.

Mobile communications enable a multitude of benefits for educational institutions, providing flexibility that is critical for faculty, staff and students to stay connected, especially during critical times and emergency situations. Unified Communications (UC) enables colleges and universities to take full advantage of these benefits.

Today’s UC phone systems provide powerful mobility tools – expanding the features of a traditional desk phone. Faculty, staff and IT can easily manage calls and update their call availability status. With advanced UC features, users are able to have full visibility into the presence of other colleagues, and can easily check voicemail when away from the office.…Read More

Penn state asks if the Apple Watch can influence student achievement

University faculty member will study how academic achievement might be influenced by wearable technologies, such as the Apple Watch.

Wearable-Tech
Courtesy Penn State/Teaching and Learning with Technology; https://www.flickr.com/photos/psutlt/17257701721/.

A Penn State faculty member is set to study how wearable and accessible technologies, such as the Apple Watch, can support students’ self-regulated learning to lead to greater academic success.

Self-regulated learning is guided by students’ knowledge, metacognitive skills, strategies, and motivation. Self-regulated learners are engaged and effective independent learners who are able to monitor and control their learning and motivation.

New technologies such as the Apple Watch could provide new opportunities to reach students in unique ways to support their self-regulated learning strategies to excel in academic situations.…Read More

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