4 ways universities can use the social media app Vine

Although Vine videos are not yet a mainstream practice in higher ed, they can play an important role in showcasing university life

vine-education-universityHave you heard of Vine? Chances are you may have seen a cute six second video of a pet, toddler or food dish posted on a friend or colleagues’ mobile device.

Teens have gravitated towards Vine in massive numbers, even at the expense of leaving Facebook for this ultra-quick video sharing device. In 2013, active teen Vine users skyrocketed by 639 percent.

Although the majority of Vine video clips are for fun and personal use, educators and administrators in higher education could capitalize on the growing popularity of this social media application.…Read More

Apps and analytics: The key to student engagement?

Bolstering engagement with students could hinge on how colleges and universities use real-time analytics.

analyticsInsight into how, when, and even why students interact with campus technologies has become a linchpin in maximizing efficiency, saving money, and optimizing the student experience in higher education.

Could these insights — analytics — be the key to bolstering student engagement on college campuses too?

Campus Quad, creators of a real-time mobile communication platform designed specifically for colleges and universities, has answered this question with a definitive “yes,” and their higher-ed customers, so far, agree.…Read More

A new frame of reference through Google Glass

Roxann Riskin, a technology specialist at Fairfield University and eCampus News contributor, writes a special op-ed on the NYC Glass Museum Event which she attended on April 28

google-glass-appsWhile wearing the Google Glass device, many of my experiences have focused primarily on subjective perspectives, like taking pictures, for instance.

This is mainly because that part of the Glass design feature is currently from a first-person point of view. Recently, I had an extraordinary opportunity to look at things from a different vantage point, using a newly created Glass App, at a museum event hosted in New York City.

I was excited to immerse myself in a first-of-its-kind visually augmented experience with art.…Read More

Students can now skip the line without being a jerk

Qless eliminates physical queues, allows students to line up virtually

line-qless-studentsNobody likes waiting in line, but everyone hates a line skipper.

Thanks to a new partnership between Blackboard and Qless, students will be able to skip lines without actually skipping in line. Instead, Qless “eliminates physical lines” completely.

Rather than lining up at a location, users “line up” virtually. The app is already in use at several colleges and universities around the world.…Read More

5 ways mobile devices have (and haven’t) changed studying

With smartphones, students will study nearly anywhere — including on the toilet

mobile-devices-studyingCollege students now own an average of seven mobile devices, and spend nearly four hours a day interacting with their laptops, tablets, and smart phones. The bandwidth needs can be a headache for IT officials, but many universities continue to encourage their use through Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives.

Is the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices changing the studying habits of students?

Earlier this year, StudyBlue, an online studying platform, surveyed 1,000 students to learn how today’s students study, and how mobile devices factor into their learning.…Read More

Which schools will lead the pack in higher ed?

Schools must embrace the correct mix of technology and traditional learning to get ahead

schools-debateOn April 30, Future Tense, a partnership of Slate, the New American Foundation and Arizona State University, will hold a conference in Washington, D.C., called “Hacking the University: Will Tech Fix Higher Education?”

Addressing the ongoing global debate over the future of innovation in education, Paula Krebs, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Bridgewater State University, emphasizes that institutions must accept new opportunities offered by digital technology to provide students with critical 21st century skills.

“We don’t need to build more huge high-tech buildings to train STEM graduates – we can teach students to build wikis in class. We don’t need to require that they purchase the latest high-tech device – we can work with what they have…”…Read More

Universities to explore Internet with…cars

Internet2 will provide electric vehicles to universities experimenting with the Internet of Things

electriccarresizedThe nonprofit computer networking consortium Internet2 will provide electric vehicles to four colleges and universities to be used in research of the Internet of Things.

The type of vehicle, unveiled this week at the Internet2 Global Summit in Denver, was created by Innova Inc. Based on European micro-car technology, the small car is called the Innova Dash and can move up to 35 mph. It can go about 100 miles before needing recharged.

“Our goals are for campuses to use this electric vehicle to enhance sustainability research involving data collection and data transfer across campus networks, and to adopt advanced identity management technologies,” said Steve Wolff, Internet2 chief technology officer. “At the same time, the vehicles will demonstrate a low-carbon-footprint campus transportation alternative.”…Read More

How to save lives with social media

Campus emergency expert discusses the importance of social media, text messaging

social-media-campusThe night before Byron Piatt was scheduled to speak about campus emergencies at the 2014 ACUTA conference in Dallas, Texas, his campus was experiencing an emergency of its own.

Protestors clashed with Albuquerque police on March 30 following days of demonstrations over a series of deadly police shootings. The University of New Mexico, where Piatt works as an emergency manager, lies at the heart of the city, and the confrontation spilled onto campus.

At 9 p.m., the university’s Twitter account sent out a tweet to its 19,000 followers.…Read More

Are campuses really mobile ready? And what does that mean?

New national survey reports on IT trends for campuses in 2014

campuses-mobile-resnet It’s not news to say that the IT demands placed on campuses across the country are skyrocketing, thanks to student, and administrator, need for mobile devices and communications access. But with the economy still in recovery, and technology use increasing at a beyond-rapid rate, are campuses really IT-ready? And how do you gauge readiness?

In a new report, “2014 ACUTA/NACUBO/ACUHO-I State of ResNet Report: ResNet Trends & Practices Across Higher Education,” more than 400 higher education institutions were surveyed to help admins and chief business officers address issues as the unprecedented growth in bandwidth and connectivity demands, budget restrictions, planning, policy considerations, staffing, and support.

The report is the third installment of a five year tracking study, and this year includes a wider scope, representing nearly twice as many stakeholders, with over three times the number of chief business officers responding compared to last year.…Read More

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