Higher Ed Archives - My TechDecisions https://mytechdecisions.com/tag/higher-ed/ The end user’s first and last stop for making technology decisions Thu, 27 Jul 2023 20:07:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://mytechdecisions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cropped-TD-icon1-1-32x32.png Higher Ed Archives - My TechDecisions https://mytechdecisions.com/tag/higher-ed/ 32 32 URI Selects Sony Projectors & Displays For Classrooms and Conference Rooms https://mytechdecisions.com/project-of-the-week/uri-selects-sony-projectors-displays-for-classrooms-and-conference-rooms/ https://mytechdecisions.com/project-of-the-week/uri-selects-sony-projectors-displays-for-classrooms-and-conference-rooms/#respond Thu, 27 Jul 2023 20:07:43 +0000 https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=48896 The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many businesses and organizations and for the University of Rhode Island (URI), it led to some changes. “Everyone was realizing that we needed displays and the ability to have hybrid meetings,” says Jeffrey Levesque, lead information technologist at URI. In addition to the pandemic, URI also decided to obtain new projectors […]

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The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many businesses and organizations and for the University of Rhode Island (URI), it led to some changes. “Everyone was realizing that we needed displays and the ability to have hybrid meetings,” says Jeffrey Levesque, lead information technologist at URI. In addition to the pandemic, URI also decided to obtain new projectors due to failures with their lamp projectors that required frequent replacements. URI decided to implement Sony’s laser projectors — a move that would be practical and cost effective due to not requiring lamp replacement. This also led to a related benefit of reduction in resource usage.

Levesque first experienced Sony’s products in 2018 when one of the company’s sales reps visited the URI campus. Impressed with the products, the university started slowly updating its projectors to Sony’s as part of their new classroom revision cycle. URI now has close to 120 of Sony’s laser projectors in nearly every classroom. The university started off with the VPL-PHZ10 and VPL-PHZ12 installation projector models. Now they’ve expanded its use to include the ultra-compact VPL-PHZ60 and VPL-PHZ61’s as their main models, which offer 6,500 center lumens and 7,000 center lumens of brightness, respectively.  These laser models also feature a fast start up and shutdown for saving time and energy.

“We tend to just put the VPL-PHZ61 in now because the brightness is great,” says Levesque. “If it’s too bright, I can decrease the brightness and make the projector last longer. I also like the size because they’re light for when I have to install them. It’s really easy to go up and put them in. It takes me no time to put one of these up compared to other projectors I’ve worked with, and I don’t need assistance because I can basically install them myself.”

Bravia Installation

In addition to projectors, URI has also installed Sony’s Pro BRAVIA displays across their campus. Prior to the pro BRAVIA installation, there hadn’t been a standard for displays on campus. Due to there being a variety of displays in different locations, it was difficult to keep track of which ones were being serviced, if they had the right equipment to be maintained, and how they operated.

“We’re a small department that kind of does everything on campus at this point, and we couldn’t keep it up anymore,” explains Levesque. “When we saw the displays, we were blown away by the image quality that we were getting compared to what had been installed.”

URI now has more than three dozen Pro BRAVIA displays between the sizes of 65 to 85 inches. The university’s displays are primarily utilized for reinforcement in their classrooms. Certain classrooms have a secondary display in the back of the room, and extended displays in the front of the room. A lot of Pro BRAVIA displays are also being installed for digital signage across campus to provide information to students and the public. Levesque is advocating for them to be installed on campus for other uses such as the school’s Memorial Union which is also in the process of swapping their displays over to pro BRAVIA’s for digital signage needs. URI is also currently utilizing Pro BRAVIA displays and audio reinforcements to make their conference rooms more modern, especially when it comes to hybrid meetings.

Clearer, Brighter Projectors & Displays

Since updating its equipment, Levesque and others have noticed positive results such as saving time and money on repairs.

“One thing we’ve noticed is when we put the Sony ecosystem on campus, it just works,” says Levesque. “We get them in, we put them up, and we really don’t have to think about them. I don’t have to visit the displays or projectors all the time and change their lamps or filters – they just work. We set the displays on an internal schedule to power them on and off for us utilizing the Pro Mode (BRAVIA pre-loaded functionality) and they work great. I don’t get calls like I used to anymore.”

URI’s students and staff have also noticed some changes. Faculty members have continuously told Levesque and the rest of the AV team how great the projectors’ image-quality is, and how its reality creation feature is helpful when presenting lessons because everything looks clearer and brighter.

“We have amazing service and reps with Sony,” Levesque says. “Sony has been great when it comes to any issues that I have or even doing future design work. We are incredibly happy here.”

Click on ‘View Slideshow’ to view more photos of the Sony projectors and displays used in URI’s classrooms and meeting rooms.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on July 27, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

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University at Buffalo Mixes Old School Tech with New LED Displays https://mytechdecisions.com/project-of-the-week/university-at-buffalo-mixes-old-school-tech-with-new-led-displays/ https://mytechdecisions.com/project-of-the-week/university-at-buffalo-mixes-old-school-tech-with-new-led-displays/#respond Mon, 22 Aug 2022 19:05:56 +0000 https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=44627 The University at Buffalo (UB), one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in New York state was looking for a solution to enhance its classroom and campus dining display technology. The research institution draws 32,000 students annually with a wide variety of sought-after programs for medicine, pharmacy and law.  The University’ chose Radiance LED […]

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The University at Buffalo (UB), one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in New York state was looking for a solution to enhance its classroom and campus dining display technology. The research institution draws 32,000 students annually with a wide variety of sought-after programs for medicine, pharmacy and law.  The University’ chose Radiance LED to create highly effective and engaging learning environments.

The Tech Decision

After discussions and demonstrations of direct view LED technology with the University’s integrator, the decision was made to update the display technology in the Natural Sciences lecture halls on campus.

Housing some of the largest lecture halls on campus, NSC 201 and NSC 225 have seating for upwards of 350 individuals. With such a large space, the university needed a visually impactful solution that allowed the students to have a clear view of the instructional materials from every location.

Chris Clune, director of IT Customer Service, explains, “We wanted to create a more innovative way of instruction. Chalkboards and dry-erase boards were a big factor to how our faculty liked to teach so we needed a way to incorporate them into some of the more modern aspects of instruction.” Brice Bible, UB’s vice president and chief information officer, echoed a similar sentiment saying, “We wanted to create a learning experience in which site lines were not an issue and that could easily be synchronous with our distance learning initiatives.”

‘A front door to the campus’

The nearby One World Café was also in need of an engaging display solution. Integrating a visual messaging system that delivered pertinent student information was high on the university’s priority list. Designed with the vision of creating a highly visible “front door” to the campus, this active student hub is a central point for meeting and studying along with a rich tapestry of international food options.

The new 16ft by 9ft display at One World Café has become very popular for all visitors. Set in an open space, the LED wall displays important announcements to the students with top quality visuals for university programs, sports games, special events and messages from the president.

Incredible Clarity and Color on a Massive Scale

When all was finished, the staff, faculty and students were enamored with the new Radiance LED VX Series displays. The massive 32ft by 9ft central display in NSC 225 showcases course content in amazing detail from every seat in the lecture hall. Complementing this space, the 28ft by 8ft display in NSC 201 displays live, in-class notes from the professor, as well as supplementary sources with incredible clarity and vibrant colors. Complete with student microphone installations, both have the ability to show dual content sources and create an environment that allows a constant focus on student success.

A Perfect Mix of Old School Tech with the New

Bible describes the new setup in saying, “The new displays really allow us to make the most effective use of our instructional technology resources. These new instructional design capabilities have provided a really effective tool for faculty.”

Clune agrees, stating, “These new spaces are truly dynamic learning environments, complete with the ability to display document cameras, PowerPoints, content sharing from personal devices, etc. With the faculty’s chalkboard content on the screen, the clarity makes it as if a student in the back row were at the front of the class. Thanks to the Radiance LED walls, we’ve mixed the old school with the new.”

The rooms’ large displays allow remote students to feel more integrated into the in-person class. Remote students are also more easily seen by students in the room. Microphones placed at the tabletop allow for in-person students to be clearly heard by the remote audience.

Photos courtesy of Dennis Reed Jr., University at Buffalo.

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Maryville University Utilizes AI-Powered Chatbot for Automated Support & Digital Coaching https://mytechdecisions.com/project-of-the-week/maryville-university-ai-powered-chatbot-digital-support-coaching/ https://mytechdecisions.com/project-of-the-week/maryville-university-ai-powered-chatbot-digital-support-coaching/#respond Mon, 01 Aug 2022 16:31:00 +0000 https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=44227 Maryville University, located in St. Louis, Missouri, was founded in 1872 and is one of the oldest private institutions in the Midwest. With a student population of 10,200,  the student body is very diverse, coming from all 50 states and more than 58 countries. The university’s vision is to be the innovative leader in higher […]

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Maryville University, located in St. Louis, Missouri, was founded in 1872 and is one of the oldest private institutions in the Midwest. With a student population of 10,200,  the student body is very diverse, coming from all 50 states and more than 58 countries.

The university’s vision is to be the innovative leader in higher education promoting a revolution in student learning that expands access and opportunities for all. In 2019, Maryville University teamed up with the AI-powered support automation platform Capacity to make its vision a reality by automating incoming inquiries, the staff’s processes, and student’s decisions.

Hiring a digital employee

Maryville University’s online program has been growing at a rate unlike other colleges in the U.S. To keep up with demand and ensure a top-notch experience for its students, leadership decided to introduce digital employees into their current workstreams. Maryville chose Capacity to operate as its digital platform and its first digital employee—Max. 

Capacity’s first assignment—automating inquiries at Maryville University

The team at Capacity took a close look at Maryville’s current workflows, workstreams and processes to determine what could be automated. Max is a simple chatbot interface that Capacity added to Maryville’s orientation site to answer online students’ questions such as, “how can I contact my professor?” or “where is my syllabus?” The goal was to get students’ questions answered 24/7 without human intervention. Rather than emailing the professor or setting up an appointment with the teaching assistant, students could get their questions answered by Max. In just the first week, Max answered 40 student questions at a response rate of 2.7 seconds, giving insight into the category breakdown of students’ questions as an administrative bonus. 

Maryville University Capacity Automating inquires

Process automation and student retention

Long term, Capacity plans to automate repetitive existing processes that consume a Student Advisor’s time, so they can focus on strategic projects and one-on-one meetings with students. For example, if a student needs to find a tutor for their Accounting course, they could interact with the Capacity bot, Max, to find out which tutors are available and set up an appointment without interacting with their Student Advisor.

Capacity is also tasked with identifying patterns within student data to determine which students are most likely to drop out of their online classes. For example, Capacity can determine common indicators of student dropouts and keep students enrolled in classes by intervening at just the right time. 

Automating the best decisions

Once Capacity predicts the students who need more support, it jumps into action to help students make better decisions. For instance, if students who don’t log in to the orientation site within 5 days have a higher rate of dropping their courses, Capacity will intervene by sending emails and texts to remind the students to log in and stay focused on their courses. Capacity will also automatically send notifications to Student Advisors, so they can nudge the students as well. Capacity is proactively helping students stay the course from orientation to graduation. 

Capacity helps Maryville University set the curve

Maryville University has high expectations for its first digital employee. Max Capacity will analyze and automate workflows, as well as answer repetitive questions from Maryville’s growing student population. By implementing Max, Maryville University will continue to meet and exceed the needs of its students and stay ahead of the curve. 

Automating tasks and workflows provides Maryville University Student Advisors with more time to spend one-on-one time with students instead of fielding repetitive questions. Ultimately, Maryville University’s focus on automation will ensure that the institution is recognized as an innovative leader in higher education.

“Capacity has enabled us at Maryville to implement the first digital human life coaches in the United States, and also to begin working with and serving students 24/7, 365 days a year,” said Dr. Mark Lombardi, PhD, president of Maryville University, in a statement.

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Carousel Digital Signage Helps Communications at UConn Campus https://mytechdecisions.com/project-of-the-week/carousel-digital-signage-communications-uconn/ https://mytechdecisions.com/project-of-the-week/carousel-digital-signage-communications-uconn/#respond Mon, 18 Apr 2022 16:28:18 +0000 https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=40949 Minneapolis, Minn.-based Carousel Digital Signage provided digital signage content delivery and management at the University of Connecticut (UConn). Recently, UConn upgraded its existing on-premise Carousel 7 system to Carousel Cloud. With this, it further simplified the creation, scheduling and management of messaging throughout its campus and regional locations. Brien Woodaman, AV technician and digital signage […]

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Minneapolis, Minn.-based Carousel Digital Signage provided digital signage content delivery and management at the University of Connecticut (UConn). Recently, UConn upgraded its existing on-premise Carousel 7 system to Carousel Cloud. With this, it further simplified the creation, scheduling and management of messaging throughout its campus and regional locations.

Brien Woodaman, AV technician and digital signage service manager at UConn, explains that the university began standardizing its digital signage systems in 2016. At the time, each department used its own homegrown solution. This led to inconsistencies in service offerings, scalability, hosting and performance. “There was a lot of confusion, so there was a push to standardize,” he says.

A Standardized System

To address the issues, UConn deployed Carousel 7, Carousel Digital Signage’s on-premise platform, to deliver content in a more streamlined fashion. This provided the standardization the university was seeking. It also addressed the need for a user-friendly UI. “The people interfacing with the digital signage systems weren’t graphic designers or technicians; they were office admins, faculty, or staff from different departments,” Woodaman adds. “We needed something that was simple and easy to use, and that’s why we chose Carousel.”

Related: Don’t Buy Digital Signage: Hire It

The initial Carousel 7 deployment involved 300 media players. Since then, UConn has kept expanding from there through its transition to Carousel Cloud, which began in 2021. Presently, there are approximately 700 displays receiving content from Carousel Cloud across the main campus, as well as six regional locations. Woodaman estimates that by the end of the summer, this number will increase to 800.

The university uses a combination of BrightSign and Apple TV players, as well as the webOS functionality that is built into its LG smart displays. Woodaman explains that UConn also deployed Jamf Now. This is a cloud-based MDM solution that manages all Apple TV devices on campus. Thanks to Carousel’s partnership with Jamf, Woodaman extended these management capabilities to the digital signage system. “I created a sub-group that manages the Apple TVs that are running signage,” he states. “When a new device is purchased, I just add that to the Jamf sub-group and push out the configuration, and it loads right into Carousel Cloud.”

Displaying Content on Carousel Cloud

The content displayed across UConn varies depending on where the signage is situated. For instance, the screens outside of classrooms display scheduling information. Meanwhile, department-specific displays run announcements related to scholarships, internships and different work opportunities. Student groups also have access to some displays so that they may post advertising about upcoming events or even roommate seeking ads.

Carousel Cloud software also provides options to use built-in templates for digital signage or upload pre-made content. Additionally, the Carousel Cloud system integrates with the university’s mass notification system so that in the event of an emergency, the screens immediately switch to displaying alerts.

Intuitive Experience

Carousel Digital Signage UCONN LibraryFurthermore, a portal on UConn’s website manages content created by students. It features a submission form asking users to provide information about file sizes and aspect ratios. It also requires information on buildings where they wish the content to appear and for how long. These completed forms generate tickets in the help desk system. From there, Woodaman’s team reviews these requests to ensure that they follow the university’s style guide. Individual departments that publish and manage their own content use Carousel Cloud’s scheduling feature to distribute messaging.

Woodaman notes that the shift to Carousel Cloud has resulted in a more intuitive, responsive user experience. He points out that updates are issued regularly, enabling users to take advantage of new features. The cloud solution also facilitates administration and management on the fly. “If I’m not in the office at my computer, it’s easy for me to pull out my phone and navigate the mobile version to check on players, update content, and add users,” he reveals. “It makes for a faster experience.”

Cohesive Look

The new shift also makes for more consistent branding. During the transition to Carousel Cloud, Woodaman worked with Carousel’s creative services team to develop three standard channel options with templates that incorporate the visual elements associated with the UConn brand. “Previously, it was kind of a free-for-all when it came to how people wanted their channels to look,” he said.

Even though different departments need to distribute their own messaging, there was a need for some visual consistency. Woodaman adds, “We wanted to make sure that it was more cohesive, and that you still knew that you were at UConn when looking at the displays. The channel templates are super helpful in keeping everything consistent, and people who don’t have graphic design skills can easily create content and publish it.”

Looking Ahead

Looking forward, Woodaman says UConn is considering the deployment of outdoor signage for wayfinding, as well as at bus stops to display schedules. “We’re planning for steady growth as more and more people on campus use the system,” he says. In addition to everyday, informative signage, there are opportunities to take it further using video walls and marquee wrap displays. “We have a few fun projects that we’re currently conceptualizing.”

UConn’s AV services group is now part of the university’s IT department, which facilitates rollouts such as these, Woodaman explains. “Because we all work under the same umbrella, it’s easier to gain access to IT resources and to collaborate with the server group and the security team,” he remarks. And, once again, moving to the cloud has increased efficiency. “With Carousel Cloud, once it’s set up and the initial paths are created, there’s virtually no ongoing maintenance thanks to its IT-friendly operation. Everything is seamless.”

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SIUE Automates Transfer Evaluation Process with TES https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/siue-automates-transfer-evaluation-process-with-tes/ https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/siue-automates-transfer-evaluation-process-with-tes/#respond Mon, 14 Feb 2022 20:58:05 +0000 https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=38556 With more than 13,000 students and receiving approximately 3,400 transfer students annually, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) needed a way to transform its transfer evaluation process for quicker, more efficient transfer decisions. Handling the process manually, the institution’s staff previously needed a full 15 days to evaluate and apply each student’s incoming coursework. They sought […]

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With more than 13,000 students and receiving approximately 3,400 transfer students annually, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) needed a way to transform its transfer evaluation process for quicker, more efficient transfer decisions. Handling the process manually, the institution’s staff previously needed a full 15 days to evaluate and apply each student’s incoming coursework.

They sought a tech-driven approach to shift into an automated transfer evaluation model at scale to make the process more efficient and streamlined for staff and students alike. SIUE adopted CollegeSource’s solution, TES, the transfer evaluation system, to validate equivalencies and allow for consistent articulations for coursework.

Over the last three years, SIUE has revamped its entire transfer evaluation approach and used TES to automate the entire process from start to finish – including building equivalencies in the system for all of Illinois’s two-year institutions and many surrounding community colleges, and the lower level course for all of the state’s four-year public institutions. This effort cut transfer decisions down to a one-day turnaround.

They also restructured the transfer team to become more efficient and let the technology do the heavy lifting. TES helped bridge the inconsistency between evaluations. The response from university leaders has been positive and the institution is able to ensure all students are able to make informed choices about which coursework is most valuable in counting toward their degree pursuits.

The TES Software Solution

CollegeSource’s transfer evaluation system (TES), is an all-in-one solution that streamlines the transfer credit evaluation process for collegiate administrators and advisors, facilitates faculty decision-making, and enables institutions to establish an unlimited number of validated course equivalencies for rapid and trusted transfer credit decisions.

Watch: The Collaboration Space Podcast: Addressing HyFlex Learning Technology Challenges

SIUE currently has 95,960 equivalencies. TES empowers SIUE to quickly locate course descriptions; route and track the evaluation process; store, manage, group, and publicize the resulting equivalencies; and leverage the many powerful reports and tools to manage existing equivalencies and generate lists of likely equivalencies between institutions.

TES takes the guesswork out of transfer credit articulation decisions by empowering SIUE’s higher education professionals. Utilizing the largest higher education course catalog database in the industry with more than 134,000,000 courses compiled and maintained by CollegeSource, the solution is a resource for institutions that prioritize establishing a transfer-friendly student and institutional experience.

TES’ Impact on SIUE

SIUE has seen a significant improvement in its transfer evaluation operations since its latest transfer transformation initiative began three years ago. By restructuring the transfer team around an automation-focused approach using CollegeSource’s TES solution, SIUE has saved thousands of hours in manual evaluation of transfer credit equivalency requests.

Streamlining the data and making it reusable across all transfer officers, SIUE now effectively processes all transfer requests and automatically routes exception requests to faculty for rapid, reliable and consistent transfer credit articulations.

While it initially took some convincing to embark on such a big change, SIUE’s transfer department is reaping the benefits it sowed with its investment in a more innovative approach for serving transfer students. The department operates with the ability to prioritize activities in service of transfer students as well as clearly report its operational efficiencies and benefits to administrators.

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Higher Education Institutions Create Leadership Program for BIPOC IT Pros https://mytechdecisions.com/news-1/higher-education-institutions-create-leadership-program-for-bipoc-it-pros/ https://mytechdecisions.com/news-1/higher-education-institutions-create-leadership-program-for-bipoc-it-pros/#respond Wed, 09 Feb 2022 19:15:37 +0000 https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=38509 A consortium of colleges and universities has created the Next Leaders Fellowship program, a new initiative of two nonprofit professional associations designed to advance career opportunities for minorities in senior leadership IT departments in higher education. According to a news release from Bowdoin College—the lead sponsor of the Next Leaders Fellowship program (NLF), the program […]

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A consortium of colleges and universities has created the Next Leaders Fellowship program, a new initiative of two nonprofit professional associations designed to advance career opportunities for minorities in senior leadership IT departments in higher education.

According to a news release from Bowdoin College—the lead sponsor of the Next Leaders Fellowship program (NLF), the program will recruit BIPOC participants into a one-year program during which they will be mentored by senior leaders committed to supporting their professional growth.

Twelve professionals have been selected for the program’s inaugural cohort, and they will work with accomplished senior IT leaders across a range of institutions and organizations to enhance and develop the perspectives, skills and experiences required in higher education IT.

The program, a partnership between  NERCOMP and EDUCAUSE is designed to complement existing leadership development programs by explicitly recruiting a cohort of diverse candidates and create a community around them, according to the college.

“More diverse teams working in inclusive environments are better at solving complex problems because they have access to a wider array of novel approaches, and they are more willing to consider and pursue them,” said Michael Cato, NLF director and senior vice president and chief information officer at Bowdoin College. “This is IT’s core job.”

The inaugural participants include IT managers, directors and assistant CIOs at several high-profile institutions, including University of California Berkeley, Northwestern University, California State University and others.

Held in conjunction with the 2022 NorthEast Regional Computing Program (NERCOMP) annual conference, the NLF’s kickoff will engage fellows, mentors, and sponsors in a series of conversations and exercises to identify areas of focus and develop plans of action for the program year, the college says.

“These are professionals who are really investing in mid-level professionals aspiring to be in senior leadership positions in information technology or academic technology,” said Jase Teoh, director of academic technology at California State University–Stanislaus and one of twelve selected for NLF’s inaugural cohort.

In her application, Teoh wrote about the importance of mentorship and expressed “the need to look for more diverse, equitable, and inclusive voices around the CIO table, particularly those in more senior positions.”

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How To Boost Students’ Self-Efficacy With EdTech https://mytechdecisions.com/facility/how-to-boost-students-self-efficacy-with-edtech/ https://mytechdecisions.com/facility/how-to-boost-students-self-efficacy-with-edtech/#respond Mon, 09 Aug 2021 21:09:50 +0000 https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=33114 To create better learning experiences, faculty should take a student-centered perspective when it comes to students’ digital self-efficacy.

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With college students returning soon for the fall semester, whether in-person, remote or hybrid, faculty and staff should take a more student-centered perspective when it comes to students’ digital self-efficacy.

College students who are not confident in their ability to learn and to adapt to new edtech have more negative experiences with online learning, according to a study from the College Innovation Network.

Those who expressed confidence in their ability to learn new technologies were likely to feel they were learning effectively online and wanted more online learning options.

The survey asked 700 students enrolled at four higher ed institutions to answer questions about how online learning was like for them in the 2020-2021 academic year and centered around “edtech self-efficacy” — confidence in one’s ability to learn new technology.

Listen: The Collaboration Space Podcast: Addressing HyFlex Learning Technology Challenges

Eighty percent of respondents said they were confident in learning new ed tech tools, while 20 percent said they struggled. The stereotype of all students are masters of technology is not true.

“If students get stuck struggling to use their assigned edtech tools, they may not ever break through to engage with the actual course material, says Kathe Pelletier, director of the teaching and learning program at EDUCAUSE to edsurge.com.

Some students discovered their laptops were too old or too slow to handle the assignment that was given to them. When professors scrambled to move courses to online, many had leeway to use whatever technology they could find, which meant students had to learn multiple edtech systems for each class.

College students are less likely to use and trust edtech tools that they don’t consider relevant, accurate, or easy to use. “Students just want to know what their assignment is, when it is due and where to put it,” Pelletier told edsurge.com.

Faculty must be intentional in selecting edtech tools, explaining exactly how and why it’s used in their courses. Professors should make their first assignment low-stakes, so student’s don’t feel too pressured.

Instructors who notice students who are not doing well on assignments, should follow up to see whether they’re having trouble with technology.

Having a mandated technology orientation on the first day is a good step. Professors could also hand out a survey on the first day asking students’ how comfortable they are using new education technology and then inviting those who indicated low confidence to drop by during office hours to troubleshoot any concerns.

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The Collaboration Space Podcast: Addressing HyFlex Learning Technology Challenges https://mytechdecisions.com/facility/the-collaboration-space-podcast-addressing-hyflex-learning-technology-challenges/ https://mytechdecisions.com/facility/the-collaboration-space-podcast-addressing-hyflex-learning-technology-challenges/#respond Thu, 15 Jul 2021 17:56:27 +0000 https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=32484 AVI-SPL and Bose discuss hybrid learning technology and trends for higher education institutions in this episode of the Collaboration Space Podcast.

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Pull up a chair in AVI-SPL’s virtual conference room as the company chats with industry experts about collaboration in the hybrid digital workplace, and how to connect on-site and remote team members. Explore UC and meeting room technology to boost productivity and safety. AVI-SPL supports the three keys to hybrid workplace success: employee engagement, physical and emotional well-being, and business continuity. Learn more about the Collaboration Space Podcast and subscribe here.

In this episode of the Collaboration Space Podcast, join AVI-SPL and Bose Professional for insights about how higher education institutions can prepare for flexible, hybrid learning in the fall. Topics include AV enhancements to help entice students back into the classroom, how educators can best communicate with students in large rooms, and overcoming acoustical and architectural challenges in existing spaces that were not designed with AV in mind.

More about Bose:

Bose Work solutions bring the simplicity and clarity of Bose to conferencing and unified communications — with innovative products for huddle spaces, desktop and mobile conferencing, and large meeting rooms. Our products work with existing platforms, enhancing popular third-party cloud services. Today the workplace is every place: office, home, car, and coffee shop. So Bose Work solutions work where you are, helping teams collaborate more effectively, moving beyond “good enough” audio and video so interactions are more natural and people can hear more, see more, understand more — and work better.

More about AVI-SPL:

We’re proud to be a digital enablement solutions provider that designs, integrates, manages, and supports on-site and cloud-based communications and collaboration technologies for organizations around the globe.

We’ve been innovating the way work gets done and unlocking new business value since 1979.

And we’re even more proud of what each of these solutions represents to our customers: modernized experiences that accelerate results and create flexibility in support of hybrid work.

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Majority of Colleges Give COVID-19 Reopening Plans ‘C’ or Lower https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/majority-of-colleges-give-covid-19-reopening-plans-c-or-lower/ https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/majority-of-colleges-give-covid-19-reopening-plans-c-or-lower/#respond Fri, 30 Oct 2020 13:00:55 +0000 https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=26683 A survey of admissions offers at colleges across the nation found that a majority rated their industry’s overall COVID-19 reopening plans rather poorly. According to the Kaplan survey, which asked admissions officers at over 300 institutions of higher education to evaluate their industry’s reopening performance as a whole, 4% gave it an A, 36% gave it […]

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A survey of admissions offers at colleges across the nation found that a majority rated their industry’s overall COVID-19 reopening plans rather poorly.

According to the Kaplan survey, which asked admissions officers at over 300 institutions of higher education to evaluate their industry’s reopening performance as a whole, 4% gave it an A, 36% gave it a B, 51% gave it a C, 9% gave it a D and 1% gave an F.

The survey took many factors into account, including new safety precautions, delivering courses, and communicating with students and parents.

The survey spanned two weeks from Sept. 16 to Sept. 29 and was conducted while there were reports of coronavirus outbreaks at several large universities.

It also came at the time when some schools switched from in-person classes to strictly online.

Admissions officers who poorly graded their industry’s reopening plans shared these comments:

  • “Both parents and students wanted to come back to campus. The schools that went online-only tended to have huge endowments or other financial support. Schools did the best they could in the environment they are in and the lack of strong leadership at the national level made it almost impossible for any school to open well.”
  • “I think that too many tried to reopen in person without enough safety precautions in place. Too many students got sick, and then if those universities closed and switched to online, then those students potentially spread the virus even more when they moved back home.”
  • “Very few schools did this well…The ‘waffling’ by most institutions did nothing but create confusion and anxiety with students and parents.”
  • “A majority of the reopening plans that have been implemented were based on the idea that college students will suddenly stop acting like college students. Expecting students to sit in their dorms and not try to be social at all (whether on or off campus) was not realistic. Also, testing plans were not thought out well at all. Some schools have not made access to testing easy, whether it be charging students for testing or threatening disciplinary action if students have a positive test. In some cases on our campus, students do not feel that they can reach out for health services and other support without having a ‘COVID witch hunt’ come after them.”

Here are some comments from admissions officers who gave above-average grades:

  • “I know that great amounts of time and attention were given to reopening steps by most institutions, and only a few have experienced high numbers of COVID-19 infections after reopening. The safety steps for most schools are extensive.”
  • “I think many colleges and universities reopened in accordance with state guidelines. In my experience, universities also developed internal steering committees and COVID-19 response teams that evaluated all factors at play in reopening. Often these review committees and standards of reopening were more cautionary than the state’s phased return plan.”
  • “Students should have access to in-person study and an in-person community during their college years. I believe we can do this even amidst a global pandemic. Colleges have taken the necessary procedures to mitigate the spread while students are on campus.”
  • “It is the first time for all of us. I would be less lenient come fall 2021.”

“What college admissions officers are telling us in this survey is that there is a lot of room for improvement in multiple areas, from education delivery, to communication, to safety procedures,” Isaac Botier, executive director of college admissions programs at Kaplan, said of the findings.

Related: Schools Have to Address These Distance Learning Cybersecurity Threats

“We think this self-awareness is positive, and many shared plans on how they’ll be making improvements in the coming weeks and months. Fundamentally, they all understand that safety comes first.”

Kaplan will release additional findings from the survey over the coming months, the company says.

This report first appeared on our sister site, Campus Safety.

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University Data Leaked by Hackers After https://mytechdecisions.com/network-security/university-data-leak-clark-county/ https://mytechdecisions.com/network-security/university-data-leak-clark-county/#respond Wed, 30 Sep 2020 20:31:02 +0000 https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=26141 Social Security numbers, grades, addresses, retirement documents and other data was leaked from the Clark County School District (CCSD) by hackers last week after district officials wouldn’t pay the ransom the cyber criminals were seeking. The attack started three days after school started on August 27 when a ransomware virus infected CCSD’s network and prevented […]

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Social Security numbers, grades, addresses, retirement documents and other data was leaked from the Clark County School District (CCSD) by hackers last week after district officials wouldn’t pay the ransom the cyber criminals were seeking.

The attack started three days after school started on August 27 when a ransomware virus infected CCSD’s network and prevented the district from accessing some of its files, according to an announcement by CCSD.

“Upon discovery, CCSD immediately notified law enforcement and began an investigation, which included working with third-party forensic investigators, to determine the full nature and scope of the incident and to secure the CCSD network,” the announcement said.

The release of information by the hackers is an escalation in tactics by cyber criminals taking advantage of K-12 districts and institutions of higher education relying on distance learning and internet technology during the coronavirus pandemic, reports the Wall Street Journal. Experts say remote learning makes schools an enticing target for cybercriminals.

Brett Callow, a threat analyst for cybersecurity company Emsisoft, told the Journal that last year hackers didn’t steal data, whereas this year they are doing so. Callow said multiple districts that haven’t paid ransoms have had their stolen data published online.

The Journal says the ransoms that have been paid by school districts range from $25,000 to more than $200,000. So far this year, at least 60 school districts and institutions of higher education have been the victims of ransomware attacks, according to Emsisoft.

Related: Huge Healthcare Ransomware Attack: What We Know So Far

The overall financial costs associated with data breaches and ransomware attacks are high. On average, data breaches cost $3.86 million each.

Ransomware attacks are also beginning to cost lives. Earlier this month, a woman being admitted to a German hospital died after she had to be diverted to another hospital 20 miles away when a ransomware attack shut down the university-affiliated hospital where she was hoping to receive treatment.

This post premiered on our sister site, Campus Safety.

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