Click here to receive your FREE subscription to Campus Technology
Research
Is Higher Ed Technology Keeping Up with Student Demand?
10/14/2008
Students see campus technology is a key factor in selecting a college or university and consider it critical for their professional development. Yet higher education institutions on the whole aren't keeping up with student needs in this area, according to a new report released Monday by CDW Government (CDW-G).
The report--The 21st-Century Campus: Are We There Yet?--highlights several areas in which campuses seem to be deficient on the technology front, including support for digital media (such as podcasts), support for Web 2.0 tools (like social networking, wikis, etc.), off campus network access, and laptop programs. Community colleges lead the pack in support for podcasts; public colleges and universities lead in support of off campus network access, 1:1 laptop programs, and support for Web conferencing; and private institutions lead in the areas of Web 2.0 adoption.
"While students are incorporating technology into nearly all aspects of their higher education experience through laptops, the Internet, social networking sites and online course management, the on-campus technology experience is not keeping pace," said Julie Smith, director of higher education for CDW-G, in a statement released to coincide with the report. "We do see, however, that colleges and universities recognize campus technology can offer a distinctive competitive advantage as they seek to recruit and enroll the best and the brightest students. As a result, institutions are making campus technology upgrades and integration into the educational experience a priority."
Students and Technology
According to the report, students hold strong opinions about the need for technology access in higher education, both for their academic careers and their lives outside of the classroom.
When asked whether how important technology was in choosing a school, high percentages of students indicated that it was "important" or "very important," particularly those in vocational and technical studies (90 percent), communications majors (89 percent), engineering majors (79 percent), business majors (78 percent), and education majors (73 percent).
And they also considered technology important or very import for their academic success. One hundred percent of engineering majors indicated that technology is "important or very important to their ability to study for their major." Students in other majors responded similarly:
- Science: 92 percent
- Vocational and technical studies: 90 percent
- Business: 90 percent
- Communications: 89 percent
- Law/legal studies: 86 percent
- Education: 85 percent
- Medicine: 84 percent
- Agriculture: 80 percent
- Health: 79 percent
- Fine arts/applied arts: 76 percent
- Liberal arts: 72 percent
A full 63 percent of students reported that they use technology every day to prepare for class, while only 24 percent reported that they use it every day in class. Seventy-five percent use laptops; 60 percent use social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter; and 58 percent use iPods or MP3 players of some kind.
Recommended Reading
- Moodle Gets SCORM Improvements, Security Fixes
New versions of Moodle have been released, bringing the most recent stable build to 1.9.3. The latest round of updates includes a number of bug fixes and security enhancements, as well as improvements to the SCORM module.
- Free 'Morro' Antivirus To Replace Microsoft OneCare
Microsoft is rolling out a free antivirus software program for consumers that will compete with products made by Symantec and McAfee. Code-named "Morro," the AV app is expected to be available by the end of 2009.
- Microsoft Demos New SQL Server Features at PASS
Microsoft Wednesday previewed the ability to centrally manage applications and resources in the planned upgrade of SQL Server, code-named "Kilimanjaro."
- Microsoft Unveils Exchange and SharePoint as Services
Microsoft exec Stephen Elop on Monday announced two hosted solutions from Microsoft--Exchange Online and SharePoint Online--which are now available to organizations of all sizes in the United States. The software, paid for by annual subscriptions, is hosted on Microsoft's servers and supported by Microsoft's channel partners.
- 6 Ways Not To Become Rote Using Instructional Technology
There are, in my experience, six strategies to consider with any use of technology that will guard against rote use of technology and facilitate critical analysis of teaching and learning effectiveness. In this article, I'll share with you the checklist I work with and encourage others to work with in learning about and using new technology.
- Bringing Student Web "Stuff" to Campus Enterprise Systems
How can an institution incorporate Web 2.0 learning opportunities for students, and evidence of learning from those opportunities, into existing campus technologies and processes? PlugJam is providing part of the answer.
