Ed Tech Blog
There are “mind-game” exercises you can do that allegedly help with memory. Similarly, there are innumerable articles about vitamins, minerals, supplements and herbs that claim to enhance memory “vitality.” But one thing is certain when it comes to memory- as you age, your brain becomes less flexible and the world around you becomes more distracting. Short-term memory recollection is compromised and focus is more difficult.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, “In 2015, there were 11.8 million college and university students under age 25 and 8.1 million students 25 years old and over.” Also of note, the fastest growing cohort in US colleges and universities is the non-traditional student, which includes students 25 years and older. Students 25 years and older may face obstacles to learning and educational success in colleges and universities that traditionally cater to the traditional student population. We’ve written, prior, about non-traditional student enrollment being an opportunity for growth for colleges and universities with declining enrollment. But these opportunities come with the challenge of retaining this population of students who may not retain information the same as a traditional student.
How does this affect educational technologists? Individuals of all ages seem to remember items, interactions or concepts that are most impactful (both positively and negatively) to them. Technology rich learning environments can create impact. You’ve heard it before- it’s important to know your audience when designing, well, anything. The same is true for audiovisual systems- the great thing about our technology is that it can be equally impactful for a variety of groups. I recently read an article that referenced a study from the University of Maryland regarding the influence of Virtual Reality on retention. The article, titled “Study: People Remember Information Better Through VR”, is pretty self-explanatory. But it only addresses...
Read more: Education Technology For Impact, Engagement, Memory
A few possible consequential changes (positive? negative?) may occur if higher ed institutions adopt AVaaS:
- · The change of general campus technologies (from an institution’s budgetary forecasting POV) from Capital Expenditures (CapX) to Operating Expenditures (OpX).
- · The potential reduction in product decision making/ specification for the institution.
- · The potential decrease in technology staff/ employees as tier 2/3 support become a piece of the service model.
- · The potential for increased down-time of rooms with the reduction on-campus staff for tier 1/ helpdesk calls.
- · The concept (yay?) of guaranteed pre-planned and approved upgrades to all rooms under service contract- reducing legacy technology support and maintenance calls.
- · The potential for...
This is a guest post provided by Nanda Krish from Wisewire. I found the information to be relevant and in line with the value of content we like to provide on our Collaborate! blog. Please note: FSR doesn't endorse (or not endorse) Wisewire, as we have not evaluated their services. But we thank them for sharing this information with our readers! Enjoy:
You have a unique challenge ahead of you. You know valuable learning tools are emerging and your institution needs to keep up with educational trends. But working within a budget, juggling your day-to-day tasks, and trying to have meaningful conversations with people short on time is not easy. How do you convince multiple education professionals to invest in adaptive learning tools and materials (available from numerous online sources, including Wisewire), which may be an unfamiliar approach to student learning?
What Matters?
Gaining support for any initiative in higher education will always be contingent on whether the idea is best for students. It’s important to completely understand the benefits of adaptive learning tools for individual students and be prepared to describe these benefits to key stakeholders. In addition to basic questions, leaders will have their own specific areas of...
Involving and engaging commuter students on campus is a priority for schools. Generally, commuter student retention is lower than students living on-campus or in college owned housing. This could be the result of a number of factors: commuter students not feeling connected to the school brand (house proud); lack of social connectedness; increased distractions/ responsibilities from non-academic sources; lack of amenities on school grounds created for their complex lifestyle, etc.
StateUniversity.com claims, “Because commuter students spend limited time on campus and limited time creating relationships with other students, faculty, and staff, they have fewer opportunities to engage in quality interactions with these individuals. Therefore they are less likely to make a strong commitment to the university or its programs and are more likely to drop out of school than residential students.”
Fortunately, technology offers a conduit to increased connectivity. While technology alone will not be a campus cure-all for commuter retention, it can help support engagement, encourage group interactivity and provide conveniences to keep commuters on campus longer.
- Technology Rich Lounges- lounges located in central locations are good for commuter students who need a place to park in between classes. Dedicated areas with student- accessible TV’s can promote student interaction.
Read more: How Can Technology Help Engage The Commuter Student?
This article was originally published on rAVe Pubs. It has been reposted here with the author's permission because this message is too important to not spread. In addition, the link to the podcast mentioned, can be found here.
PASS: An Alliance You Need to Know About
By Scott Tiner
rAVe Columnist
Last month for rAVe Ed, I wrote an article about school safety. I was inspired by the Parkland students, who suffered a horrible tragedy and decided to do something to make sure others did not have to suffer a similar tragedy. I specifically avoided talking politics and law. I think there is a place for that, but this is not it. I had a vision where those of us in the AV industry could use our skills, talents and numbers to help make schools safer. When I wrote it, I realized it was a huge ask and may not be very likely, but I dared to dream. The morning after the article was first published, I heard from a friend in the industry. He had read the article and was inspired by it. He wanted to host a podcast to try and publicize the idea, and asked if I would...
Read more: Guest Post: PASS: An Alliance You Need to Know About
At the Midwest College and University AV Summit, we were able to tour one of the most technology rich 2-year colleges I have seen- Saint Paul College. While the technology in the classrooms was impressive, it was the technology in the technical areas of the college that were truly exciting. In general, 2 year colleges are under-funded and are, therefore, stuck in a cycle where the budget only allows for minimal upgrades over time. Larger technology investments are typically put on hold, indefinitely.
Saint Paul College is different. Consistently ranked in the top 10 technical and community colleges in the US, they have found a way to stand out. We toured high-technology sim labs for their nursing and medical sciences programs with observation rooms and lecture capture equipment tailored to help students and faculty review the information they need, effectively and efficiently. We tried out divisible flex-rooms with installed wireless presentation products for content sharing.
VR Technology for Skilled Trades
But, one of the unique spaces that made an impression on me was the welding shop. Located in the basement, they teach four or five (or more) different welding techniques in this large and well-outfitted area. Available to students...
- Three Signs It May Be Time To Look For Another AV Consultant
- NEW NAME, EXPANDED FOCUS FOR THIRD TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT
- What Students Want: Experiential Learning with Nature INSIDE the Classroom
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice Selects FSR HuddleVU Collaboration Systems for Student Group Study Initiatives