Although the race to use technology to enhance learning has been underway for the past several years, automation and collaboration technology exploded in the last 15 months in the higher education market. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace of this education transition and revealed some amazing new teaching methods used to engage students remotely.
“Countless institutions have digitally transformed their classrooms and campuses during the last year and for those who still have not, it’s important to understand what your peer institutions are doing,” said John Hulen, Director of Channel Marketing for Education at Crestron.
And beyond ease of use, the pandemic has created positive pathways for improved, more equitable and inclusive education in post-secondary institutions.
“Introducing technology, which allows for dispersed and digitally optimized experiences, enriches learning for students as well as adding efficiency for educators and administrators,” Hulen said. The benefits of the digital transformation go beyond online learning and bring new tools to students and faculty. For example, students can use scheduling software to book study rooms, and faculty can use standardization software that creates one platform for toggling between applications when presenting to a group.
Beyond breaching physical boundaries, Hulen said that technology is making education more financially accessible as well.
For example, Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) has found success in using technology in the academic space to make education more financially accessible to its students. In partnership with Crestron technology, the HVCC student body is now 100 percent commuter.
“By integrating an educational technology infrastructure that eliminates the requirement for a car – and thus the immense financial burden of its purchase and maintenance – HVCC becomes a more viable academic option for a much broader swath of students across a wider range of socioeconomic backgrounds,” he said. “Similarly, automation and collaboration technology will also allow for larger class sizes and larger enrollments at HVCC, without reducing education quality, as educators will be able to broadcast their lectures online to students anywhere and everywhere. This is a major benefit for the many HVCC professors who also teach elsewhere.”
In addition, Hulen said that schools such as HVCC can improve equity and inclusion for non-academic activities on campus such as eSports, yoga classes, book clubs, etc. These digitized social interactions allow for greater participation by students, which broadens student engagement and, therefore, their overall experience with the institution and learning.
Another example of an institution which puts a large focus on digital infrastructure and communication is Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). Hulen said that with a broad array of tools in place, as well as new teaching and collaboration spaces, students at CCSU develop a true sense of comfort with the education technology.
“The experiences and processes of a blended and hyflex learning environment prepare them aptly for the hybrid working world that awaits,” Hulen said. “The digitally transformed campus also allows students a deeper look into potential careers by allowing access to remote resources in the form of guest speakers, distant researchers at far-flung sites, and virtual ‘hands-on’ experiences that would otherwise be unrealistic.”
Moving forward, in order to provide more inclusive and engaging education for all, remote collaboration technology should be a priority, according to Hulen. Broadening access to educational resources for distributed learners and educators creates a richer, more equitable, and more diverse educational experience. He notes that snow days, sick days and family emergencies will still happen as well, so being prepared for a hyflex experience is a must.
And while Hulen acknowledges that the cost of technology is a big concern for every institution, it’s about weighing value and balance.
“Understand that whatever the costs of embarking on a digital transformation initiative may be now, they will be greater in the future for students. Without these solutions, some students might enter the workforce less prepared, not to mention waste time during the semester working through the difficulties of supporting outdated, disparate technology,” he said.
Hulen also warns that putting the education technology transformation on hold will also cause an institution to pass up dramatically reduced burdens on IT staff, more efficient classroom IT experiences, the digital infrastructure to support increased enrollment, and access to dispersed resources.
Looking forward, Hulen believes that future prospective students will be searching for colleges and universities which exceed and expand the education technology infrastructure they were exposed to in their high schools.
“Therefore, if we acknowledge there is an ongoing race to improve how ed tech is used in learning, the most important question becomes: “Is your institution stalled at the starting line or already sprinting towards a brighter future?”