A Post-LMS World

In his EDUCAUSE New Horizons article, “A Post-LMS World,” Lou Pugliese explores the future of the learning management system (LMS) — one of the “fastest-growing technology-adoption phenomena in the 400-year history of higher education.” Even as education continues to formulate a true understanding of how to maximize the many capabilities of the LMS to teach and train efficiently, the LMS is already showing early signs of obsolescence. Fortunately, during the past 15 years, education leaders have gained valuable insight into the potential of “effectively executed online instruction,” and recognize that within this arena lies “a unique opportunity for the kind of true innovation that can serve to transform higher education.” New LMS design will “embrace nimble, interoperable, modular infrastructure in ways that make learning contemporary, relevant, and engaging.” According to Pugliese, future LMS design will focus on four essential applications:

• learning grids,
• e-learning intelligence,
• content clouds, and
• open architecture

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Technology integration for 100% participation

Learn how an "almost invisible" IT infrastructure creates a thriving e-community at Columbia University's Barnard College, as told by Vice President of IT, Carol Katzman. Read the story here.

Creating Effective Digital Learning Environments For Higher Education

Digital Natives entering institutions of higher education expect ICT to be effectively integrated into their learning experiences and they want to be able to access it all from anywhere, anytime. To meet this need, many colleges and universities are now providing ICT-enriched courses for students who are required to bring student-owned mobile devices with them for classroom use. Additionally, institutions of higher education are now offering courses that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction, known as “blended” courses. Read the rest of the story here.

Funding IT in Higher Education – The Power of Partnership

More and more HiEd leaders are recognizing that integrated technology truly empowers faculty and staff. Learn how HiEd institutions are creating technology-rich learning environments that accommodate the needs of today's "Digital Natives."  Read the rest of the story here.

Students Push Their Facebook Use Further Into Course Work

According to a recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, social media sites like Facebook are increasingly being used by higher education students to communicate with other students about their coursework, as reported by the ECAR National Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2011 Report. Of the 3,000 students surveyed from 1,179 colleges and universities, 90% say they use Facebook for social purposes, and almost 60% say they use Facebook "to connect with other students to discuss homework assignments and exams." 25% of the higher education students sampled think Facebook is "valuable" or "extremely valuable" to their academic success. Read the rest of the story here.

Shared Solutions for Security in Higher Education

In today’s Web 2.0 world, CIOs and faculty members at institutions of higher education are being challenged to balance the need for an increasingly open, collaborative wireless learning environment with the need for creating and enforcing security policies that protect and promote academic freedom – all while providing for the safe exchange of information. It’s a tough job, especially as open content becomes more mainstream in institutions of higher education, and students expect to be able to readily access and utilize a wide range of Web 2.0 capabilities. They demand 24/7 access to their online social networking communities for both academic and personal use from anywhere on campus. Privacy is a fundamental human right that is increasingly at risk. Today, one-third of digital information includes personal information; forecasted to rise to 45 percent by 2012. It is critical that university thought leaders be able to meet the needs and expectations of students and faculty by leveraging the power of information and communication technology tools for teaching and learning, while managing the risks that these technologies pose. Read the rest of the story here.