February 26, 2013, 4:56 am
By Jake New
The sharp increase in the number of Internet-connected devices that students are bringing to campuses has left many universities struggling to find ways to provide the necessary bandwidth to meet the demand, according to a survey of campus technology officials released this week.
A report describing the survey’s findings, released by Acuta, the Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education, illustrates concerns that the trend of increasing bandwidth use shows no signs of slowing, driving up costs as budgets are tightening.
The “2013 Acuta/Nacubo State of ResNet Report” is the technology association’s second annual study of the issues facing campuses and their residential networks. The group collaborated with the National Association of College and University Business Officers for this year’s survey, and the respondents include business an…
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January 2, 2013, 2:27 pm
By Jeffrey R. Young
Articles about how free online courses, or MOOCs, could disrupt higher education dominated the headlines last year here at the Wired Campus blog, and they were the most popular with readers as well. Several articles about e-textbooks also topped our list of most-read articles of 2012, highlighting what has been a time of change, and anxiety, for colleges and universities.
Coursera and Udacity appear most frequently in this year’s top headlines. Both offer MOOCs, or massive open online courses, and both were founded by Stanford University computer-science professors who are now on leave. Together, they now claim more than two million students, though some of those sign up but never complete work in the courses.
The most popular episode of our monthly Tech Therapy podcast highlights another anxiety among college leaders—how much raw time all this personal technology use eats up….
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December 18, 2012, 2:18 pm
By Jeffrey R. Young
’Tis the season to reflect on the biggest trends in technology. Rather than looking back, though, we’re thinking about emerging leaders and the ideas they’re advocating.
In 2013 we plan to publish another list of top technology innovators in higher education, a follow-up to a popular feature we published last February. And again we need your help in finding the most interesting and influential people to profile.
You can find details on the nomination form below. Please share your suggestions and spread the word to colleagues.
Last year readers made more than 100 nominations, some of whom appeared on our list. Others ended up being featured in Chronicle articles later in the year. We also compiled the profiles, along with essays from each of the innovators, into an e-book, Rebooting the Academy.
Update: The deadline for submitting nominations was Friday, January 4, 2013,…
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October 30, 2012, 9:17 am
By
A low cellphone battery is a source of anxiety for many college students these days, sending them searching dining halls or libraries for a place to recharge. To reduce panicked questions about where to find the nearest power outlet, universities are purchasing charging stations like those already common in airports. Some are even installing small lockers with power outlets inside, for students who want to keep devices safe while they power up.
Companies like goCharge and KwikBoost say they have seen an uptick in sales to colleges in the past year. KwikBoost has sold units to about 200 universities since April, said Paul Mecca, the company’s co-founder. GoCharge expanded from conventions and bars to universities this year and has sold units to 12 colleges so far, said David Walke, the company’s chief executive.
Mr. Walke said colleges were primarily interested in buying charging…
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August 22, 2012, 10:49 am
By Angela Chen
Several universities have recently tried a new model for delivering textbooks in hopes of saving students money: requiring purchase of e-textbooks and charging students a materials fee to cover the costs. A recent report on some of those pilot projects, however, shows that many students find the e-textbooks “clumsy” and prefer print.
The report is based on a survey conducted this spring of students and faculty at five universities where e-textbook projects were coordinated by Internet2, the high-speed networking group. Students praised the e-books for helping them save money but didn’t like reading on electronic devices. Many of them complained that the e-book platform was hard to navigate. In addition, most professors who responded said that they didn’t use the e-books’ collaborative features, which include the ability to share notes or create links within the text.
The…
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August 8, 2012, 6:35 pm
By Angela Chen
When Google+ made its debut last July, the social-networking site—which includes collaborative features such as videoconference “hangouts” and interest-based “circles” networks—was heralded as a potential boon for education technology and a possible alternative to traditional learning-management systems. But while some professors have incorporated it into their teaching, adoption appears more limited than its early fans predicted.
This week we put out a call on our social networks, including our Wired Campus Twitter feed and personal Google+ account, seeking professors who had integrated Google+ into their courses. Plenty of people spread the word, but only one professor responded with an example. That’s hardly scientific, of course, but others said they were skeptical of the claim that Google+ is changing higher education.
“Any technology has potential to be used in…
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August 6, 2012, 12:01 am
By Angela Chen
An online service opening today offers a new approach to connecting students with potential employers.
The service is called Seelio (a portmanteau of “see” and “portfolio”), and it aims to simplify the postgraduate job hunt by creating a place where online student portfolios are seen by a network of companies.
Only students with a .edu e-mail address can set up portfolios on the site, and the interactive Web pages include both traditional résumés and multimedia materials including videos, photos, and papers that are relevant to the students’ work experience. But what distinguishes Seelio from existing ePortfolio sites (such as Foliotek and RCampus) is that companies can also create accounts and browse through student profiles, post jobs, and search for potential employees based on skills or relevant projects.
Seelio grew out of an earlier service offered for students at the…
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August 3, 2012, 3:13 pm
By Angela Chen
University of Central Florida
A student at the University of Central Florida has been placed on academic probation for creating a Web site that tells students when a seat becomes available in a given class.
Tim Arnold, a senior at Central Florida, built the U Could Finish site this year. The site became available in June, but, within days, was blocked from accessing the university site without notice. The Office of Student Conduct then told Mr. Arnold that he had violated university policy regarding technology use, and summoned him to a hearing.
Joel Hartman, vice provost for information technologies and resources at Central Florida, said that U Could Finish violated portions of the tech policy that prohibited students from using university tools to make money (Mr. Arnold had been charging for use of his…
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July 26, 2012, 5:10 pm
By Angela Chen
Everyone can now use the iTunesU platform to deliver course material, Apple announced on Wednesday. Before, only professors at a university working with iTunesU—which collects free lectures from partner universities—could post audio and video clips, syllabi, and documents via the platform.
Typically, universities apply to form a partnership with iTunesU. After Apple verifies that the applicant is an academically accredited institution, professors can post course materials on the platform, either for public access or privately for a select group of students.
With the change, any user, regardless of affiliation, can distribute content for up to 12 different courses. The courses must be private and limited to 50 students each. Professors must use the iTunesU app, which made its debut in January, to deliver the course, but students can access the content using the PC-compatible…
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July 19, 2012, 6:10 pm
By Angela Chen
A Canadian professor says he was attacked at a McDonald’s restaurant in Paris for taking pictures with his “digital eyeglasses.”
Steve Mann, who is in the department of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Toronto, has worn the aluminum-and-glass contraption, which he designed, since the 1980s. It’s similar to Google’s Project Glass, which the company recently introduced. Like the eyeglasses created by Google, Mr. Mann’s can record everything he sees. But Mr. Mann says his device, unlike Google’s, is physically attached to his skull and cannot be removed without special tools.
Writing about the July 1 incident on his blog, Mr. Mann says an employee at the restaurant asked him to take off his glasses because of a “no cameras” rule. Mr. Mann showed the employee a doctor’s note and proceeded to order his food.
While he was eating with his family,…
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Budget restrictions are an ever-present threat to innovation on college campuses. Learn how top technology companies are working with institutions to advance online learning as programs continue to expand on campuses across the country. This special sponsored section features resources available to help develop a successful online education program at your institution.
