The StandStand Portable Standing Desk is a great option for those who are looking for a stand-up desk that is functional and easy to use. This desk is easy to set up, and it’s perfect for people who are always on the go. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or someone who just wants a break from sitting, the StandStand Portable Standing Desk will be able to help you improve your posture and maintain a healthier lifestyle.

The design of the StandStand Portable Standing Desk is both sleek and elegant. The desk is made out of birch plywood, which provides the perfect combination of strength and beauty. The desk is also lightweight, which makes it easy to transport wherever you go. The dimensions of the desk are 9 inches by 12 inches, and it’s adjustable to three different heights, so you can use it for various tasks.

The desk is easy to set up and use, and it takes only seconds to transform it from a flat surface to a standing desk. Due to its simple design, you don’t need any tools or studying skills to set it up. You just unfold the desk, and it’s ready to use in seconds. The standing desk is also very easy to adjust to the height that you need, making it perfect for people of all sizes.

One of the great features of the StandStand Portable Standing Desk is that it’s also versatile. It can be used on various surfaces, including a table, a countertop, or even on the floor. This versatility makes it perfect for people who are always on the go and who need a compact and portable standing desk. It also makes it perfect if you’re sharing your workspace with others because you can quickly set it up and start working.

If you’re looking for a standing desk that’s minimalistic, portable, and functional, the StandStand Portable Standing Desk is the best option for you. It’s a lightweight and portable desk that’s perfect for people who are always on the go or who need to work from different locations. The desk is comfortable and easy to use, and it’s a great option for those who want to promote a healthier lifestyle by standing more frequently. So, if you’re ready to make the switch to a standing desk, the StandStand Portable Standing Desk is an excellent choice that won’t disappoint.

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HDDs, as previously mentioned, have been around for decades, and they are still widely used as a means of storing data. They work by using spinning platters and magnetic read/write heads. Data is written to and read from the platters in a very controlled environment to prevent contamination, and these platters are usually coated with a magnetic material that stores information in binary form. HDDs are affordable, and the storage capacity of an HDD is usually very large, with some devices offering terabytes of space. However, HDDs are prone to mechanical failure, and accessing data on them is slower than accessing data on an SSD.

Unlike HDDs, SSDs do not have moving parts, which makes them more reliable and faster. Instead of spinning platters, SSDs have memory chips that store data, allowing for faster access times. Solid-state drives are also more durable than hard drives because they are less likely to be damaged by impact or shake. SSDs are typically smaller than HDDs, but they offer equivalent or greater storage capacity. The downside with SSDs is that they are more expensive than HDDs.

USB flash drives, on the other hand, are small portable devices that are plugged into a USB port of a computer to store data. They also use memory chips like SSDs to store data, but they are often cheaper than both SSDs and HDDs. USB drives vary in size and range from a few gigabytes to several terabytes. They are lightweight, compact, and durable, making them ideal for transporting data from one place to another. The downside to USB flash drives is that data transfer speeds are slower compared to SSDs and HDDs, and they have limited read and write cycles, meaning they will eventually wear out after continued use.

In summary, each storage device has its advantages and disadvantages that determine which is the best for different purposes. For those who need large storage capacity for work, media, or gaming, an HDD is an ideal option. If you are looking for speed, durability, and a more reliable storage device, an SSD is a better choice. For data portability, USB flash drives are the go-to option. However, before settling on a storage device, it’s essential to consider your data storage needs, the speed of the device, the price, and other factors that might affect your decision.    

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There are few things more frustrating than purchasing a new phone, only to find out that you can’t activate it. Unfortunately, this is a problem that many Sprint customers have experienced. If Sprint won’t allow your phone to activate, there are a few possible causes – and solutions – to consider.

1. Your Phone Is Locked to Another Carrier

Perhaps the most common reason that Sprint won’t allow your phone to activate is that the phone is locked to another carrier. This means that the phone was originally purchased through another carrier, and is not compatible with Sprint’s network. If this is the case, you will need to have your phone unlocked before it can be activated on Sprint. You can typically do this by contacting your original carrier and requesting an unlock code.

2. Your Phone Is Not Compatible with Sprint’s Network

Even if your phone is not locked to another carrier, it may not be compatible with Sprint’s network. In general, Sprint requires phones to support the CDMA network standard, which is different from the GSM standard that many other carriers use. If your phone does not support CDMA, it will not be able to activate on Sprint.

3. Your Account Has an Outstanding Balance or Other Issues

Another possible reason that Sprint won’t allow your phone to activate is that there are issues with your account. For example, you may have an outstanding balance on your account that needs to be paid before your phone can be activated. Alternatively, there may be other issues with your account – such as a suspension or cancellation – that are preventing your phone from being activated. If you suspect that your account is the problem, you should contact Sprint customer service for assistance.

4. Your Phone Has a Technical Issue

Finally, it’s possible that your phone has a technical issue that is preventing it from being activated. This may include issues with the phone’s hardware or software, or problems with the SIM card or other components. If you suspect that this is the case, you may need to take your phone to a repair shop to diagnose and fix the problem.

In general, if Sprint won’t allow your phone to activate, the best course of action is to contact Sprint customer service for assistance. They can help you diagnose the problem and determine the best course of action to resolve it. With a little patience and persistence, you should be able to get your phone activated and start using Sprint’s network.

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Ninite prides itself on offering an easy and effortless download experience without any bundled bloatware or adware. This means that users can confidently download and install their favorite apps without the fear of compromising their system’s security or performance. Ninite has a vast library of apps, ranging from web browsers, media players, and messaging apps, to antivirus software, productivity tools, and more.

So why is Ninite the only safe place to get Windows freeware? There are a few reasons.

Firstly, unlike other download sites, Ninite doesn’t bundle any additional software with its programs. This means that you won’t be stuck with any unnecessary apps or extensions cluttering up your system after you’ve downloaded your desired software.

Secondly, Ninite ensures that all of its apps are up-to-date and secure. Their software library is regularly updated with the latest versions of apps, so you can rest assured that you’re downloading safe and secure programs.

Thirdly, Ninite makes it incredibly easy to install multiple apps at once. Using the website’s intuitive interface, users can select multiple apps they want to download, and the platform will bundle them all into one easy-to-install package. This saves a considerable amount of time and effort, especially when setting up a new computer or reinstalling apps after a system clean up or OS upgrade.

Lastly, Ninite has a robust security protocol. The platform scans all of its apps for viruses and malware before adding them to their library. They also ensure that the apps they offer are free from adware and any other potentially harmful software.

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a hassle-free, secure, and efficient way to download freeware apps for your Windows machine, look no further than Ninite. Not only does it make the process super easy, but it’s also the only place where you can truly trust that the software you’re downloading is safe and won’t harm your system. So, spread the word and tell your friends and family that Ninite is the only safe place to get Windows freeware.

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Effective digital learning has the ability to help students learn in a more efficient and effective manner. For example, students can learn more quickly and effectively when they are able to access the materials they need from a variety of sources. Additionally, effective digital learning can help to improve student understanding and retention of information. This is due to the fact that students are able to access the materials they need at their convenience, as well as the ability to interact with the materials in a variety of ways.

Effective digital learning can also help to increase student engagement and motivation. For example, effective digital learning can help to provide students with feedback on their progress. Additionally, effective digital learning can help to provide students with opportunities to engage in collaborative learning activities. This is important because it can help to increase student engagement and motivation in the classroom.

Overall, effective digital learning is the future of education. It is an efficient and effective way to learn and it is here to stay.

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Check if Start Menu is set to full screen

If the Start Menu is not working in Windows 11, the first thing you should do is check if it is set to full screen or not. To do this, right-click on the Start Menu button and select “Settings.” Next, click on “Personalization” and then “Start,” and check if the “Use Start full screen” option is enabled or not. If it is turned off, simply toggle it on and see if that fixes the problem.

Restart Windows Explorer

Sometimes Windows Explorer can become unresponsive, which can cause issues with the Start Menu. To restart the Windows Explorer process, right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager.” Next, click on the “Processes” tab and look for “Windows Explorer” in the list of running processes. Right-click on it and select “Restart.” This will refresh the Windows Explorer process and may fix the Start Menu issue.

Restart your PC

If the Start Menu is still not working after trying the above methods, you may need to restart your PC. This will clear out any temporary files and processes that may be causing the issue. Simply click on the Start Menu button or press the Windows key on your keyboard, and then click on the power icon and select “Restart.”

Check for Windows Updates

If the Start Menu is still not working after restarting your PC, you may need to check for Windows updates. Microsoft may release a patch or update that addresses the issue, so it’s worth checking if any are available. To do this, click on the Start Menu button or press the Windows key on your keyboard, and then click on the “Settings” icon. Next, click on “Updates & Security,” and then click on “Windows Update” and check for updates.

Reset the Start Menu

If none of the above methods work, you may need to reset the Start Menu. This will remove any customizations you have made to the Start Menu, but it will also fix any issues that may be causing it to not work properly. To reset the Start Menu, right-click on the Start Menu button and select “Windows PowerShell (Admin).” Next, type the command “Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}” (without quotes) and hit enter. This will reset the Start Menu and should fix any issues that were causing it to not work properly.

In conclusion, if your Start Menu is not working in Windows 11, there are several ways to fix it. You can check if it is set to full screen, restart Windows Explorer, restart your PC, check for Windows updates, or reset the Start Menu. By following these methods, you should be able to fix the Start Menu issue and get back to using Windows 11 without any problems.

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Education stakeholders have been using data-driven insights to create more sustainable and smarter education models. They will need to continue to do so. In order to help education leaders understand which investments were priorities, IDG and CDW partnered together to survey how K—12 and higher education leaders are handling spending in four key areas: workplace productivity, security, transformative technologies for students, and infrastructure modernization. 

Here’s what they found. CIOs in K—12 schools and higher education will use these findings as a guide when considering which IT investments to prioritize.

Workplace Productivity

Many campuses see professors working from home. Data and collaboration tools are vital to increasing workplace productivity, with 42% of respondents planning to invest further in collaboration to support workplace flexibility, productivity, and engagement. 

Cybersecurity

The FBI issued a warning in March that online classrooms are highly vulnerable to cybercriminal hijacking. Colleges are also seeing a spike in ransomware attacks and phishing scams. According to the survey, 37% of those who make the decisions say third-party security assessments need to be the top priority. At the same time, 35% say the most vital technologies for risk mitigation are technologies that support remote learning and cloud technology, and 46% of higher education respondents were significantly more likely to cite data analytics as one of the top risk mitigation solutions.

Of the education leaders interviewed, 39% saw identifying cost savings as among the top ways to improve their risk posture over the next few years. In this way, they believe they can reinvest the money they save into more security enhancements.

Another 38% said that staff and faculty training remained a high priority. It’s vital that staff and faculty undergo security awareness training on a regular basis if the company is to stay safe.

Transformative Technologies for Students

The most transformational technology for students, it seems, is cloud adaption. Cloud-based client computing can deliver secure and consistent online learning for faculty and students on almost any platform. About 43% of respondents said that cloud monitoring and management would be a top priority for IT modernization this year.

Infrastructure Modernization

Many college students were dissatisfied with their remote learning experiences in the spring. Therefore, universities and colleges have been modernizing the structure to enhance the student experience. In fact, 40% of education leaders say that improving experiences online is one of the top priorities. Still, 43% claim that the empowered students are the main drivers behind the investment and that they expect a seamless user experience.

From securing online learning to boosting student retention, education leaders everywhere are working hard toward a productive and secure future.

The post The IT Investments Securing the Future of Higher Education appeared first on The Tech Edvocate.

• Mobile check deposits;
• The Scan and Go at Walmart;
• The AI Autopilot in commercial flights;
• Spam filters;
• Lyft, Ubber, and other ridesharing apps;
• Plagiarism checkers;
• Spam filters;
• And there are so many more!

So, here’s the real question that has been plaguing the education world—the hot debate, if you will. “Will AI replace teachers?”

What is AI in Teaching?

China is letting AI in the classroom for several reasons. The biggest use for AI in Chinese classrooms is in the form of facial recognition technology. The school systems there use AI as a teacher’s assistant, per se, to “take attendance”. This technology is also capable of handling new school enrollments.

China is also looking at using AI to analyze teachers as they teach the children and monitor their and their students’ performance.

What about in America? How is AI used in teaching here?

If you’ve ever heard of, seen, or used a diagnostic test for placing a student in a curriculum or for tailoring a curriculum to meet a student’s need, then you’ve encountered AI in education. And if you’re familiar with this form of AI in the classroom, you probably already know how much AI can improve student outcomes.

What Is an AI Teacher?

The AI teacher, otherwise known as the mechanical teacher, is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a computer or machine that can teach a student according to the level it’s programmed to teach. 

So Why Do We Need a Human Teacher?

While the thought of an infallible computer teaching your child might seem promising, an AI cannot adapt its teaching to its student mid-lesson or read its student’s emotions, as a human teacher can. It cannot further simplify problems that students are having problems with unless it’s programmed to do so. It also cannot inspire its students as a human teacher can.

The biggest benefit of the human teacher is that she gives her students that human connection that they need. She also enhances their development of social skills.

Will AI Replace Teachers?

There are some who believe that teachers will be completely replaced by robots by the year 2027. One reason for this is that there is a demand for teachers today that is not being met. 

Additionally, human teachers do carry with them some disadvantages. Some teachers are selfish. Others can be complacent or of poor character. Some can have a compromising character or not be as knowledgeable about particular subjects as they should be. These flaws can be corrected, though, through management and proper monitoring.

However, if you ask anyone the top qualities of a good teacher, an AI cannot meet these standards. 

Here are a few:

• Friendly attitude;
• Listening skills;
• Respectful attitude;
• Strong work ethic;
• Patient;
• Discipline Skills; and,
• Adept at creating a kid-friendly environment.

Conclusion 

AI cannot replace teachers. They cannot give a child what they need. Students need the love, transaction, student-teacher rapport, and collaboration that an AI cannot provide.

However, this does not mean that the AI is not necessary. AI is wonderful in a classroom! It makes the human teacher’s job easier and helps her to be more efficient. This added efficiency allows her the time she needs to work more one-on-one with her students to provide more adaptability and understanding for them. Adaptability and further understanding, of course, are two other things that an AI teacher would struggle to provide.

The post Will AI Replace Teachers? appeared first on The Tech Edvocate.

Author: John Hulen, Director of Channel Marketing, Education, at Crestron Electronics

Intro

With a year of hybrid or fully remote learning in the books, colleges and universities may be seeing the writing on the wall – or rather, the screen – about the future of higher education. A digitally-enriched, future-proofed, and layered education experience is simply what students, faculty, and other stakeholders expect moving forward. 

It is important to understand that the pandemic did not initiate the transition to this next phase of education. That means even when the pandemic recedes, there is no going back to the way things were. Nor, frankly, should there be any desire to. The way my middle-school-aged kids learn is so much more sophisticated than the way I learned, and if that gap exists over our 25-year age difference, it should be obvious that a gap exists over the past two years as well, especially as advancements in education technology have only accelerated. And just as I would not go back to the way education worked a quarter-century ago, we should not want to return to the way it worked two years ago either. 

We have turned a corner in terms of technology’s ability to facilitate education, so pandemic or no pandemic, the schools that commit to digitally transforming their learning environments will attract, retain, and produce graduates that transition most successfully into the working world, while schools slow on the uptake may struggle to recruit and develop equivalent talent. This is not to say that technology can or should be used to create cookie cutter “one size fits none” experiences, but rather that technology can help facilitate a more personalized and productive experience for all involved. 

Let’s explore the efforts of a few colleges and universities (diverse in size, scale, and endowments) to illuminate what the present and future of higher education looks like through the lens of deploying campus-wide automation and technology solutions. Interestingly, as we explore these schools, you’ll see many of these projects initiated ahead of the pandemic but gained additional administrative support during the same period, and continue to reevaluate their on-campus technology systems as they prepare for the 2021-2022 schoolyear. 

Creating a Safer Campus by Creating a Smarter Campus

Any return to campus push must begin with the recognition that it need not require a return to 100% of in-person events. Snow days, common illnesses, and any number of other interruptions will still happen once COVID-19 is gone, so schools will need to remain flexible. This can be hard to accept as everyone so desperately wants to “go back to normal,” but that is why a school like the University of Southern California (USC) presents such a sterling example. Because USC began their project in 2019, their ultimate goal was not a return to some lost sense of normalcy, but rather a more absolute pursuit of an improved experience. 

“Back in 2018 and 2019 we couldn’t have predicted a pandemic would so soon shatter our vision of education, but we were able to perceive that a shift was happening in the way students, faculty, and staff learned, taught, and engaged with the campus and each other,” said Joe Way, Director, Learning Environments for USC. “With over 800 Crestron DM-NVX AV-over-IP endpoints installed throughout lecture halls, conference rooms, and over 250 classrooms, our campus can deliver a learning experience for students and faculty that fosters collaboration, creativity, and forward thinking – skills that will serve them well as they graduate and embark on their careers.”

When considered holistically, the connected campus deployed by Way and his team deliver greater functionality with less equipment, incorporating accessibility features like room automation and touchless voice control, natively integrated collaboration platforms and wireless presentation tools, along with sensors that monitor capacity and send automated alerts about the status of campus spaces. 

The improved usability of the digitally transformed campus is already paying dividends for students, faculty, and administrative staff, beyond the expected flexibility of remote learning. No longer do students need to hunt across campus for an open study room, as room scheduling software lets them do that digitally. No longer will professors compromise their credibility by struggling with wires before presenting, as intuitive UC tools create a standardized platform, compatible with a BYOD approach, from which users can toggle between preferred collaboration applications. The result of these new technologies is a simpler, more sustainable, and more scalable system that will serve the university’s needs going forward.

“We knew education was heading in this direction, but we didn’t realize our timing would be so perfect,” said Way. “My advice to other schools thinking about standardizing their campus across a single technology platform like Crestron’s would be that you cannot act soon enough because even though technology will continue to evolve, waiting only puts you further behind.”

But while USC has done an excellent job integrating smarter technology that streamlines learning on campus and off, other schools have pursued technology projects that prioritize recruitment and retention, along with return. 

Future-proofing Student Success 

While a smart and safe return to campus is obviously a priority for nearly every university right now, some schools are equally focused on using technology changes to attract and produce graduates who are prepared for the working world. Nurturing technology fluency will position students to enter the next phase of their lives seamlessly. At Central Connecticut State University, this approach appears both in and outside the classroom.

“CCSU is completing construction of both an Education and Engineering building this semester. These buildings are designed to be next-generation learning environments so CCSU needed to find a way to incorporate cutting edge technology in classrooms and labs while making it easy to access by students and teachers.” said Dr. George Claffey, CIO of CCSU. “We took lessons from last year’s eSports Center, which similarly unified disparate technologies ranging from consoles to gaming computers to teaching stations.”   

This eSports Center has proven a remarkable success so far. As the current and future site of Connecticut’s high school eSports championships, the space is clearly impacting prospective students and future graduates as designed. With the addition of eSports-related academic courses inside the space, “CCSU students will be among the most employable in the state, and beyond,” according to school president Dr. Zulma R. Toro. “The CCSU eSports Center is not just a video game lounge,” she continued, “it is a place where academics, research, and gaming meet and will soon expand CCSU’s mission to be a driving force of the economic, cultural, and intellectual development in Connecticut.” 

While the technology in the eSports Lab attracts and nurtures interest in STEM careers, a point of focus for CCSU within Connecticut’s state university system, similar technology can be found in CCSU’s classrooms helping prepare students for other post-college careers by providing them the skills they need to excel in the 21^st century economy.  

“When CCSU needed to create HyFlex learning environments, we needed to drop PTZ cameras, microphones, and demonstration tables into classrooms across campus to support that,” continued Claffey. “We turned to Crestron to be the hub or brain of a new, advanced, set of interconnected technologies.  Leveraging an intuitive interface and pre-programed code, we were able to provide professors a familiar way to use tools such as projectors, document cameras, and connected HDMI devices while also allowing them to turn on HyFlex cameras, microphones, and setup “scenes” for teaching or demonstrating to students at home.  Many of our classes included student presentations so the students similarly began using these technologies in classrooms and specialized groups spaces across campus, as well.”

Though the pandemic certainly shattered the status quo for supply and demand of skilled labor, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce actually published a report one month prior to the pandemic indicating that 74% of hiring managers said there was a lack of skilled talent in recent years. What this means for colleges and universities is that they need to do a better job getting their graduates ready, and with the working world now turned hybrid, the skills graduates will need are those that are most important within newly hybridized environments: technology fluency, remote collaboration, an understanding of automation tools, and a familiarity with a digitalized learning and working experience. 

This is exactly the experience CCSU has created for their students, who are placed into a campus that communicates constantly across its digital infrastructure. With these tools in place, as well as new teaching and collaboration spaces, students will develop comfort with the technology. The experiences and processes of a hybrid learning environment prepare them perfectly for the hybrid working world that awaits. 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. 

“The COVID19 pandemic brought with it consistently changing rules, regulations, and plans. We were happy to partner with a technology platform such as Crestron which could change as our plans evolved.  As we look to the future, we’re looking at how to leverage these technology investments to help students connect with next generation technology and virtually collaborate with peers and the business world in real-time. When we talk to our industry partners, they tell us ‘CCSU graduates are ready to start working on day one.’ That’s a differentiator for our students and our institution that we take pride in.”

Accessibility for All

In a conference session from CES 2021, John Katzman, the CEO of Noodle, argued that perhaps the most impactful usage of technology for the future of education was not its ability to make learning more accessible from a physical standpoint, but how it will make learning more accessible from a financial standpoint. While tuitions are unlikely to decrease as a result of a campus technology overhaul, there are countless other areas where a new technology infrastructure can help hem in costs, improve access to resources, and allow students, faculty, and staff to extract more value from their campus experience.

Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) sets an inspiring example for other small colleges in each of these areas. A low-tuition school that prioritizes graduating students with opportunity rather than debt, HVCC sought to improve their technology infrastructure in pursuit of creating a world class education experience that was truly open to the world, in every sense of the word. Standardizing all 260 academic spaces across their campus with Crestron automation and collaboration technology has helped them create a more effective, equitable, and educational experience for all stakeholders.

“Prior to the school standardizing the campus on Crestron platforms, HVCC IT managers wasted hours and hours shuttling across campus playing whack-a-mole with technology issues that now can serviced remotely,” said Jon Brennan, CIO of HVCC. “Using Crestron cuts downtime dramatically and with technology issues now addressable both remotely and in real-time, our IT team is able to focus on the future. This has made us a much more efficient campus because every dollar we used to lose to IT support inefficiencies can now be dedicated somewhere else, thereby giving students a better experience for their money. This is exceptionally important for us as a commuter school where students expect a world-class education without the world-class price tag.” 

Taking care of their commuter students is a major priority for HVCC, given they account for 100% of their enrollment. The Crestron technology integrated into every academic space on campus means these students have alternatives in the event they are unable to make it to campus – never an unrealistic proposition considering under 50% of college students bring a car to campus, according to the most recent data available from U.S. News and World Report. 

For HVCC, car travel pervades their entire existence, so creating an educational infrastructure that eliminates the requirement for a car – and thus the immense financial burden of its purchase and maintenance – renders HVCC a viable academic option for a much broader swath of students across a wider range of socioeconomic backgrounds. 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. 

The downstream impact of these connected classrooms has shown up in a variety of areas that will help position the school to be flexible to individual’s needs in the moment and the school’s needs in the future, whatever they may be. This rings truest for students who can leverage classroom collaboration technology for virtual yoga classes, cooking courses, book clubs, and even online fashion shows. These digitized social interactions allow for greater participation by students who are more comfortable in the digital realm. Further, they reflect the goal of cultivating a learning environment which broadens and expands student engagement using modern tools.

Conclusion

As each of these schools have shown in their own way, education is not about packed classrooms, rigidly defined rules and traditions, or exclusively-priced fluff for young adults. It is about meeting students where they are and empowering them to reach to their desired life goals. Automation and collaboration technologies are the most effective and efficient way of facilitating this development. As schools attempt to re-open to full capacity, they should consider how technology can enable them to bring everyone back to a better, brighter and more engaging experience that readies them for whatever comes next.”

John Hulen is the Director of Channel Marketing, Education for Crestron Electronics. He has been in the AV industry for 22 years and has worked for Crestron for 9 years focusing on the Education vertical market. He has a team of 15 A+ Partner Managers across the US & Canada who work with colleges, universities, all types of higher-ed institutions, as well as some K-12 school districts. John is passionate about how technology helps us learn now and how the decisions made today about technology will influence the next generation of students.

The post The Future of Higher Education Must Avoid Returning to the Past appeared first on The Tech Edvocate.

The trends we can expect (those we can predict, at least) fall into three broad categories that directly tie to our learnings over this time. They are also on trend with the general technology in other industries.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been lauded almost as the elixir of life in technology circles. The potential for it to lead the way in personalized learning development is vast.  

We only have to look at Netflix’s implementation of AI to understand its strength. Netflix uses AI to develop profiles of users and identify their tastes and interests. It then suggests content the user is likely interested in watching. The company estimates it has saved a massive $1 billion a year in lost subscriptions by actively reminding its users of its relevance.

Within education, AI’s application extends beyond retention. It can be used to identify a student’s areas of weakness and even make recommendations of what remedial activity is most likely to be effective in that individual’s case. AI can control the pace of teaching to suit individuals – something no teacher can do.

The Digitization Of Everything

We will see a definite shift in the limits of our digital world. Improved technology has increased processing speeds and storage capability to the point where these will become non-issues. The idea of cleaning up your mailbox because you’ve reached your mailbox limit will be laughable.

Technologies like Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) allow for almost instant account setup. They effortlessly replicate users’ on-campus technology experience anywhere there is an internet connection, regardless of their device.

Convergence is a given as we advance, and technologies like VDI fit seamlessly into e-learning platforms or Learning Management Systems (LMS). Social Learning Management Systems (SLMS), like Pedagogue, are capable of matching the classroom capacity, resource management, and data storage of entire campuses. Their overlay of social media features brings them close to replicating the “total campus experience” – on the screen of a smartphone!

Data Privacy

The potential of the first two trends colliding to the detriment of the student is acknowledged. One only has to conceptualize the digital footprint created for children before they can even consent to understand their risk exposure. The trend in IT governance going forward will focus more on the ethical use of data more than compliance.

Concluding Thoughts

The best summary seems to be, to borrow a quote from visionary author Douglas Adams, “We no longer think of chairs as technology, we just think of them as chairs. But there was a time when we hadn’t worked out how many legs chairs should have, how tall they should be, and they would often “crash” when we tried to use them. 

Before long, computers will be as trivial and plentiful as chairs, and we will cease to be aware of the things. In fact, I’m sure we will look back on this past decade and wonder how we could ever have mistaken what we were doing with them for ‘productivity.'” Adams died in 2001.

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