Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.
As online courses spike in popularity across the nation, students are finding that even the most traditional face-to-face courses offer virtual options that are just as thorough as in-person classes—and music instruction courses soon could follow suit.…Read More
EDUCAUSE 2010 kicks off on Oct. 12 in Anahein, Calif., and will give higher education IT leaders a chance to learn from successful practices and share their own thoughts and ideas on what makes for truly successful technology management on campus.
A panel session on open-source strategies will encourage respectful dialogue across divergent perspectives and experiences in discussing the promise and risks of open source and the strategies employed by technology leaders with diverse approaches.Speakers include John E. Kolb, vice president for information services and technology and CIO at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and John F. Walsh, associate vice president of enterprise software at Indiana University.
Mobile computing is increasingly common and has great potential for higher education. Students are arriving on campus with new wireless devices and recent fourth-generation wireless products, and devices continue to expand features and functionality. Which applications should become mobile-ready? Are there plans in place to rapidly deploy mobile-ready applications? What challenges do mobile devices create for protecting sensitive institutional information? Terry R. Mollett, director of user services at Dickinson College, will examine all the issues.…Read More
With the school year at a close, university administrators have a new class of arrivals to look forward to in the fall, and with that a new set of technology dilemmas for campus IT staff. That was the problem I faced as director of network services at Salve Regina University until we introduced a student laptop program to provide standardized technology for our faculty and students.
Salve Regina was chartered by the State of Rhode Island in 1934, founded under the sponsorship of the Sisters of Mercy as an independent institution built on Catholic educational traditions. The school has grown over the years and now enrolls 2,600 students from 42 states and 17 nations.
The laptop program began as an option for students, but without ensuring all students have an equal technology experience, we lacked the ability to facilitate on-site support, provide a ubiquitous wireless network, and assure consistent student experience and capabilities. By outfitting our campus with standardized technology, including Hewlett-Packard notebooks, desktop PCs, printers, servers, and storage systems, we were able to infuse technology into the academic experience and grow the laptop program into a mandatory experience so all students could benefit.…Read More
New netbooks, tablet computers, and eBook reader devices, as well as fresh developments in television and even a wireless tether to keep cell phones from getting lost, are among the technologies being unveiled this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas–technologies that might hold interest for schools and colleges as well.
Small and inexpensive netbooks have been among the most popular computers during the recession, wooing schools and consumers alike with their portability and prices that were often below $400. Now, with the economy improving, computer buyers will be asked to open their wallets to new styles of computers, including some costing a bit more.
Among the new offerings introduced at CES: lightweight, medium-sized laptops meant as a step above netbooks in price and performance, as well as a new category of device called the “smartbook,” a tiny computer that combines elements of netbooks and so-called smart phones.…Read More