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What is the most exciting new technological innovation happening on your campus?
Elizabeth Lewis Pardoe (USA) A soon-to-be-installed big screen projection system on which we can hold video conferences and interviews with students and alumni far afield offers the most pertinent technological change in our office. Phone interviews/info sessions are a poor substitute for face to face ones, and a little computer screen makes it impossible for all participants to see each other. We needed a screen proportionate to
our students' expanding ambitions!
Anamaria Dutceac Segesten (Sweden, Denmark) I find the increasingly frequent use of video and audio podcasting a very useful trend. Technology allows for the recording of regular lectures, public debates and presentations, as well as for the embedding of powerpoint slides into video/audio files. Both in Sweden and in Denmark this has been done with great success, even if at times taping the regular lectures has been a bit of a burden, timewise. The benefits outlast the costs though!
Ana Dinescu (Germany) Although lacking a permanent connection to the campus life, I consider that the current challenges in terms of technology should be less focused on innovation. Instead, I am more interested in the creative ways of integrating various social media tools - blogging platforms, Twitter, Facebook, video conferences etc.- in order to multiply the opportunities for extended dialogue among students and scholars.
Meg Palladino (USA) For me as an administrator, the technology that I most enjoy is my iPhone. I can keep up with my email and do a fair amount of work remotely. It is much lighter and smaller than a laptop. Plus, of course I can check Facebook and Twitter, edit UVenus posts, and read Inside Higher Ed when I have some free time
Deanna England (Canada) The most interesting technology that's been recently introduced on campus is the addition of the new CISCO TelePresence technology. This is something the entire campus is excited to use and learn more about as it offers greater opportunity for connecting and interacting with scholars and students on a truly global level.
Itir Toksoz (Turkey ) We are actually holding regular student-faculty talks every month to be better in communication and that is something that technology can not seem to get us. Of course we get student evaluations at the end of every year to let us know how the class is being evaluated but there is nothing like being face to face with students. I love technology and mostly see the benefits of it yet I believe it is useful as long as we do not miss the human factor while being technological.
Afshan Jafar (USA) Exciting technological innovation? I really have no idea. I get pretty excited just to see an unbroken piece of chalk or a new dry erase marker in my favorite color! Although, if my campus suddenly developed the ability to set off an alarm (just a soft but persistent, kind) when a student logs on to Facebook during a class, I’d be pretty thrilled about that too!
Lee Skallerup Bessette (USA) I've recently discovered (at the recommendation of @comPOSITIONblog) corkboard.me, a place where students and I can simultaneously and anonymously post ideas, comments, and answers to questions. Just as long as everyone has a computer/laptop in front of them. Class participation skyrockets and I learned instantaneously what I did and did not need to cover. It's inspired me to let go of lecturing. So, yay.
Rosalie Arcala Hall (Philippines) Where electricity and internet connection is unreliable, the single greatest investment my University has made is a generator. The decade old fiber optic backbone is slowly receiving piecemeal complements: computerized registration system; library services; university web portal (information only; no interactivity); wifi connectivity around campus. But professors and students have not migrated into an on-line teaching mode. Our classrooms are just being fitted now with LCD projectors but we still have to bring our own laptops to connect.
Heather Alderfer (USA) The most exciting technology innovation under discussion on my campus is electronic transcripts. It doesn’t involve cutting edge technology (just PDFs) but it is a giant step forward in moving away from a paper-dominated office. Imaging of student records to make them searchable and to have an electronic archive is a related project I’m very excited to be working on this summer.
Denise Horn (USA) I am very happy with the technology we have on campus--I teach in a fantastic room, with all the great whistles and bells...I will say that when I think of the tech we do have, I only think of the aggravating kind--the overly complicated Blackboard system, with its non-intuitive interface for example, or the on-line evaluation system that gets us really poor results. But having taught at colleges with little to none of my university's technology, these are very small complaints indeed.
Mary Churchill (USA) There are so many exciting innovations happening on campuses. The biggest challenge is not with the new technology but with the inconsistent adoption of the innovation. If cultures do not change to embrace innovation then no matter how exciting and innovative the technology, it will only ever be used by a small percentage of folks on campus
