Campus Technology Insider
The Campus Technology Insider podcast explores current trends and issues impacting technology leaders in higher education. Listen in as Executive Editor Rhea Kelly chats with ed tech experts and practitioners about their work, ideas and experiences.
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Inside Arizona State University's OpenAI Partnership
04/30/2024
Inside Arizona State University's OpenAI Partnership
In January, Arizona State University announced a major partnership with OpenAI to explore the potential of ChatGPT in education. We caught up with ASU CIO Lev Gonick to find out more about that collaboration, how the university is approaching the use of generative AI across campus, and what the key takeaways have been so far. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 35 minutes
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Getting Comfortable with "I Don't Know": Educause's 2024 AI Landscape Study
03/25/2024
Getting Comfortable with "I Don't Know": Educause's 2024 AI Landscape Study
Recently Educause released its inaugural AI Landscape Study, which polled the higher education community about AI strategic planning and readiness, policies and procedures, impact on the workforce, and the future of AI in higher education. We spoke with report author and Educause Senior Researcher Jenay Robert for a deep dive into some of the thinking behind the study, what the survey findings tell us about institutions' AI journeys, and how "I don't know" might be the theme of the day when it comes to AI. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 29 minutes
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Could Institutional Policies on Generative AI Hold Back Its Transformative Potential?
02/28/2024
Could Institutional Policies on Generative AI Hold Back Its Transformative Potential?
David Wiley is well known as the co-founder and chief academic officer of Lumen Learning and a long-time advocate of open educational resources and access to educational opportunity. But if you follow him on LinkedIn or on his Improving Learning blog, it's clear that he also does a lot of thinking and speaking and writing about generative AI. For this episode of the podcast, we spoke about why generative AI is the logical successor to OER, AI's impact on instructional design, exciting AI developments on the horizon, and why it's too early for universities to write policies for generative AI usage. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 35 minutes
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The State of AI in Education
01/31/2024
The State of AI in Education
Last November, Campus Technology Editor in Chief Rhea Kelly moderated a panel on the state of AI in education at Tech Tactics in Education 2023, a new conference for education IT leaders produced by Campus Technology and its sister publication THE Journal. The conversation ranged from basic definitions, to concerns, limitations, and opportunities, as well as leadership and culture change. In this episode of the podcast, we’re sharing a recording of the discussion — it’s full of insights for anyone grappling with the impact of AI and generative AI on campus. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 40 minutes
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Why It’s Time to Examine Institutional Strategy for a Multi-Modal Future
08/30/2023
Why It’s Time to Examine Institutional Strategy for a Multi-Modal Future
Since 2016, the Changing Landscape of Online Education Project, also known as CHLOE, has been surveying chief online officers at colleges and universities across the country about the current state of online learning in higher ed as well as institutions’ strategic vision for the future. A joint effort between Quality Matters and Encoura Eduventures research, the project recently released its eight survey report. Among the core themes: Growing student demand for online and hybrid learning is moving higher education toward a multi-modal future. We spoke with Dr. Bethany Simunich, co-director of the CHLOE Project and one of the principal authors of the CHLOE 8 report, about key takeaways from the survey and why institutions that aren’t examining their online strategy may be putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 35 minutes
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Educating the Next Generation in AI
07/26/2023
Educating the Next Generation in AI
What skills will students need for the workforce of the future in an age dominated by artificial intelligence? In addition to basic computer science, data competencies, and the mathematics and statistics behind AI and machine learning, there are a range of social impacts to consider: AI risk, ethics, privacy, questions of bias, etc. All of the above are part of the curriculum at Dakota State University, a STEM-oriented institution with a focus on computer science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. We spoke with DSU President José-Marie Griffiths about how her institution is preparing students for careers in AI. In addition to her experience in research, teaching, and higher education administration, Griffiths was a member of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, part of the 2019 John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act. She has also served in presidential appointments to the National Science Board, the U.S. President's Information Technology Advisory Committee, and the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 27 minutes
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The Mechanics of Digital Transformation at National University
06/29/2023
The Mechanics of Digital Transformation at National University
At National University, the role of the data officer has shifted from the capture and analysis of data to a broader focus on digital transformation. As the institution's chief digital officer, Alex Chimon leads both the digital and the data realms, with the strategic goal of improving student outcomes and the student experience. Chimon comes from a diverse background, driving digital strategy in industries such as healthcare, marketing, and food service before joining NU last year. We talked about NU's key digital transformation goals, how the worrisome capabilities of artificial intelligence will impact Dx efforts, overcoming fear of change, and more. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 30 minutes
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A Security Operations Center Powered by Students
05/24/2023
A Security Operations Center Powered by Students
Growth in the cybersecurity industry is quickly outpacing the number of skilled workers available to fill the need, with estimates putting the global cybersecurity workforce gap at more than 3 million people. That shortage of IT talent is particularly acute in higher education, where salaries and benefits often can’t compete with the corporate sector. In light of those issues, the University of South Carolina Aiken recently found a creative way to staff a new security operations center — and give students hands-on cybersecurity training at the same time. We spoke with Ernest Pringle, vice chancellor for Information Technology and CIO at USC Aiken, about creating a student-led SOC, helping students put cybersecurity theory into practice, forging regional cybersecurity partnerships, and more. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 29 minutes
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How Generative AI Will Enable Personalized Learning Experiences
04/25/2023
How Generative AI Will Enable Personalized Learning Experiences
Imagine a learning environment that, much like a Star Trek Holodeck, changes based on a user’s individual requirements. It understands the learner’s strengths and weaknesses, anticipates next steps, recommends the best learning content, moves at the learner’s pace, and removes unnecessary friction within the mechanics of learning. With today’s advancements in generative AI, that vision of personalized learning may not be far off from reality. We spoke with Dr. Kim Round, associate dean of the Western Governors University School of Education, about the potential of technologies like ChatGPT for learning, the need for AI literacy skills, why learning experience designers have a leg up on AI prompt engineering, and more. And get ready for more Star Trek references, because the parallels between AI and Sci Fi are futile to resist. Resource links: (Campus Technology Insider podcast with Mark Schneider) Music: Mixkit Duration: 31 minutes
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AI and the Future of Writing Instruction
03/29/2023
AI and the Future of Writing Instruction
Much has been made of plagiarism concerns around the use of ChatGPT in education, and there’s no doubt that generative AI technology will impact the role of writing both in higher education and in society in general. But as our guest Mark Warschauer points out, the use of AI for writing and communication presents an inherent contradiction: Those who can best write with AI will be those who can best write without it, because they’ll need to be able to write good prompts, evaluate the AI output, and edit the resulting text into a usable final product. Warschauer is a professor of education and informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and founder of UCI’s Digital Learning Lab. We talked about the potential of AI for teaching and learning, overcoming faculty skepticism about AI tools, research questions that should be asked about AI in education, and more. Resource links: · · · Music: Mixkit Duration: 26 minutes
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AI in Education: Will We Need Humans Anymore?
02/22/2023
AI in Education: Will We Need Humans Anymore?
ChatGPT is groundbreaking, but it’s also merely the first in what will likely be a series of innovations built on foundational developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing that are going to change the world. Higher education is already feeling the impact of generative AI technology in terms of plagiarism and instructional design concerns, but these challenges also come with immense opportunities to personalize learning and streamline time-consuming tasks. We spoke with Mark Schneider, director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, about how AI is transforming education and the evolving role of humans in an AI-powered future. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 26 minutes
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How CSU Global Designs for Inclusive Online Education from the Start
01/26/2023
How CSU Global Designs for Inclusive Online Education from the Start
Campus Technology recently published 14 technology predictions for the coming year, based on input from higher education and ed tech industry experts across the country. A key statement on that list was this: Digital accessibility will be central to an inclusive campus culture. As Brian Fodrey, assistant vice president for Business Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University, put it, “Campus leaders must be thinking about how we are preparing our respective communities to take a more proactive and comprehensive approach to removing barriers and promoting all aspects of digital equity…. Prioritizing digital accessibility practices in all aspects of campus operations and life creates a more supportive community and inclusive culture for all.” That focus on digital accessibility is central to instructional design practice at Colorado State University Global. As the nation’s first fully online, accredited nonprofit state university, CSU Global strives to achieve universal design standards in all of its programs, and to make courses accessible to a wide range of learners. We spoke with Associate Vice President of Digital Learning Andrea Butler and Director of Instructional Design Diona Hartwig about the importance of designing for accessibility from the start, ways to engage students in the online environment, and how inclusive design ultimately serves all students. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 28 minutes
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Reimagining Courseware from an Equity-First Perspective
12/05/2022
Reimagining Courseware from an Equity-First Perspective
Earlier this year, Lumen Learning announced a partnership with Howard University to help develop equity-centered learning solutions for a new statistics course and platform. The goal: to develop more effective and culturally relevant courseware for minority and low-income students and improve outcomes in gateway courses. Howard faculty and students are providing feedback throughout the courseware development process, such as how specific courseware features might be used and best practices for supporting faculty in their courseware implementation. For this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Dr. Morris Thomas, assistant provost for digital and online learning and director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning & Assessment at Howard, and Kim Thanos, founder and CEO of Lumen Learning, about developing courseware with an equity-first perspective, giving students multiple pathways to success, building in support for faculty, and more. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 38 minutes
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Balancing Data Insight with Data Governance, Privacy, and Transparency
11/17/2022
Balancing Data Insight with Data Governance, Privacy, and Transparency
Ravi Pendse is passionate about data privacy. As vice president for information technology and chief information officer at the University of Michigan, he has worked to ensure that privacy is a part of every technology decision on campus. At the same time, he is committed to fostering a robust data culture that democratizes the use of data to inform decision-making. At the center of that culture is transparency: making sure students, faculty, and staff know exactly what types of data are collected, and how that data is stored, accessed, managed, and shared. In this episode of the podcast, we talk about creating a data-aware, privacy-aware ecosystem, data governance challenges, making data visible to students, and more. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 33 minutes
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Serving Adult Learners with Flexibility, Stackable Credentials, and Data
10/18/2022
Serving Adult Learners with Flexibility, Stackable Credentials, and Data
As a predominately online institution geared toward serving adult students, University of Massachusetts Global is rethinking traditional models of education to embrace the flexibility and career relevance that working learners need. That means getting granular: unbundling courses or curricula into smaller modules that can be more accessible to busy students but also stack into credentials that will be meaningful to employers. We spoke with Dr. David Andrews, chancellor of UMass Global, about developing a new credentialing ecosystem, listening to student and industry needs, and the data infrastructure that can really support student success. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 32 minutes
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At ASU Online, Empathy Is the Foundation of Student Success
09/19/2022
At ASU Online, Empathy Is the Foundation of Student Success
With higher education enrollment in decline, it’s more important than ever to break down barriers to student success — and for those who stop out, create clear pathways to re-entry and completion. What does that look like in practice? At Arizona State University Online, student success coaches cultivate deep relationships with students as individuals, get to know their unique life experiences and challenges, and leverage data to better understand the multitude of factors that can impact retention. For this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Nicolette Miller, senior director of student success initiatives at ASU Online, about her team’s student-centered approach and what institutions should be doing to help students reach the finish line of their education. Here’s our chat. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 25 minutes
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The Revolution in Higher Education Will Be Led Through Data
08/25/2022
The Revolution in Higher Education Will Be Led Through Data
It’s one thing to talk about innovation, but another thing to actually make it happen. Driving actual change is all about timing — having the right idea at the right moment, according to Phil Komarny, chief innovation officer at an institution known for innovation: Maryville University. And that moment is now: Komarny sees COVID as a catalyst for utilizing data to revolutionize higher education and the student experience. Here, we talk about the potential of verifiable credentials, why graduation should not be the end of a student’s learning journey, helping students make the most of their own data, and more. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 34 minutes
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Putting Community Engagement at the Center of Online Learning
07/18/2022
Putting Community Engagement at the Center of Online Learning
What would a learning management system centered on culture and community look like? The United Negro College Fund hopes to answer that question with HBCUv, a new learning platform that aims to reshape the future of online education for historically Black colleges and universities. The organization has partnered with consultancy Deloitte Digital on the project, with the goal of providing best-in-class remote learning, community engagement and career pathways to students seeking an HBCU education. We spoke with Ed Smith-Lewis, VP of strategic partnerships and institutional programs at UNCF, and Nathan Young, head of strategy for Ethos at Deloitte Digital, about bringing the HBCU experience to an online environment, the defining characteristics of HBCUv and the equity-centered design process behind their work. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 37 minutes
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What Southern New Hampshire University Does to Engage a Remote Workforce
06/23/2022
What Southern New Hampshire University Does to Engage a Remote Workforce
Southern New Hampshire University is well known for innovation in online learning, so it may surprise you to learn that prior to the pandemic, the institution had less than 100 employees working remotely, and had only just begun building out its remote work policies. Employee culture was largely reliant on working in a face-to-face environment. But in March 2020, the abrupt shift to fully remote work required a new approach to employee engagement. We spoke with Jennifer LaFountain, director of employee experience at SNHU, about how the institution is developing a culture that allows employees to feel connected no matter where they are located. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 34 minutes
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How an Escape Room Is Building Students’ Digital Skills at Northampton Community College
05/24/2022
How an Escape Room Is Building Students’ Digital Skills at Northampton Community College
Northampton Community College in Pennsylvania recently won an Instructional Technology Council award for excellence in e-learning, recognizing its Smart Apartment Learning Lab: a combination escape room and technology sandbox in which students can learn about the tech we take for granted in our everyday lives. Picture a homey space in which the walls literally have eyes — or rather cameras and other sensors, integrated into seemingly innocuous objects like picture frames, the refrigerator or even a robotic cat. We spoke with Beth Ritter-Guth, associate dean of online learning and educational technology at the college, to find out how the Learning Lab is engaging students, building digital literacy and providing valuable training in the job skills of the future. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 30 minutes
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Takeaways from the Horizon Report
04/28/2022
Trends to Watch in 2022: Takeaways from the Horizon Report
One of the takeaways from this year’s Educause Horizon Report is that there’s likely no such thing as a return to normal: Many of the changes that higher education has undergone over the past couple of years are here to stay. At the same time, the trends, technologies and practices impacting teaching and learning have developed more depth, more nuance. For example, while hybrid learning was addressed broadly in last year’s report, this year the report drilled down into important facets such as hybrid learning spaces and professional development for hybrid teaching. To delve into the details of what’s on the horizon for higher ed in 2022, we spoke with Kathe Pelletier, director of Educause’s Teaching and Learning Program and co-author of the report. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 39 minutes
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From Instructional Design to Learning Experience Design: Understanding the Whole Student
03/30/2022
From Instructional Design to Learning Experience Design: Understanding the Whole Student
These days, we hear a lot about the “new normal” in higher education. Remote and hybrid learning is here to stay, offering students more flexibility in their learning journeys. But what if the new normal is not enough? It’s time to go beyond the new normal and consider the “new possible” — how to put together the best of face-to-face, online and hybrid to create powerful learning experiences based on a deep understanding of the whole student. We spoke to Mark Milliron, senior vice president of Western Governors University and executive dean of the Teachers College, and Kim Round, academic programs director and associate dean of the Teachers College, about their vision for reimagining education and why learning experience design is essential to student success. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 36 minutes
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Bonus: Building a Culture of Innovation
03/09/2022
Bonus: Building a Culture of Innovation
Digital transformation is not just about implementing new technologies — it’s also about people and the ability to embrace change. In fact, you might say that’s the hardest part: Culture is often cited as one of the biggest barriers to digital transformation in higher ed. In February, our Campus Technology Leadership Summit tackled that very topic with a wonderful panel discussion on building innovation into the culture of a university. We spoke with Christine Whitney Sanchez, chief culture officer for the University Technology Office at Arizona State University, and Chris Dellarocas, associate provost of Digital Learning & Innovation at Boston University, about how they are working to transform institutional culture, incubate new ideas, support collaboration and experimentation, and more. Here’s that conversation. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 44 minutes
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10 Basics that Students Want from the LMS, and How to Help Faculty Implement Them
02/15/2022
10 Basics that Students Want from the LMS, and How to Help Faculty Implement Them
At Ohio State University, students developed a list of 10 ways that instructors can use the learning management system more effectively — common-sense guidelines that aim to make courses more consistent, predictable, easier to navigate and generally more student-friendly. We spoke with Sam Craighead, associate director of professional learning in Ohio State’s Office of Technology and Digital Innovation, about understanding the student perspective, supporting faculty with research-based practices, and the impact of instructional design on student success. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 31 minutes
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Data-Informed Learning Design and the Shift to Online
01/25/2022
Data-Informed Learning Design and the Shift to Online
The pandemic has been a testament to the progress that has been made in the use of technology to support online learning, but it has also revealed how poorly traditional course design translates to a digital experience. And that’s an opportunity for institutions to become more sophisticated in leveraging digital learning environments to go beyond what’s possible in a brick-and-mortar classroom. That’s according to Luyen Chou, chief learning officer at 2U. Here, we talk about transforming online pedagogy, the potential of emerging technologies, the beauty of simple data, essential human skills and more. Resource links: Music: Mixkit Duration: 34 minutes
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Bonus: Seizing the Opportunity for Digital Transformation
01/07/2022
Bonus: Seizing the Opportunity for Digital Transformation
Back in November, Campus Technology hosted a virtual summit about innovation in IT: all of the ways higher education technology leaders have embraced agility and flexibility in challenging times. A highlight of the event was a panel discussion on digital transformation, and how the pandemic has accelerated digital efforts on campus. Here's that conversation.
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Cutting Through Ed Tech Hype in Favor of Research-Driven Improvements
12/14/2021
Cutting Through Ed Tech Hype in Favor of Research-Driven Improvements
While it’s easy to get caught up in the hype around trends such as the metaverse and artificial intelligence, true progress comes in slow, incremental improvements in using technology to inform teaching and learning, according to Neil Heffernan, professor of computer science and director of the Learning Sciences and Technologies Graduate Program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Here, we talk about augmented reality, intelligent tutoring systems and the need for better research infrastructure in ed tech
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Digital Transformation in Higher Ed: What It Means and Where to Start
11/19/2021
Digital Transformation in Higher Ed: What It Means and Where to Start
The digital transformation of higher ed has been going on for years, but the current pandemic has brought that process into laser focus – and accelerated digital efforts perhaps like nothing else could. Yet at the same time, digital transformation is so expansive it can be difficult to define, and even harder to manage. We spoke with Betsy Reinitz, director of enterprise and IT Programs at EDUCAUSE, about what digital transformation means, how to start a Dx journey, the biggest obstacles to Dx and more.
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Embracing Innovation, Technology and Culture Change for the Sake of Access
10/21/2021
Embracing Innovation, Technology and Culture Change for the Sake of Access
While institutions traditionally measure change in decades, we’re now in a time when flexibility, innovation and risk-taking are key to student access and opportunity as well as institutional survival. We spoke with Dr. Mark Lombardi, president of Maryville University, about why the business model of higher ed is broken and technology’s role in moving universities toward a better future.
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Why AI Needs the Liberal Arts
09/28/2021
Why AI Needs the Liberal Arts
Colby College in Maine is investing $30 million to create the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the first cross-disciplinary institute for AI at a liberal arts institution. Among its goals: utilizing AI to transform teaching, learning and research in a wide variety of disciplines. Yet it’s not just about how AI can inform the liberal arts: It’s also about how a liberal arts perspective can bring about a better understanding of how the use of AI can benefit — or harm — our society.
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