Steve Wozniak

Founder, WOZ ED 

Can you talk about the digital divide and what that means regarding education?

Children learn what they have the opportunity to. Those without access to a computer and reliable internet lose opportunities to learn, yielding lower academic outcomes and less college and career readiness.

What current barriers are in place for school systems looking to provide access to technology beyond funding? 

School accountability systems emphasize standardized tests. Leaders at the national and state level could change the way we evaluate our schools, and the barriers would disappear. 

How can underserved communities learn about resources that are available to them? 

School systems respond to what metrics they are accountable for. If we make preparing students for life a priority at the state and national level, underserved communities will seek out resources to help them achieve those goals. 

Teresa de Onis

Vice President of Marketing, Apogee

What challenges do colleges and universities have when changing their infrastructure to ensure student and institutional success? 

The biggest challenge I see is that higher education continues to design, build, and manage their IT infrastructure in-house. They miss the opportunity to “rightsize.” Small to mid-size institutions especially need to rethink this because continuing to do this work in-house is costing them. It’s costing them time, our most precious resource. Second, they risk being unprepared to deliver the IT services needed for the successful hybrid/blended learning environments that will drive increased enrollment. Third, while IT budgets remained steady or slightly increased during the pandemic, IT teams are unable to transform from cost center to value center because they’re focused on day-to-day operational tasks instead of innovation that drives student outcomes. 

What are your thoughts on hybrid learning? 

At apogee, we believe hybrid, or blended, learning is here to stay. For small to mid-size colleges and universities looking to attract, retain, and graduate the modern student and compete for students with larger land-grant institutions, blended learning is the key. But many schools aren’t sure how far the pendulum should swing in this direction. We advise our clients to not think about replacing the traditional in-person classroom experience, and instead think about how they can use online modalities to make it even better. In this new environment, students can interact with a lecture and replay material that slipped by them. Platforms can measure sentiment in real-time, and professors can use that information to follow up or drive longer-term improvements in content and delivery. Imagine the efficiency gains here that would drive lower costs and more accessibility and equity in higher education.

Jim Hoefflin

President, CBORD 

What kinds of technology should colleges and universities be looking to invest in?

Students want easy, quick access to campus services and prefer to use a mobile device or smartwatch instead of a plastic ID card. Many of our university partners have implemented a mobile application to manage campus card activity or have enabled student IDs in mobile wallets for completely contactless access and payments. 

We’re also seeing emerging trends with biometric hand- and facial-recognition devices, as well as self-service kiosks in several areas of campus. The most popular adaptation is in campus dining, where biometric readers can provide access and deduct a meal plan in a single transaction. Kiosks can be used for order only or order and pay to manage flow and traffic during busy meal periods.

Both solutions also can help universities tackle labor shortages, optimize personnel costs, and move customers through lines faster.  

What areas should institutions prioritize in 2021 and 2022?

Remote access to software applications, contactless transactions to minimize germ transmission, and labor-optimizing infrastructure were all key to safely reopening campuses in fall 2020. Challenged by difficulties fully staffing positions in IT and foodservice/retail, we see these as critical components in the coming months and years, and believe cloud-based technology, mobile access and payments, and self-service solutions can enhance safety and adaptability of campus services. 

Divya Bheda, Ph.D.

Director of Education and Assessment, ExamSoft

How important is it to consider each student’s unique needs in optimizing their higher education experience? 

Very important. COVID-19 has taught us the importance of being flexible and realizing the challenging physical and psychological lived experiences of students and faculty. Critical, feminist theory talks about the importance of understanding the most marginalized lived experiences and changing systems and practices to ensure those experiences are transformed for the better. Beginning from the margins, it allows for the best solutions that are more likely to improve the circumstances for all.

When we center student voices and include the diverse lived experiences of students who are minoritized through the current normative practices of higher education, we can improve the experience for all — from an access, equity, justice, and success perspective. 

What kinds of technology should colleges and universities be looking to invest in?

They should look at technologies that offer them strong and diverse pathways to connect the various siloed functionalities of different offices and teams so that the data gathered across these offices can be used to better serve the whole student. This also includes technology that can connect academic and student support services, and assessment data that can advance student learning in and outside the classroom so that all the data can come together to comprehensively serve the student in the best way possible. 

Kathleen Gibson

CEO and Founder, APL nextED

What kinds of technology should colleges and universities be looking to invest in?

As schools evaluate what kinds of technology, particularly software, to invest in they should consider this question:

“Will the software technology solve institutionally identified problems and priorities or will it only address one problem for a small set of users?”

Higher education academic operations have traditionally been siloed and highly decentralized.  This increases cost and reduces efficiency and data transparency and has impacted how technology buying decisions are made at many institutions.        

Software investment decisions are often made by a user group trying to solve one problem.  These user groups may not have an institutional perspective and can be attracted to “point solutions”, or non-integrated software applications, that solve a singular problem for one type of user (for example, there are point solutions that help accreditation liaisons track and report faculties’ non-teaching activities).

Buying point solutions results in perpetuating the expense, redundancy and opaqueness of siloed and decentralized organizations plus it adds additional strain to already thin IT resources.

Most institutions of higher learning have recognized that the cost of siloed and decentralized operations is not sustainable. For these institutions the better way to buy software is to bring various stakeholders together to establish institutional software needs and priorities. Looking for comprehensive solutions is ultimately less expensive, more efficient and creates greater cohesion among teams and data.

What areas should institutions prioritize in 2021-22?

Institutions have mostly moved out of the crisis-mode induced by the events of the last year and half and have begun to address long-standing issues facing higher education. At the top of this list of issues are planning for financial sustainability, centralizing operations for greater efficiency, and strategizing for an increasingly competitive environment.      

In a post-COVID-19 environment, many schools have recognized that they must prioritize the adoption of best practices for financial planning and management. New budgeting models, greater collaboration between academic and executive leadership and boards, and the creation of “rainy day” funds, are some of the ways strategic leaders are addressing this important priority. 

In addition to adopting financial best practices is addressing operational inefficiencies to maximize resources. Schools can no longer afford to operate in the highly decentralized and siloed way that many have in the past.  Institutions that will thrive recognize that continuing to use manual and redundant processes and non-integrated software is a waste of valuable resources. Without a centralized, connected, and collaborative operational approach, the work of the entire team cannot be optimized.

Without a solid financial strategy and a plan for streamlined operations, few schools will even be in a position to consider the third priority, the ability to compete in the marketplace. For those that can compete, serving the ever-growing majority of students who are deemed “non-traditional”, building programs that match student-demand, translating the language of learning outcomes to skills and addressing affordability are a few ways schools can distinguish themselves. The most significant way for schools to compete is to offer an extraordinary educational experience. The surest way to ensure that, is to recruit, engage, and support extraordinary faculty.

Tyler Smith

Executive Director, Healthy Buildings

What challenges do colleges and universities have when changing their infrastructure to ensure student and institutional success?

Infrastructure has a significant impact on students, educators and staff. Healthy, safe and comfortable campus environments empower people to perform better, help students advance academically and attract people onto a campus. Even though colleges and universities can invest significantly in their infrastructures, people may not always notice the effect a building environment has on their quality of life. Infrastructure improvements can be as simple as LED lights that adjust the available light or more complex with scientific-based clean air solutions that filter out irritants such as mold, pollution, allergens, viruses and bacteria. Buildings can also be more interactive with touchless access control systems and sophisticated building security measures. 

Today, sustainability is a high priority for students and campus administrators. They must strike a balance to meet their commitments as responsible environmental citizens while providing safe and fulfilling campus experiences. The reality is they can do both; by approaching the two goals as a unified initiative, administrators can model environmental leadership and also deliver a positive and healthy experience. For example, through healthier buildings they can reduce the number of sick days for students and staff while achieving better energy efficiency that helps lower tuition costs and supports bold sustainability aspirations that benefit communities.  

How does data inform strategic decision-making for college and university leaders?

Today’s campuses are smarter than ever. They are connected by a multitude of sensors and devices within dormitories, research laboratories, classrooms, dining areas, athletic facilities and other campus buildings. When this data is analyzed and acted upon using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, college and university leaders can personalize student and staff experiences to create healthier and more comfortable spaces. 

For instance, advanced technology solutions can predict future classroom activity and automate features like temperature and natural light levels by collecting and analyzing how students and teachers use classrooms. In turn, this helps create in a more customized classroom experience.  Beyond this, when administrators use technology to connect buildings and strategically leverage collected data, they can save money by making the most out of their investments in buildings, infrastructure and other capital improvements. Data is the clearest guidepost helping higher education leaders make smart choices and provide a rewarding campus experience.

The post Experts Share How Technology Can Optimize the Higher Education Experience appeared first on Education and Career News.

Marc Oswald

Co-Founder and CEO, Open Assessment Technologies

How important is it to consider each student’s unique needs in optimizing their higher education experience? 

The holy grail of education is personalization. Implementing this at scale can only be accomplished by digitizing all aspects of education: learning (through study and practice), stakeholder interactions (between teachers, students, parents, etc.), and the measurement of skills and knowledge (individual and classroom assessments, performance tasks, etc.). Providing individual guidance requires access to and analysis of data collected over the course of each learner’s journey.

What should faculty members be thinking about when adopting and rolling out new technology for students? 

There are a number of considerations to be taken into account when rolling out new assessment technology for students, including ease-of-use, accessibility, integration with existing systems, and data collection. For instance, the solution should follow universal design principles, offering an intuitive user interface for both students and administrators. Tools need to be available to support the test-taker experience so that all students have a fair opportunity to demonstrate what they’ve learned. Universities also must consider how the assessment system will integrate with their other digital tools to provide a complete snapshot into student learning. At the same time, they must think about how the data they collect can better inform teaching practices. 

What areas should institutions prioritize in 2021 and 2022? 

Colleges need to implement “open enterprise architecture” solutions to ensure a fully interoperable ecosystem. If faculties continue to choose their own IT tools, data will be locked-in to countless silos, and the student journey will suffer immensely as a result of that. At the same time, colleges need to provide clear guidelines and instructions to faculties to ensure whatever tools they select neatly fit into the university-wide system. 

Mariam Tarig

Senior Vice President, Ellucian

How important is it to consider each student’s unique needs in optimizing their higher education experience? 

In today’s highly competitive — and online — environment, institutions are competing with one another for student enrollments and revenue like never before. Students are the consumer, and savvy institutions know they must appeal to them with modern experiences — including technology — that will streamline their lives and take into account their unique individual needs. With this in mind, we recently launched Ellucian Experience, a new platform to simplify everyday tasks and access to essential information through a personalized dashboard, linking people, processes, and applications. The more we can do to personalize and improve the experience for students overall, the more they can focus on learning and what matters most.

What are your thoughts on the future of higher education?

No matter what modality or format lies ahead—online, in-person, or a hybrid of both —it is clear that there will be an even greater need to drive strong experiences for students. As technology continues to evolve, users expect and deserve “consumer-grade” experiences. The same modern look, interaction, and usability that we all are used to in other aspects of our lives should apply for all digital environments, including in higher education. Along these lines, personalization will be more important than ever. Institutions need to provide more than a generic experience, leveraging data to support the individual needs of each student. As such, the future of higher education will be powered by data. While institutions have the data now, to be truly powerful, it needs to be aggregated and integrated across platforms and modeled in a way that makes it actionable. With actionable data, higher education leaders are empowered to make informed decisions that drive to specific student success outcomes, which is the reason we all are here.

How does data inform strategic decision-making for college and university leaders? 

Decision-makers need accurate, timely data to help inform planning across all aspects of a campus. As a technology partner to colleges and universities, Ellucian’s primary focus is on helping institutions better support students. That requires the ability to view data from across the institution as well as the tools to then draw meaningful insights for more powerful outcomes. 

Truly integrated data from across multiple systems provides administrators a rich 360 degree view of students, equipping them with insights that they need to reach every student where they are and help move them forward. With an open integration platform, such as Ellucian Ethos, partners and customers can extend an institution’s ecosystem to use data with expanded capabilities to further enrich the student experience. As a result, leaders can make data-driven decisions related to areas ranging from student success, recruiting and enrollment, alumni and fundraising, and finance to personnel. Given the complexities of higher ed and the numerous data sources for a single institution, it is important to have an ecosystem that is configurable, interoperable, and allows all technologies to work together seamlessly. 

As one example, Ellucian’s CRM Advise solution empowers institutions to provide enhanced advising and interventions at the times when it is needed most. With a single, integrated system to handle the flow of information between departments, faculty, and staff across campus, institutions can engage and support students with timely resources to help them persist based on data. Automating early-alert management and appointment rescheduling can save hundreds of hours of manual processing and lost advising time each year—ensuring that more students can get the personalized help they need to meet their goals. 

Mike Tholfsen

Principal Group Product Manager, Microsoft Education 

How important is it to consider each student’s unique needs in optimizing their higher education experience? 

Empowering all learners is a crucial aspect to the higher education experience, and in particular when it comes to accessibility and assistive technology. Often, we’ve heard that students would rather “go without than stand out,” which is why we’ve designed our free accessibility tools to be built-in, mainstream, and non-stigmatizing.  A few examples are speech-to-text, screen readers, and text prediction tools.

What areas should institutions prioritize in 2021 and 2022? 

Given the challenges and burdens put on higher education students during the pandemic, the most important area to focus on in the year ahead is inclusive and accessible technology. Content needs to be engaging and inclusive for all learners, including blind/low-vision students, deaf and hard of hearing students, those with dyslexia, and non-native speakers. It is critical for universities to ensure that the students who need the most assistance are able to engage through free and inclusive software tools and that courses be accessible to all.

Kim Fisher

Higher Education Practice Director, Allitix

What kinds of technology should colleges and universities be looking to invest in?

Having a solid ERP in place is key. Once that foundational system is stable – ideally in the cloud – institutions need to be thinking about technology that will help them be more proactive. The pandemic taught us that, while we cannot plan for everything, we can use our data to model out potential scenarios in order to be as prepared as possible to pivot when needed. Solutions for proactive, data-based connected planning do exist for higher education and I encourage institutions to begin looking into how it can help the be more prepared for whatever lays ahead. 

How does data inform strategic decision-making for college and university leaders? 

Clean, complete, and well-governed data is critical to decision-making for higher ed leaders though it is not the only factor many leaders have to consider. Often, institutional culture plays a role, as well, which is why it’s important to have tenured leadership that has invested the time immerse themselves into the college or university community. Yes, rely on your institutional data and trust it to drive your critical decisions but do it under the influence of institutional culture. This will help drive change that aligns to the vision of your institution and, ideally, be more readily adopted by your campus community. 

What areas should institutions prioritize in 2021 and 2022? 

Prioritization for colleges and universities will likely vary based on factors such as the economic impact from the pandemic, enrollment projections, funding, and student expectations, to name a few. But generally speaking, “student wellness” has emerged over the past couple years as a focal point regardless of institution type or location. Having 3 teenagers in my house, one of which is about to enter his freshman year of college, I can attest that student mental health is top-of-mind for students and parents and can confidently say that it’s also top-of-mind for college and university administrators. Whether it’s innovative technology, certified mental health staff, creative new programs, or all these things, I suspect we’ll see institutions placing significant energy in this area for years to come. Secondarily, an institution’s ability to build a culture of proactivity is key. Building upon the rich dataset in their ERP and CRM solutions, colleges and universities should be looking to connect and capitalize on that data to plan for the future in a way that allows them to quickly pivot in order to serve students in a more proactive, planful manner. 

What are your thoughts on the future of higher education?

The pandemic taught us many things, one of which is the necessity to pivot. Some institutions did this brilliantly to the point their adjustments will be long-lasting and to the ultimate benefit of the students they serve. I believe the ability to quickly pivot lays at the intersection of data, culture, and assumptions so a college or university can build realistic what-if scenarios that can be manipulated and massaged. This allows institutions to visualize the possibilities for the future, whether that’s related to financial planning, program planning, enrolment planning, endowment planning, etc. Modeling out various scenarios in these areas, and others, provides institutional leadership the ability to be proactive rather than reactive. The proactive higher education institution that can pivot quickly is the one that not only survives but thrives. 

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Twenty-twenty was one of the most volatile years in world history. We now find ourselves examining the impact of the global pandemic and thinking, “What next?” In my opinion, integrated planning is what’s next.

We have certainly seen a great deal of turmoil over the last year. In reality, the higher education sector has always faced some sort of volatility. Prior to the pandemic, higher education leaders were obsessing over the looming enrollment decline. Volatility is not new. In fact, the military has an apt acronym: V.U.C.A., which describes environmental conditions that are volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. The challenge then is not to fret over volatility but to recognize it as a part of the external environment. Once you embrace a V.U.C.A. environment, the task becomes how to lead through it.

Over the past year, institutions of higher education found ways to adapt to the pandemic. Nearly all utilized their existing technology platforms to move their academic portfolio to virtual delivery. Additionally, institutions made accommodations for their workforce. Now, higher education leaders are determining what to carry forward from the experience of the pandemic.

In my humble opinion, institutions should forget the “new normal.” This is a liminal moment for higher education. Incremental change will not do. This is the moment for transformative change. So, instead of leaping into the future armed with a handful of tactics that worked during a crisis, institutional leaders need to take a breath and engage in a disciplined, integrated planning process.

The future of integrated planning

What is integrated planning? At the Society for College and University Planning, we define integrated planning as, “a sustainable approach to planning that builds relationships, aligns the organization, and emphasizes readiness for change.” The three engines behind integrated planning are relationships, alignment, and change readiness. Integrated planning, like any planning endeavor, relies on relationships. Cross-functional, collaborative relations provide the energy for integrated planning. Alignment defines the infrastructure for planning. Successful integrated planning requires that institutions be aligned up, down, and side-ways. It is not enough that a division is internally aligned.

Integrated planning builds the commitment among stakeholders while campus alignment creates an agile, change-ready institution.

Recommendations for the future

Any planning effort begins with environmental scanning. My first recommendation is to review EDUCAUSE’s most recent Horizon report for teaching and learning. This document is a fabulous environmental scan focused on learning technology.

Second, remember that your technology solutions need to be calibrated to your multiple stakeholder groups. Students will have different technology needs than faculty and staff. In addition, do not underestimate the support infrastructure for a more technology-rich teaching, learning, and working environment. Do not under-resource the technology and the human support for your environment. I cannot emphasize enough the need for human resources for the shift to technology.

Third, when it comes to learning technology, focus on the learning first, then the technology. This requires careful academic planning. Engage the faculty at the beginning of the planning process.

Finally, remember that the environment will change. Integrated plans create an agile, change- ready institution by creating the stakeholder commitment to work toward the greater good and an aligned institutional infrastructure that sets a foundation for agile, resilient institutions. The environment will shift quickly. Be prepared.

The post Why Integrated Planning Is the Future of Higher Education appeared first on Education and Career News.

Each year, the office of Federal Student Aid in the U.S. Department of Education provides more than $115 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study funds to help millions of students fulfill their potential at more than 5,600 postsecondary schools.

The United States leads the world today in promoting opportunity through broad access to higher education. And access to federal student aid begins with the free application for federal student aid form, known as the FAFSA form for short. The FAFSA form can also unlock opportunities for grants and scholarships from states, schools, and private organizations. Because some sources of aid have limited funds, it makes sense to submit the FAFSA form as early as possible for the year ahead.

Completing the FAFSA form — whether for first-time or returning applicants — is a key step to prepare for educational opportunities beyond high school. In many ways, the COVID-19 crisis has made these choices even harder than before. Higher education certainly can help pave the way to prosperity, but many students and families face tough decisions about the cost of college or career school, especially right now.

Declining numbers

We are concerned to see a notable decline in the number of new students who have completed the 2021–22 FAFSA form. Compared to the same time last year, first-time FAFSA submissions by high school seniors have declined by almost six percent.^[I]That means nearly 113,000 fewer high school seniors will be pursuing their dreams of higher education. They are missing out on the financial aid that is available to help make their dreams a reality.

To reverse this trend, we are aggressively promoting FAFSA completion, knowing that each student counts. We have asked education leaders in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to join us in making FAFSA completion a priority for high school seniors. Many have responded in the spirit we intended; one state is even using TikTok, the popular video-sharing platform, to engage and encourage students.

Getting started

We are also doing our part to make it easier for students and parents to get trusted information about federal student aid programs and submit the FAFSA form.

Today, anyone can learn about and apply for federal student aid at StudentAid.gov. This enhanced website provides general information about all aspects of federal student aid. Visitors who log in with their username and password (FSA ID) can also access a personalized dashboard that summarizes their aid information and gives them relevant content and checklists to help navigate the financial aid process.

One of the newest features on StudentAid.gov is Aidan^®, our virtual assistant that can answer more than 3,000 variations of frequently asked questions about federal student aid. Aidan is now available to all StudentAid.gov visitors — whether they are logged in or not — to help guide them to trusted information and resources.

Likewise, our myStudentAid mobile app can supply students and parents with trusted information about applying for federal student aid. From the convenience of a mobile device, students and parents can create an account, complete the 2021–22 FAFSA form, and access personalized dashboards and checklists. They can also receive helpful push notifications and access Aidan, which we just added to the mobile app.

We have also built-in enhanced help topics throughout the FAFSA form. In addition, students and parents can get help filling out the FAFSA form in a variety of ways:

• Visit StudentAid.gov/resources. 
• Connect with us on Twitter (@FAFSA). 
• Speak with a customer service representative at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

We are eager to help students and families more easily navigate their path to higher education. The life-changing decision to submit the FAFSA form can open new doors to the future.

^[i] Data as of May 21, 2021.

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The COVID-19 pandemic forced many schools to implement hybrid classroom technology capable of serving both in-person and remote students in a hurry. These schools learned valuable lessons from the experience that may shape the future of higher education, but this is not without pitfalls.

In the 1960s, the Federal Communications Commission created the Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS), which ushered in the modern era of hybrid education. Hybrid education refers to educational practices that are a combination of in-person instruction and synchronous remote learning. The ITFS allowed faculty to teach in one room and broadcast via microwave TV to other rooms within the radius of the transmitter.

Today’s technology allows for more interactivity over the internet at lower cost, but the result is the same — an instructor is in one location, and there are students in multiple other locations all contributing to the class. The biggest difference between then and now is that participation in the 1960s TV courses was voluntary, while COVID-19 made hybrid learning mandatory for students and instructors alike. This difference can change your opinion of the effectiveness of the hybrid modality.

The new normal

Our campus made the decision to have in-person instruction for fall 2020, as well as a hybrid approach with some students on campus and others remote. The semester began with 250 newly upgraded hybrid classrooms where we added additional audio and video devices, electronic whiteboards, and document cameras. The goal was for each instructor to teach with in-person students while simultaneously using Zoom to teach to remote students, with the quality of the video and audio broadcast being of utmost importance. 

Before the start of the semester, we provided hundreds of one-on-one training and consultation sessions to help faculty prepare for hybrid instruction. In-person orientation sessions let faculty test drive the classrooms before the first day of class, and we were able to fix problems before the students arrived in the classrooms. After just a few days, we were already moving equipment because each discipline has a unique technological need to ensure the highest quality experience for the remote students.

Hybrid test taking introduced issues of fairness between each course’s in-person and remote students.  Most agreed that the remote students had an advantage because of that group’s easy access to additional materials during an exam without the instructor knowing. For that reason, we asked faculty to deliver all exams online so that every student had the same experience and no particular advantage. However, rapid implementation of fully online testing also increased student anxiety, because if there was a technology problem during an exam, getting help during an active test from either faculty or IT proved extremely difficult.

Major takeaways

From an administrative perspective, we learned to come together to acquire, analyze, and make decisions with data much faster. Decisions were made in real time and required quick access to data. Whether with local, national, or campus data, we were challenged to aggregate various data sets in ways that allowed the university leadership to make decisions quickly. We also continually reminded ourselves to not go so fast as to neglect important data validation tasks like assessing the overall complexity of any given request before deciding to do the work. While faculty have shown that they can teach remotely, students have been clear that the on-campus experience is their main priority. Balancing the different viewpoints of the students, the faculty, and the administration requires attention and finesse.

Students provided helpful feedback on the hybrid semesters. They liked pre-recorded lectures so that they can view materials both before and after class. They did not like when the pre-recorded lectures took the place of live discussion. Students appreciate that all classes now use the campus learning management system, and they have appealed to campus leadership that this use continues beyond the pandemic.  

When asked about overall effectiveness of each teaching modality, students cited engagement to be the best when attending in-person classes. This was followed by fully online, entirely synchronous classes due to the simplicity. Next down the list in satisfaction was the hybrid class, not because it was a poor experience, but because of the overall complexity to course delivery. In the very last place was the fully asynchronous, fully online course featuring no live interaction with either on-campus classrooms or remote Zoom discussion. When too much of a course is done without face-to-face interaction or Zoom meetings, the student engagement level dropped off.

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One of the biggest challenges for traditional, in-person courses was assessment. How do programs administer exams remotely without risk of academic dishonesty? How do schools ensure an equitable exam experience? Luckily, there was a solution at the ready, and it offered more than just secure remote exams: ExamSoft.

How it works

ExamSoft is an all-in-one solution for computer-based assessments, both in person and remote. The first step for remote exams is our ExamID product, which helps educators and exam administrators ensure the right person is taking the exam. ExamID uses picture-matching technology to show you who accessed the test. Then our remote proctoring solution, ExamMonitor, records students as they test, helping to preserve academic integrity.

With ExamMonitor, exam-takers are monitored throughout for any behavioral anomalies, such as walking away from the computer or calling someone on their phone. After the assessment is complete, an exam administrator from the university reviews the evidence and is responsible for the final decision on any flagged incidents.

ExamSoft goes beyond locked-down browser technology by disabling every application on the device except Examplify, the test-taking app itself. The only thing a student can do when Examplify opens and the test begins is take the assessment — they cannot view notes on their computer, take screenshots of exam content, or copy and paste exam questions to another application. Additionally, there is no need for a Wi-Fi connection during the exam, not only ensuring academic integrity, but also making access more equitable and less stressful for students.

Actionable data brings real transformation

While some of the reasons for protecting academic integrity are obvious, one less evident but critical point is that exam security also translates to accurate data.

When exams are complete, faculty can send Strengths & Opportunities Reports to their students. This feedback shows the student where they did well and where they could use improvement. This exchange helps with student engagement, remediation efforts, and retention.  

With ExamSoft-delivered assessments, educators gain data and reports that empower them to improve learning outcomes, increase retention, and streamline the accreditation process. By tagging exam items to categories — content areas, course objectives, accreditation standards, or Bloom’s Taxonomy, for example — educators get a holistic view of both student and instructor performance. The psychometrics built into the platform also give exam administrators guidance on which of their questions are strong, and which ones aren’t as good at measuring knowledge.

With the actionable data gathered from assessments, instructors know where students are struggling, and they can remediate early, long before the summative final exam or licensure exam required by many professions. Students who see a path to success are much more likely to complete a degree program. Programs that can demonstrate successful learning outcomes, instructional methods, and program standards have a much easier time during the accreditation process.

The custom reports from ExamSoft can also show instructors where their teaching strategies or curriculum can be adjusted. If a high percentage of students, including high performers, struggled with a certain section of the test, instructors can use the reports to see if those items were tagged to a certain teaching strategy. They’ll gain insight from psychometrics that can help determine if it was an unfair or poorly worded question.

This is what we mean when we say that ExamSoft provides actionable data — it’s not a one-time report that you can’t utilize. Educators gain useful data from every assessment that can drive meaningful improvement.

Are you ready to get more from your assessments with ExamSoft? Learn more here.

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You may be wondering how it’s possible to pay less for your degree, so here are five ways that you can get around college costs:

1. Advanced coursework opportunities

One way to save big on college costs is to earn college credits while in high school with advanced coursework opportunities, like Advanced Placement (AP) courses and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. These college-level courses are offered in middle and high schools and culminate in an exam that you can take to earn college credits, depending on your scores. The courses are free, but there may be a fee for the exam.

2. Dual-enrollment programs

Dual-enrollment programs can also save you money and help you graduate from high school with college credits already completed. These programs allow students to take courses for credit at local colleges while still working on a high school diploma.

3. Community college courses

Depending on where you decide to earn your degree, tuition at your local community college is likely far cheaper. To save money, you can consider enrolling in community college for the first year or two and then transferring to a four-year institution to finish your degree. You can also take courses at your local community college over the summer to earn credits.

4. State workforce training programs

One of the easiest ways to save on college costs is by simply graduating on time. Students who select a career path and a major before enrolling and stick with this plan tend to graduate on time. If you’re still trying to make up your mind, your state workforce board can be a great free resource to get advice about in-demand careers and on-the-job experience before you start paying for credits

5. Save, find scholarships, and compare loan options

Even if you’re getting a late start, saving money can still reduce the amount you will pay for college. That’s because education loans are borrowed money that must be repaid with interest. Interest rates may seem low, but they can really add up over time.

You can also look for scholarships, which are typically merit-based, as well as grant aid, which is typically need-based. Your guidance counselor can be a great resource for finding scholarships, especially local ones that are specific to your area. Local scholarships tend to be less competitive than national scholarships, so you have a better chance of getting free money for college, and every little bit helps.

Being an informed borrower can also help. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid early, and always exhaust any federal student aid first. If you still have a gap and need to look at private loans, do your research and compare interest rates, fees, and repayment terms from as many lenders as possible.

To save the most money on college costs, you might consider one or more of these five options. Be sure to talk with a parent or guardian, your guidance counselor, and/or another trusted advisor as you make your plan. You want to make sure it’s a good fit for you and your career goals, and that you are aware of any prerequisites that you’ll need to complete or meet.

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If there is one word to describe these times we are experiencing in every aspect of our lives, but specifically in higher education, it could be the word turbulent.

Take it from one of the most influential thinkers, Peter Drucker, who explains that, “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it is to act with yesterday’s logic.” To this end, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented higher education with a much-needed recognition of the profound importance and impact of online education.

The concept of college accessibility and affordability is more important than ever for the prospective college student, whether they are a traditional or non-traditional adult college learner. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, during the period of January 2020 to April 2021, the unemployment rate of job seekers with a college degree was 7.4 percent, compared to those with just a high school education, which was at a staggering 17.3 percent. I believe this speaks volumes to the value and importance of a college degree.

The educational process starts before enrolling in college. Incoming students should do some research into job trends for employment opportunities post-graduation. I recommend asking those already in a potential field their insights and investigate into skillsets you may need. The pandemic has opened the eyes of many college hopefuls by making the college classroom more accessible and providing an opportunity to earn a degree while still being able to work and meet family obligations.

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Alejandra Acosta

Policy Analyst, New America

How important is it to consider each student’s unique needs in optimizing their higher education experience?

It’s very important. I think it’s just challenging for schools to do that, considering they have so many students and needs are different and change over time. Often colleges operate on an old idea of what a student is like. Once they realize that their students are not like that, it takes time to change policy, procedure, and resources. And at that point, the student population might be different.

As a leader with a background in digital technology, what do you recommend as the top three types of technology that a faculty member should invest in right now?

I would say learning management systems. I think a lot of schools have them already, but they don’t use them necessarily. I think colleges don’t need to invest more money in the technology itself, but spend time and resources to teach faculty and staff how to use it effectively so they can get the most out of it.

The other thing is something that I’ve studied at New America for a long time is the use of predictive analytics in higher education. That is the use of several data sources to predict how likely a student is to graduate. And that can include data from a learning management system, but it’s really helpful because it can give faculty, counselors, and advisors a more granular look at students and potentially get like an early alert if something is going on with a student. It can help faculty reach out to a struggling student before it’s too late.

In your opinion, what should schools be thinking about when they’re trying to adopt and roll out this new technology?  What are your thoughts on hybrid learning?

I think one thing to consider is both the pros and the cons of rolling out new technology, and specifically what the implications could be for equity at a college. We’ve heard a lot about the digital divide, so it’s important to be thinking about whether students will even have access to this technology and what some challenges could be.

For example, if a student needs to download an app in order to get in contact with a counselor or chat with somebody that can help them, you have to tell students about the technology, then you have to tell them to download it, then they have to actually create an account, and then they actually have to use it. That’s several opportunities for the student to not to choose not to do it or to not know how to use the technology. There are a lot of steps and a lot of support that needs to happen in order for the technology to actually be used.

What areas should institutions prioritize in 2021 and 2022?

I think communication technology. As we’ve seen this year, communication is really important. Students were confused when things were changing in terms of opening and closing of campuses, so I think communication technology from the college to the student is really important so that there can be a level of connection and trust between the student and the college. And so that students can feel like they can get a reliable source of information.

What are thoughts on the future of higher education?

I think that that, like everything else, the pandemic really just pushed and accelerated the digitization of higher education. There are certainly a lot of good things that will come from this like I said, but at the same time, I think colleges need to be really intentional about being aware that data and technology is biased and there are a lot of potential pitfalls and dangers that could erase advances in equity that hopefully colleges are striving for. A lot of entities at the end of the day also need to meet a bottom line, and they are not very monitored by the federal government, so there’s a lot of care that needs to be addressed as higher education becomes more digital.

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The global pandemic has reminded us of the importance of the air we breathe. Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors, where the concentration of pollutants is 2-5 times higher. And research shows that indoor air quality (IAQ), lighting, noise pollution, and other aspects of the indoor environment have a powerful impact on students — and staff — and their ability to focus and perform.

Investing in the health and safety of our higher education infrastructure is an investment in our collective futures. “The pandemic forced us to rethink and acknowledge the opportunity and responsibility we have to leverage the vast capabilities and services in our healthy buildings business segment,” Tyler Smith recently told the Healthy Air podcast. Smith is the executive director of healthy buildings at Johnson Controls, a global leader in sustainable, healthy building technology. “A digitally connected building is really key.”

Healthier, safer interiors

To truly learn well, everyone — that’s students and teachers — must feel safe, comfortable and able to concentrate and participate. While most people think about temperature right away when they imagine comfort, there are many factors, including noise, light or dark, pollen or mold, vibration and humidity, that all must be optimal to create a great learning environment. That’s why infrastructure has a significant impact on students, educators, and staff. While ventilation and filtration strategies supported by regular monitoring and maintenance apply to almost every building, indoor air quality isn’t a discrete problem. Buildings are complex systems, and higher education campuses are home to clinics, labs, and other environments with specific requirements when it comes to indoor health and safety.

Johnson Controls has introduced their OpenBlue Healthy Buildings, a blueprint for healthier buildings focused on three pillars: healthy people, healthy places, and a healthy planet. “By leveraging those three pillars,” Smith says, “we help in not only connecting our capabilities externally with our customers, but we also provide some guardrails to future development.”

Indoor air quality isn’t just about the spread of disease — mold, allergens, and smoke from nearby wildfires can impact IAQ significantly. To help keep people healthy, OpenBlue Healthy Buildings offers agile, connected technologies such as thermal cameras, contact and exposure tracing, touchless access, as well as clean air solutions such as ventilation, filtration, disinfection, isolation, and monitoring. As it’s equally important to protect against physical threats, OpenBlue Healthy Buildings also connects safety technologies such as notification systems, gunshot detection, and visitor management systems. Plus, tools such as energy use and sourcing kiosks combined with more efficient and smart HVAC technology reduce the overall carbon footprint of the campus and aid in sustainability efforts.

Powerful partnerships

Johnson Controls is leading the charge for smarter, more connected campuses. “We’re not just trying to sell our customers a HEPA filter or a UV light,” Smith noted. “We educate our clients on scientific-based technologies and help them understand what to do, how to do it, and how to ensure the health, safety, and wellness of their stakeholders.” The company also recently partnered with the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) to promote the WELL Building Standard (WELL), which certifies buildings to promote a culture of health and wellness.

Johnson Controls partners with colleges and universities around the world in building a better future, and Smith believes healthier buildings are part of the new normal. “Johnson Controls is proud to work alongside leaders in higher education to make their campuses better than they were pre-pandemic. By investing in healthier, smarter buildings, we can help campus administrators keep the well-being of their students, faculty, and staff first and foremost while also being good stewards of their environment and communities.”

To learn more about what Johnson Controls can do for you, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com/openblue/openblue-clean-air.

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