patterns , and take action .” They state that “ the data is a combination of student record information — credit hours , grades earned , academic performance , and other information — plus data that relates to student interactions with their online course portal , such as how early they log in to see their course syllabus or how long they spend looking at course materials , participating in discussion boards and other actions .” More information can be found here . ( https :// uaatwork . arizona . edu / lqp / using-data-analyticsincrease-student-success )
Additionally , universities are looking at smart metrics to figure out which students will be successful , even before they set foot on the campus . This notion utilizes psychometrics to better match students with teachers based on their personality , teaching style , learning style , and overall academic objectives . It can also help to improve graduation rates , save money on tuition by not going to the “ wrong ” school , and possibly , make going to a university more accessible to a greater number of people .
Inherent Challenges to Overcome Technologies that create the digital campus offer opportunities for universities not only to improve the faculty , staff , and student experience , but also to dramatically improve student outcomes . However , there are two challenges to keep in mind : managing IoT devices and securing the digital campus .
• The Great Big World of IoT Devices . One of the greatest challenges universities face is the widespread use of smart devices by students on a university ’ s network . Most educational institutions are not properly set up to handle the mass influx of devices being used on campuses . These devices include traditional mobile phones , laptops , PCs , tablets , and now new fitness and medical wearables and IoT technologies such as sensors and cameras .
Having academic information readily available for students is a necessity to ensure efficiency and success of a university , but having so many devices accessing the university ’ s network at one time can weaken the system . It ’ s important for universities to work with technology partners to develop a plan to manage and secure the number of digital touch points a campus can include . Additionally , the wireless network has to be able to host all the mobile devices and process the amount of data being shared across those devices , all while staying secure .
The best technology partners to work with are those who understand these threats and take an architectural approach to the system , covering multiple components and working well within the ecosystem of technology being used by the university . It would be detrimental for a university to partner with a technology partner who doesn ’ t understand and anticipate these challenges , leaving the institution vulnerable both from a security and reputation standpoint .
• Securing the Digital World . The second greatest challenge facing universities is security . Digital campuses are dealing with multiple end-user points ( students , faculty , administrators , parents ) and are hosting multiple devices ( mobile phones , laptops , desktops , wireless printers , sensors , and wearables ) at any given point in time . Being able to secure all access points and all devices is critical for a university to protect its assets and reputation .
Additionally , each university is set up differently based on the type of business being done . Universities that are research-based and open to a wider variety of technology innovation face greater security issues than universities that don ’ t have a large research component to their business . They really have no choice but to secure critical research data and information . They must also secure multiple devices , end-user points , and different types of research and compute loads , which makes it even more important to work with the right technology partners who understand the academic and business needs of the environment .
Understanding the Future is Half the Battle By 2020 , the higher-education space will start to look very different as new technologies , including VR and AI , become more commonplace and challenges with connected secure endpoints are solved . The larger goal is to provide the best possible educational environment for students and faculty and to create environments where students can learn without limits . In the next few years , we will see growth in these technologies — VR , AI and big data analytics — as they become mainstream concepts in the academic world . It ’ s proving to be a bright and exciting future in the world of academia .
Neal Tilley works in U . S . Higher Education , Business Development , with Cisco Systems . Reach him at ntilley @ cisco . com .
Renee Patton is the U . S . Public Sector Director of Education at Cisco . Reach Renee at repatton @ cisco . com .
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Lee DeForest has said in many newspapers and over his signature that it would be possible to transmit the human voice across the Atlantic before many years . Based on these absurd and deliberately misleading statements , the misguided public … has been persuaded to purchase stock in his company …”
— a U . S . District Attorney , prosecuting American inventor Lee DeForest for selling stock fraudulently through the mail for his Radio Telephone Company in 1913 .
20 Winter 2017 ACUTA Journal