How to Leverage Technology to Navigate a Changing Educational Landscape

The evolution of technology continues to change how students learn. Unlike years ago when pens and paper, and maybe a calculator, were the only supplies students needed, the average college student today now brings their computer, smartphone, tablet, and gaming system with them when they arrive on campus. These tools offer new levels of educational opportunity for both students and professors alike, but in order for schools to capitalize on these new forms of learning, institutions must be able to provide an unparalleled technology experience that harmonizes with the learning process.

As highlighted in Forbes Insights’ latest report with Comcast Business, many schools are already taking great strides toward upgrading their networks to improve and expand learning opportunities. MIT, for example, has capitalized on cloud-based applications to run their Bits and Atoms Fabrication Laboratories. These Fab Labs allow students to design inventions from musical instruments to circuit boards to prosthetic limbs, and since they are equipped with open-sourced software, students from around the globe can work together to test and refine each other’s projects. Moving to the cloud creates unprecedented opportunities for students to develop skills and share their talents with the Fab Lab’s network of professors, engineers, and business owners, all in one easily accessible place.

Better networks and technology are also improving the performance of education applications at community colleges, where students are often more spread out. West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC), for example, has two campuses located 30 miles apart and has been working to provide students with access to learning without limits of time, location, or distance. Through private ethernet lines, students can now watch lectures from either campus through a virtual desktop, and even ask questions in real time through their computer’s microphone. As WVNCC understands, many of their students work full-time or have other obligations that make it hard for them to attend classes. Using technology to create borderless classrooms, however, has kept students engaged and allowed them opportunities that were once non-existent.

While new technologies like cloud-based applications and live video feeds greatly benefit students, educational institutions can also derive value from upgrading their campus’ networks. Moving networks to the cloud decreases costs by eliminating the need to maintain on-site servers, and also improves access to backup data, which previously needed to be retrieved from off-site locations.

By converting systems to an IP, schools can also begin to use software to track irregularities in their networks. Since intelligent systems can be programmed to learn patterns, these systems can send out alerts if any unusual activity occurs, and this new capability affords schools a new level of security.

Expanding and improving a school’s network takes time and money, but an early investment in technology can pay off in the long run. As students continue to expect a digital experience that mirrors the one they have at home, institutions must adapt and implement new IT solutions to keep up. In the end, the opportunity afforded by a more robust network will greatly outweigh any costs.