Publications from the EDUCAUSE Office

In a continuation of the EDUCAUSE initiative to host forums for discussion of issues of importance to higher education, the Information Technology Governance (ITG) Summit was held September 10–11 in Denver. The summit was designed to bring together a small number of thought leaders and experts to capture the best ideas and strategies for advancing ITG in the community, and was attended by about 35 higher education leaders with particular expertise and experience in ITG.

The importance of student success (commonly measured as degree completion) continues to rise, as does the demand for institutional accountability. Academic analytics can help institutions address student success and accountability while better fulfilling their academic missions. Academic systems generate a wide array of data that can predict retention and graduation. Academic analytics marries that data with statistical techniques and predictive modeling to help faculty and advisors determine which students may face academic difficulty, allowing interventions to help them succeed. This paper highlights what IT and institutional leaders need to understand about academic analytics, including changes it may require in data standards, systems, processes, policies, and institutional culture.

EDUCAUSE Core Data Service Fiscal Year 2006 Summary Report summarizes much of the data collected through the 2006 EDUCAUSE core data survey about campus information technology (IT) environments at 933 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. The report presents aggregates of data through more than 100 tables and accompanying descriptive text in five areas relevant to planning and managing IT in higher education: IT Organization, Staffing, and Planning; IT Financing and Management; Faculty and Student Computing; Networking and Security; and Information Systems. Appendices include a brief historical context, a list of participating campuses, the 2006 survey instrument, a glossary of terms from the survey, and Carnegie classification definitions.

EDUCAUSE, as part of its Grand Challenges Program, is hosting several summits on topics of particular importance to higher education. These summits are designed to bring together a small number of thought leaders and experts to capture the best ideas and strategies for advancing the community. The 2007 EDUCAUSE Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Summit, held July 10–11 in Denver, was attended by about 50 higher education leaders with particular expertise and responsibility in the support of IT for research. A professional facilitator guided the group through a rich discussion of the highest-priority topics they identified.

As part of the EDUCAUSE 2006 Program Plan, EDUCAUSE is holding several summits on topics of importance to higher education designed to bring together thought leaders and experts in the community in order to capture the best strategies and behaviors. The Identity Management (IdM) Summit held in Washington, D.C., in November 2006 was attended by about 50 higher education administrators who hold either an IT or functional role. Sponsored by an NSF Middleware Initiative Award to EDUCAUSE and Internet2, the Summit resulted in a collection of information from a broad higher education constituency who are knowledgeable and experienced in the area of identity management. Using this information, EDUCAUSE and partners are creating a body of knowledge to assist campuses in developing and enhancing their home IdM environments.

Space, whether physical or virtual, can have a significant impact on learning. Learning Spaces focuses on how learner expectations influence such spaces, the principles and activities that facilitate learning, and the role of technology from the perspective of those who create learning environments: faculty, learning technologists, librarians, and administrators. Information technology has brought unique capabilities to learning spaces, whether stimulating greater interaction through the use of collaborative tools, videoconferencing with international experts, or opening virtual worlds for exploration. This e-book represents an ongoing exploration as we bring together space, technology, and pedagogy to ensure learner success.

Please note: Initially, this Web site for Learning Spaces has the e-book's initial chapters. In the near future, it will offer case studies demonstrating the principles covered in the first 13 chapters, with links to examples of innovative learning spaces. The entire collection will be complete in August and available for printing as individual chapters or the entire book.

Kerry Redican, Professor, VT Teaching and Learning, comments on:
- effects of a more effective teaching and learning environment on attendance and student attitudes (clip: Kerry 10)
- classrooms like these maximize educational experiences for students and faculty (clip: Kerry 11)

Carol Burch-Brown, Professor, VT Art and Art History, comments on:
- the fluid connection between dealing with material objects and digital resources (clip: carol 2)
- how the teaching, laboratory and public spaces foster varied and sustained intellectual involvement, before, during and after class (clip: carol 9)

1) Jane Lehr, graduate student in Science Technology Studies, discusses teaching with technology, particularly within the framework of critical pedagogy.

2) Terrell Strayhorn, graduate student in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, comments on his changing awareness of classroom dynamics, and the ways in which he approaches the integration of teaching and technology after taking the GEDI course.

3) Chris Cassino, graduate student in Mechanical Engineering, talks about the benefit of multidisciplinary setting of GEDI as well as the pedagogical approaches he learned about in GEDI, especially case-based studies and PBL as applied to engineering.

4) Denise Adkins, graduate student in Psychology, focuses on the significance of the seminar setting of the GEDI course.

5) Will Butler, graduate student in Environmental Design and Planning, discusses the benefits of guest speakers in the GEDI course talking about specific examples of teaching with technologies.

6) Lee Bryant, graduate student in Civil Engineering, focuses on the different pedagogical perspectives she was exposed to in the GEDI course, and how the GEDI environment encouraged her to identify her teaching self.

7) Trevor Byrd, graduate student in Psychology, comments on the confidence he gained as a teacher through GEDI, and how he now has skills to help him critically evaluate his use of technology in his teaching.

8) Brent Jesiek, graduate student in Science Technology Studies, talks about connecting theory with practice, teaching online courses and diversity issues, and the importance of critically evaluating the use of technology in various teaching sites.