EDUCAUSE: college IT officials forge ahead amid tight budgets.

EDUCAUSE: college IT officials forge ahead amid tight budgets. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- If you walked the exhibit floor, attended somesessions and listened to the informal discussions at last month'sthree-day EDUCAUSE 2010 technology conference, the buzz was that, yes,budgets are still tight, but information technology professionals arestill forging ahead to provide cutting-edge technologies and services totheir many campus constituencies. There is no question higher education IT professionals are tryingto do more with less. Informal discussions throughout the conference,coupled with attendees scouting the vast exhibit floor, reflectedattendees' mission to seek out cost-effective solutions to managetheir institutions and provide more and better digital services. The annual conference of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association whosemission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent useof information technology, brings together IT companies and collegeofficials who are empowered to make decisions on technology initiatives. Conference presentations and vendor products underscored theresults of the annual EDUCAUSE IT survey, which identified the Top 10issues for higher education IT professionals. "Funding IT"ranked first, followed by "administrative/ERP/informationsystems," with "security" coming in third and"teaching and learning with technology" at fourth. But there also was high interest in vendor exhibits featuringmobile applications and enhanced learning management systems. "Mobile apps and new platforms abound, both on campus andoff," said Tim Gilbert, chief marketing officer of CampusManagement. "Institutions face exponential demand and need todevelop a reliable strategy." Nothing commanded more attention during the conference than theNext Generation Learning Challenges announced by the Bill & MelindaGates Melinda French Gates (born Melinda Ann French on August 15, 1964) is a former unit manager for several Microsoft products: Publisher, Microsoft Bob, Encarta, and Expedia. In 1994, she married Bill Gates, founder, chairman, and former chief software architect of Microsoft. Foundation. A collaborative, multi-year initiative being led byEDUCAUSE, the goal of the initiative is to help dramatically improvecollege readiness and completion in the U.S. through the use oftechnology. The program will provide grants to organizations and innovators toexpand promising technology tools to more students, teachers andschools. Next Generation Learning Challenges released the first of aseries of RFPs to solicit funding proposals for technology applicationsthat can improve postsecondary education. The first round of funding will total $20 million, including grantsranging from $250,000 to $750,000. Applicants with top-rated proposalswill receive funds to expand their programs. Organizations collaboratingon the effort include the League for Innovation in the CommunityCollege, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning and theCouncil of Chief State School Officers The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a national nonprofit organization in the United States which represents public officials that head elementary and secondary education departments. . Each offers deep, practicalexpertise in educational instruction, leadership, and management. "Next Generation Learning Challenges will ensure we focus onthe next generation --whether that means a student, learning experience,or technology," said Diana Oblinger, EDUCAUSE's president andCEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . "It will move proven and emerging technology-enabled solutionsto a greater scale serving more students and more communities. When youadd this multiplier effect to the kind of high quality learning we canprovide it really will change people's lives." Proposals are due Nov. 19; winners will be announced by March 21,2011. Technology companies are also working to assist institutions inimproving remediation and strengthening student retention. Both arecritical to colleges boosting their graduation rates. For example, Blackboard (1) See Blackboard Learning System.(2) The traditional classroom presentation board that is written on with chalk and erased with a felt pad. Although originally black, "white" boards and colored chalks are also used. , based in Washington, D.C., and K12 Inc.,located in nearby Herndon, Va., announced a partnership to develop asolution that delivers K12's adaptive courses through BlackboardLearn, an online teaching and learning platform. The combination is intended to reduce the cost of deliveringremediation opportunities, while enabling institutions to offer a widera range of both self-paced and teacher-led opportunities online. SunGard Higher Education, based in Malvern, Pa., in cooperationwith Purdue University Purdue University(pərdy`, -d`), main campus at West Lafayette, Ind. , announced an early intervention ear��ly interventionn. Abbr. EIA process of assessment and therapy provided to children, especially those younger than age 6, to facilitate normal cognitive and emotional development and to prevent developmental disability or delay. system thatwarns students who are at risk of underperforming in a course andfacilitates faculty intervention and support. "Course Signals" is built on a predictive model thatallows an institution to combine information already available withincampus systems--such as student data, learning management systems andgradebooks--to determine whether a student is at risk of failing orwithdrawing from a course as early as the second week of the semester se��mes��ter?n.One of two divisions of 15 to 18 weeks each of an academic year.[German, from Latin (cursus) s orquarter. Based on the data, the solution will display a red, yellow or greensignal to students and faculty, indicting a student's status in acourse in real time. Along with the signal, students receive suggestedresources and recommended course of action from faculty as needed as neededprn. See prn order. . Comments: ccweekblog.wordpress.com