AUGUST 2019CIOAPPLICATIONS.COM8igher education is experiencing a technological transformation. In colleges and universities around the country, the role of technology is evolving. Serving as a tool to support administrative functions of the institution, technology has become an integral part of the higher education ecosystem that prepares contemporary students for a digital world. Today, technology is critical in all parts of the student lifecycle.In addition to enhancing the student experience, technology promotes collaborative, inquiry-based teaching and research while streamlining the administrative operations of educational organizations. However, it is important to note that the latter (administrative efficiencies) leads to the former (academic innovation). Technology advancements have made institutions more efficient in providing the administrative support of the modern university. A welcomed by product of recent technological advances in higher education is savings in two of the most crucial areas in contemporary education--time and resources. The time and resources recouped from efficiencies can be used to research, develop, implement, and sustain innovative programs and services for students.As higher education continues to cope and evolve with the everchanging influence of technology, many institutions struggle to keep pace with the change. Education technology professionals are under increasing pressure to stay abreast of the important technological influences on their institutions. Success in staying informed is understanding the key areas of influence facing higher education.When examining contemporary higher education, three areas of technology influence become prevalent. These areas are innovation, data and analytics, and security.InnovationTechnology has led to innovation throughout the student lifecycle. Higher education institutions utilize technology to recruit, enroll, and educate students. In the past, most institutions were bound by geographic limitations in recruiting students. Today, intuitive and personalized solutions, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems, attract students from all over to world to institutions in some of the most isolated locales in the country.LEROY BUTLER, CIO, LEWIS UNIVERSITYKey Technology Influences in Modern Higher EducationA byproduct of this borderless recruitment of students is greater competition between institutions for every prospective college student. Technology has given students more options for when, where, and how students enroll in college. An institution's ability to enroll a student partially depends how well they reach and engage students through several technology resources.Once enrolled, students use numerous technological solutions that enhance their academic pursuits and co-curricular activities during their tenure in school. Learning management systems and student information systems are examples of technologies that make the student experience more effective, efficient, and IN MY ViewHLeRoy Butler
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