Making Academic Computing A Strategic Differentiator

Tennessee IT SymposiumApril 21, 2009p , 9

Thomas DanfordChief Information OfficerChief Information OfficerTennessee Board of Regents

Students – Continue to Evolve!Students Continue to Evolve!

• “Net.Generation” – Current population of students

• “Digital Natives” – Start college in 2014in 2014

• Highly Connected – Lifelong use of communications & media technologies

• K-12 Exposure – Second-hand interactive learning techniques interactive learning techniques … heavy stimuli

• DIY Learners - EDUPUNKSEDUPUNK – Term coined by Jim Groom, Instructional Technology y , gy

Specialist at the University of Mary Washington.

Devices – Continue to Evolve!Devices Continue to Evolve!

• PCs & LaptopsPCs & Laptops• Netbooks• Cell Phones• Entertainment

(Game) Stations• Media Players• TV & Cable• What’s Next?

Internet Content – Continues to Evolve!Internet Content Continues to Evolve!

• Social SitesSocial Sites• News/Info Sites• Research Sites• Learning Sites• Employment Sitesp y• Application Sites• Content Sharing Sites• Portfolio Sites• …

Academic Computing … Not So Much?p g

• Laptop & PC end user supportTraining for “generic” IT• Training for generic IT

• Multimedia & classroom support• LMS/CMS (campus resource) support & training• LMS/CMS (campus resource) support & training• Remote access to resources• Limited courseware integration• Limited courseware integration• Server administration (E-mail, LMS/CMS, etc.)

• Reactive … maintainers of systems & programs

A Digital, Networked World – Changes A Digital, Networked World Changes the Game for Academic Computing

• Expectations of Digital Natives?

• Expectation of Employers and Employees in a Digital Global Economy?

• Digital Information D bl E H ?Doubles Every 11 Hours?

Wait a Minute … Digital content will double every 11 hours by 2010?double every 11 hours by 2010?

• The “Toxic Terabyte” ProblemThe Toxic Terabyte Problem“data is accumulating at an increasing rate in servers, desktops, laptops, phones, RFID sensors, cameras and other devices” devices

• Digital Content Management (CM)“Create, Update, Publish, Translate, Archive, Retrieve”

Institutions will have to look beyond the campus for y p frelevant, up-to-date content, apps, and services

Expectation of Employers and EmployeesEmployees• Changing “loyalty relationship” between employer

and employeep y• Employees are embracing a “free agent” mindset• Internet creates new category of job seeker called

“acti el passi e”“actively passive”• Emergent, relationship-based model of candidate

sourcing for Employees.g p y

Institutions will have to embrace and integrate cloud resources and collaborations to attract & retain high resources and collaborations to attract & retain high quality faculty and staff …

Expectations of Digital Natives“Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was d ig d t t h” designed to teach” Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants By Marc Prensky

• Receiving information really fast “Twitch Speed”• The ability to parallel process and multi-taskThe ability to parallel process and multi task• Graphics over text• Prefer random access (e.g. hypertext like Wikis).

k d l i l• Networked, multiple sources• Instant gratification and frequent rewards• Games over “serious” workGames over serious work.

Institutions will have to compete in the Internet cloud & i hi h li d to attract & retain high quality students …

Challenges Faced by Facultyg y y

• Time Constraints …▫ Research and staying current in their field▫ Research and staying current in their field▫ Publication▫ Community serviceCommunity service

• Dealing with Digital Natives▫ Yesterday’s tactics for today’s warsy y▫ Integrating “Legacy” and “Future” content▫ Overcoming years of history and tradition

How Can Academic Computing “Ramp UP” in Order to Help?UP in Order to Help?• Understand and contribute to the “business” we’re

in … education and student enrichment• Concentrate on that which “adds value” • “Leverage” cloud resources … build only as a last resort

D l & ll b t “f lti li ” • Develop & collaborate on “force multipliers” … specialization vs. generalization

• “Re-tool” for APIs & SDKs for “Mashups” in a Web ld2.0 world

• Understand how Digital Natives learn• Research & evaluate new cloud and other digital Research & evaluate new cloud and other digital

resources for their application in education

5 Principles Going Forward?p g• We’re in the “education” business not the e-mail,

Linux administration or other “task” business.• We should promote and leverage resources in the

cloud over buying and building whenever possible.• We need to position ourselves and our “profession” p p

as “consultants” to the faculty.• We should move our focus toward a model of

content management, courseware development and g , pintegration in a Web 2.0 world.

• Our mission is to overcome rationalization and lack of imagination as to “can’t work” to one of “will gwork.”

Mobil Learning and iTunes UMobil Learning and iTunes UThinking “Outside the Box/Classroom”

Open Source?p

• Software – (Linux, Open Office, etc.) … of Course

But what about …

• Open Courseware?

• Open Textbooks?

Collaboration – Through Bookmarks?

Collaboration – Through Presentations?

I would welcome your comments and suggestions as to how I may improve this presentation. Please send your ideas to Thomas Danford@gmail com or tdanford@tbr eduThomas.Danford@gmail.com or tdanford@tbr.edu

Presentation available at: http://www.slideshare.net/tsdanford