Technology, appropriately leveraged, can be a powerful tool for reducing achievement gaps and increasing student success — a shared belief that has brought together two major higher education associations: AACRAO and EDUCAUSE.
“Technology has the potential to make an important difference in the area of student success,” said EDUCAUSE President and CEO John O’Brien. “New technologies, when implemented appropriately, can enhance teaching and learning (and learning spaces) in really powerful ways.”
New technologies, of course, come and go, but there are also broader shifts to take into account. For example, IT no longer functions primarily as a utility (like a water tap or electricity grid) but rather, a crucial partner directly linked to a college or university’s ability to achieve its strategic objectives.
“Both enrollment services and IT are essential to student success, but in the past, they’ve tended to operate in silos, only communicating about implementation,” said AACRAO Executive Director Mike Reilly. “The implementation relationship is important, but greater benefits for campus will accrue if both groups step back and start framing their goals more collaboratively around student success.”
