Gail Helen Bremner

University Tech

Posted on June 5th, 2007 by gail helen.
Categories: Education, Technology, Sponsored Posts, Random.

One of the few things that disappoints me about my college is how limited it is in terms of technology. They have gained a lot of good equipment since my initial enrollment in ‘98, including computers & digital projectors in just about every classroom, but things that are considered standard on most campuses — including WiFi — are absent. There’s only one area where students can hook in their laptops, and the school’s computers are still on Windows 98. Most disconcerting is the fact they do not have Firefox installed, a tidbit that makes all the tech people I know roll their eyes. Even their website — one of the primary means of securing enrollment at schools today — is outdated, and rarely updated in a meaningful way. My boyfriend jokes that it’s because I go to a women’s college, which infuriates me, but I have to agree that the state of things sends a very bad message.

Take, for example, Capella University. Obviously, as an online school, they’re ahead of the curve. But now I hear they are part of the New Media Consortium (NMC), a community of hundreds of leading universities, colleges, museums, and research centers dedicated to “exploration and use of new media and technologies for learning and creative expression.” One of the ways Capella University meets this mission is by conducting weekly podcasts featuring interviews with select Capella students, faculty members, and staff who share the experience of online education from a first-person point of view. What an excellent marketing tool! Their most recent “Inside Online Education” podcast featured Carla Chladek, a PhD student who is also going for her master’s in education (yay! a fellow wannateach! ). She works as Program Manager for the Joint Staff Training Program at the Pentagon, and is responsible for ensuring that the training needs are met for the 2,000 military members who support the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. By featuring such accomplished students, Capella University adds more shine to its already-reputable name, encouraging enrollment. You should check these podcasts out to see just how effective they are — of course, they’re available on iTunes. I would love to see my college start doing something like this!

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