Samantha Creasy

Dr. Miss

UWRT 1102

3 August 2017

Digital tools and tech driven economy transform higher education

Education, especially accessible education, makes for a more livable world. Technology

expands the accessibility to education beyond the traditional barriers of time and place. There is

now one internet connected device in use for every person on the planet. This access to

information and the ability to communicate makes the world livable. The internet as a part of

digital technology can blur the lines of a civilized world as users often do not communicate face

to face. There becomes a point when users forget there is another human on the receiving end of

the online content.

Being civilized in the uncivilized world of technology means using this tool in a way that

will have a positive impact. This positive impact is discussed in the following text as it relates to

improving education in response to our evolving information economy. As part of our humanity

and therefore our civilization, language has its largest platform ever to shape who we are and

allow for our humanity to evolve. Language has adapted to electronic communication in form of

video chats to the simple emoji.

Computers and the internet have transformed the way the world communicates.

Specifically the education sector leaped from chalkboards to Smart boards and copy machines to

online Learning Management Systems. These digital tools are now a must have. What these tools

are, why they are needed and how they have been implemented is outlined here.
 The growing market in venture capitalist investment in education technology increased

from $0.64 billion in 2011 to $3.1 billion in 2015(Dotsenko). This growth represents the change

in demand and evolving needs of our educational institutions. Higher education has taken note

of the importance of technology to transform the learning environment. This shift includes using

technologies to enhance learning, prepare students to use technologies in the workplace as well

as introduce courses that reflect the need for employees in this field. With the United States

economy employing 7.3 million workers in the technology sector, higher education is tasked

with producing graduates skilled for this roles (U.S. Bureau of Labor).

The technology sector is appealing to employees and students alike with jobs in the

computer and information technology field are projected to grow 12 percent over the next ten

years (Swartz). This growth is higher than any other field. This growth confirms the need for all

students to have computer exposure as well as the response of schools to build their programs

surround computer engineering, programming and even cyber security. A survey of hiring

manager revealed only 11% of employers believe higher education is very effective" in

readying graduates to meet skills needed in their organizations (Swartz). This proves the

existence of a gap in technology education. As universities take note of what is needed for

today's world and its jobs they are working to catch up to be part of the information economy.

Students and employees no longer rely on an internally stored base of fact level knowledge as all

of that information is accessible within seconds on the internet. What they need now is to learn

how to use and transform information. Those critical thinking skills and specific technical skills

are now what is sought after and is being molded with the help of technology.

Technology enhanced learning can be defined as application of information and

communication technologies to teaching and learning (Flavin). This application can take form
in the most mundane level, text messages can be used to alert students about class time changes

up to the complex library database compilations. Introducing new digital technologies in the

classroom and incorporating tech specific courses are institutional changes that must come from

the administration of higher education institution. The cost and labor of implementing new

technologies is high, preventing and slowing their adoption across campuses nationally. The

need for administration to promote this campus wide change is also stunted by the obstacles of

sourcing funding and requirement for approval by many stakeholders. This extended adoption

time on any technology or course as the effects and cost of technology enhanced learning are

hard to identify and quantify and rely on a high cost of staff time. The infrastructure to support

massive movement of data online can be expensive and the demand for it only grows as the

proliferation of devices across campus continues. Universities need to discover what

technologies are capable of, how end users are incorporating the technology and react by

adapting the technologies with their mission and measure the enrichment offered. (Flavin)

Technology used in education allows for reaching students for distance learning,

accommodating special learning needs and styles. From spiral notebooks to tablets, 92 percent

of teachers said that the Internet has a major impact on their ability to access content, resources

and materials (Tahnk). By improving the way they interact with students, instructors have

reported that digital technology in the classroom has increased students academic

performance (Tahnk). The internet allows student to go beyond what textbooks can provide in

and outside the classroom.

The traditional source of information has been books, either required for a course or used

for research in the library. The digital age has opened up the access to that information and

much more by introducing online digital databases, e-textbooks and file sharing as resources for
students use. This technology supports students as it is available anywhere and at any time at

often no cost or less than purchasing a physical copy. The latest in e-textbooks are the custom

course packs that allow professors to select specific material rather than work from pre written

textbooks. Companies like SharedBook, XanEdu and AcademicPub make this possible. This

tool allows for no waste spent on unused content and is an ecofriendly alternative to traditional

textbooks. Research by AcademicPub showed that only 25 percent of students requested the

printed copy (Burnsed). These electronic textbooks are able to enhance learning further with

additional online content and activities. Research has showed 82% of surveyed undergraduate

respondents used Wikipedia to support academic work (Flavin). This points out that technology

enhanced learning can have negative effects if not used properly. Having access to information

posted by anyone and not just peer reviewed or campus approved textbooks may create an ease

of use versus quality, which higher education institutions can teach students about.

Course content can not only can be accessed via online databases, but via learning

management systems like Blackboard and Canvas. These specialized softwares allow educators

to be in constant contact with students and are able to provide multimedia content accessible

anywhere. This data sharing promotes the interoperability of courses when shared among

students and professors for a specific course. These cloud based system support group

collaboration through forums that help them to work on problems, team projects, and discuss

issues. The system also allow for students to prepare online before a more in depth classroom

discussion or group work. Surveyed students said that use of these programs was more logistical

rather than participatory (Flavin). This may point to a need for hybrid courses or adding video

conferencing for a more interactive feel. Many offer mobile apps allowing for study or to check

on assignments anywhere, on any device. In 2014 mobile web data use accounted for 30 times
more than used for internet on traditional computers. This represents the need for these flexible

systems for modern learners (Kirkwood).

Today's classrooms are also equipped with digital projectors and electronic overhead

projectors to allow for improved communication. Graphic learning and PowerPoints are just a

couple of additional tools that allow for condensed material that are easily shared and

understood. Multimedia content supports varied learning styles and is now possible to access

through learning management systems. There is wide access to personal computers and laptops

by students, but for low income students universities reliance on learning management systems

can be a barrier to their success if they cannot afford a device to utilize it.

Purely online classes are now gaining popularity as digital tools making that possible are

now being perfected. The benefits of online classes can be reduced class sizes, reduced student

commute time and wider availability that is not limited to physical location. The success of

online courses can be attributed to the larger market it can reach and teleconferencing tools.

Some universities are using online courses as a way to give back to the community. Over 1,000

lectures posted by Berkley on YouTube have been viewed nearly 5 million times. Over 450

universities worldwide have established a channel via YouTube EDU to offer free content. The

schools are now sharing over 64,000 hours of content (Burnsed).

These tools are being adopted as 75 percent of educators think that technology has a

positive impact in the education process (Cox). Digital learning starts with teachers, whose

performance is enhanced by technology. They are the grassroots for change in higher education

as they advocate for and are tasked with introducing these tools to students directly.

As technology continues to be adopted in higher education and courses are added to

support our modern economy, the research above supports a positive impact on the success of
students and graduates under technology enhanced learning. Introducing digital technologies in

the classroom allows higher education to be a leader in creating a more livable world by

enhancing the experiences of their students. Those graduates then share their experiences to

support a more civilized world from their knowledge and how they are able to use language to

share and use that knowledge.