SALT LAKE CITY, March 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The College Innovation Network (CIN), a grant-funded initiative led by WGU Labs, released insights from its first Administrator EdTech Survey last Friday. The survey sheds light on critical challenges administrators face in integrating technology into higher education.
The CIN Administrator EdTech Survey identified four key takeaway areas for institutions and EdTech vendors to improve the EdTech experience for both administrators and students:
- Less than half of administrators are confident in their ability to choose effective EdTech products for their departments or institutions. 48% of institutions conduct technology audits less than once a year and only 47% of administrators feel confident in choosing effective EdTech products for their institutions.
- Fifty-eight percent of administrators prioritize EdTech that integrates with their Learning Management System (LMS). Beyond integration with existing systems, administrators want products that are backed by evidence, which is noteworthy given less than 10% of EdTech products currently on the market are backed by rigorous evidence of their efficacy.
- Seventy-eight percent agreed that instructors will spend more time delivering course content online in the future, but they are split on whether a tech-centric future will be more personalized (54%) or standardized (52%) for students.
- Survey responses suggest a general uncertainty or ambivalence around AI, with respondents split on their attitudes on AI and most of their institutions not having yet established clear policies on the use of AI tools (67% do not have policies around student use; 75% with no instruction policy).
“Higher education is grappling with multiple critical disruptions, and administrators sit at the center of these shifting demands, responsible for making campus-wide decisions that have an outsized impact on students and faculty,” said Omid Fotuhi, Director of Learning and Innovation at WGU Labs. “While administrators are excited about offering new EdTech tools, they are lacking knowledge and data to help them make informed decisions that benefit students and faculty. This survey underscores the need for more resources to inform decision-making, which will help foster the broader adoption of EdTech.”
With responses from 214 administrators representing diverse colleges and universities across the U.S., the survey delves into decision-making processes, attitudes toward educational technology, and approaches to emerging AI technologies. The overarching goal of the survey is to identify challenges in administrators’ experiences and uncover opportunities to streamline the integration of technology into instruction moving forward.
For a full analysis of the survey findings and strategies to improve administrators’ and students’ experience with EdTech, visit www.wgulabs.org/posts/leading-through-change-cin-administrator-edtech-survey.
About the College Innovation Network
The College Innovation Network (CIN) at WGU Labs is a network of higher education institutions committed to addressing the core challenge of promoting belonging and engagement in the modern higher education environment. We’re leveraging technology to build highly engaged learning communities from enrollment through graduation — and beyond. CIN supports educational institutions by identifying areas of need, implementing effective education technology for students, and demonstrating impact through research.
About the CIN EdTech Survey Series
CIN is in a unique position to learn about the student and faculty experience with EdTech by leveraging the diversity of institutions within the Network. The CIN EdTech Survey Series is an annual survey series administered across the Network with the goal of generating valuable insights to help institutions understand how faculty, administrators, and students experience EdTech. These insights can be applied to improve faculty and student experiences, and ultimately bolster the impact of EdTech across the sector. Queries about CIN can be addressed to cin@wgulabs.org.
About WGU Labs
WGU Labs is the nonprofit EdTech consulting, incubation, research, and design arm of Western Governors University, where our mission is to identify and support scalable solutions that address the biggest challenges in education today. For more information, please visit wgulabs.org.
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