Today is the HigherEdTECH Summit at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Jose, our CEO, is lucky enough to be in Sin City, participating in a discussion entitled High Tech U, all about how digital tools and services are infiltrating—and improving—modern college life.
Jose is focusing on the potential for Knewton’s adaptive learning engine to revolutionize college-level courses; his talk comes on the heels of our landmark partnership with Arizona State University. Other members of the panel include representatives from technology hardware companies, educational institutions, and security software companies.
There are a variety of other presentations going on at the summit; we’re looking forward to hearing all about them from Jose when he returns! For now, here’s a short round-up of some of the topics to be discussed, and by whom:
Technology Subversives: Millennials at the College Gate
As we all know, education has lagged behind many other industries in its adoption of technology. Instead of settling for the low-tech life, though, today’s college students have taken matters into their own hands. This talk, moderated by Kenneth C. Green, Founding Director of the Campus Computing Project, and given by Dan Coates, President of Youth Pulse, along with local college students, will provide a glimpse into the way college students really use technology in today’s changing landscape.
High Tech Backpack
How have the contents of a college student’s backpack changed since the advent of the technological age? Our prediction: where there once were slide rules, compasses, and abaci, there are now laptops, iPads, and smartphones. The presenters—who include representatives from Kno, Inc., Google Apps for Education, Livescribe, Inc., and Acer Group—will go into quite a bit more detail than that.
Getting to Graduation: Is Technology the Ticket?
As the U.S. slips in postsecondary graduation rates, people are increasingly turning to technology as the pivotal factor in improving college completion numbers. Is technology the way to go—and if so, what will change look like? Josh Fishman, Senior Editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education moderates a panel discussion with representatives from ASU, Foothill-DeAnza Community College District, McGraw-Hill Education, and the Gates Foundation.
From Dewey to Digital
Just because we’ve moved on from cataloguing books doesn’t mean we’re not still learning. Online content, new learning platforms, and innovative assessment methods are disrupting the traditional stalwarts of education—books, in-person classrooms, the dreaded red-pen. Representatives from the Campus Computing Project, CourseSmart, Cengage Learning, and Marvell will discuss how these innovations are bringing learning to the next level.
Keynote: Technology in the Future Tense: Hype, Trends and Predictions
The keynote speech of HigherEdTECH summit is being delivered by Walt Mossberg, a prominent technology reporter at the Wall Street Journal. Mossberg currently writes the newspaper’s Personal Technology column, and is regarded as one of the most influential IT writers out there. In his speech, Mossberg plans to offer his expert insight into the future of digital technology.
Check back soon for a more detailed recap of the conference!
Meghan is on the marketing team at Knewton. She received her BA in English from Stanford University and her MFA in Creative Writing from Hunter College.
