higher education
Technology Trends in Higher Education
October 14, 2011 | 
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Technology has had a great deal of influence over education. Over 1.6 million college students (specifically community college students) enrolled in at least one online course during the fall of 2002 and over one-third of these same students took all of their courses online. With these numbers in place and the continued growth of student population, technology in education has become the solution for many higher education institutions.
With such an explosion of growth and need, the use of technology has not always been positive. Problems have plagued the use of technology in higher education classes throughout the country. Many people within the system see five major trends that will affect the future of technology/distance learning. The following is a list these current trends in higher education:
o Growing population of students enrolling combined with inadequate infrastructure (faculty, administration, buildings, etc.)
o Changing student needs (lack of time and need for flexibility are foremost)
o Instruction altered to more student centered, non-linear, and self-directed (needed in order to meet the diverse academic needs of students)
o Necessity of lifelong learning classes
o knowledge and competency of students in the use of the Internet
All of these trends can be traced back to distance learning. Higher education institutions need to take action now, in order to enhance their distance education programs.
There are ways in which schools can meet the current trends through distance education. One way is to provide more help through Student Services. By encouraging the use to of help desks at schools, students will have their needs assessed and met. Some campuses have found the creation of a centralized website for the school to be beneficial.
The website has given future and current students access to information quickly. The majority of the states have become a part of statewide coordinating board or consortium of distance education learning programs. These boards/consortiums have provided support, financial sources, evaluation procedures, and the establishment of clear missions for distance learning education courses throughout the states. All of these efforts work toward the goal of implementing valid distance learning programs.
The key to the future of education is online distance learning, but only if continued research and the development of quality programs persist. By examining current trends, campuses will be better equipped to meet the needs of today’s student.
Posted in higher education | 
Tags: Administration Buildings, Coordinating Board, Schools Students | 
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Distance Learning – Higher Education – Advantages and Limitations
Without a doubt, distance learning for higher education has opened up an opportunity for people who, in the past, were unable to realise their educational dreams. Their difficulty was not just about money. Some people just did not live close enough to reputable learning institutions to attend classes there. Even if they did live close enough, their busy schedules (which often included taking care of their families and working full time jobs) made it impossible for them to attend classes during regular school hours.
Now, thanks to distance learning, students can pursue a higher education no matter where they live. And they can set their own hours so that, no matter how busy their schedules are, they can make time to study when it is convenient for them.
The Advantages
The Internet has made it easier than ever. And, more and more, reputable learning institutions are embracing the concept.
The biggest advantage of learning by long distance is the convenience. You do not have to make time in your busy schedule to travel to a campus so you can take a required class at a certain time. Wherever your computer is, that will be your classroom.
Another big advantage is that, with distance learning, there is almost no limit to what you can study. Do you dream of being a teacher? Do you want to become a registered nurse? Do you want a business degree? You can do all of those and more online.
From home, you can earn an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. You could even go for your Master’s Degree. In fact, many people who have had to abandon their pursuit of a degree for one reason or another have been able to go back to school online and finally complete their studies, earning the degrees they had already worked so hard for.
The Limitations – Is Distance Learning Right for You?
Studying for a degree by long distance will take a bit of discipline and organization. You will not have teachers or professors there to remind you to do assignments. And you will be responsible for knowing when certain work needs to be done, knowing where certain paperwork needs to go and when it needs to be there.
However, if you have the motivation, and the desire to succeed, you can make it work.
Distance learning and higher education go hand and hand. Location and lack of time do not have to be obstacles anymore. With all of the options out there, there is nothing to stop you from pursuing your dreams of earning a degree.
Software Development Technology – Higher Education
The need for educated individuals to work on developing computer software for a variety of reasons is growing as technology grows. In order to fully be capable of working in this industry students must earn a higher education in software development technology. Technology and computer based schools offer degree programs for interested students. There are a number of things one should know prior to enrolling.
1) The opportunities in higher education are specifically designed to generate well-rounded students that can contribute to computer software development. Computer software is related to everything from multimedia interfaces and design procedures to operating systems. Higher education offers students the chance to enter a degree program in software development technology or applications development. Students should expect to find that most programs of this nature are undergraduate degrees. Graduate degrees typically focus on the engineering side of software development leaving students with multiple degree options in software engineering. The undergraduate degrees are a great way to enter the industry prepared for entry-level careers.
2) An associate’s degree challenges students to develop necessary skills in logical and algorithmic analysis. Study dives into design techniques, programming systems, and working with relational databases. Curriculum is concentrated on looking at all services and applications students need to know for development practices. The main overall goal of a program at this level is to have students gain practical programming techniques with the use of superior problem-solving skills. Graduating from a program usually requires around 96 credit hours, which include courses on programming, web design, software development lifecycle, and web scripting. Students learn how to work with personal and business computers. On a personal level a course examines how to operate systems. Concepts and terminology on all hardware components and the function they serve. This knowledge coupled with software development technology skills prepares students for the work they will conduct in the industry.
3) A software applications development bachelor’s degree program teaches students the skills needed to pursue careers in areas like software design, development, programming, management, and process design. A foundation in programming skills is formed preparing students to work with different computer languages and platforms. Colleges integrate this information with theory and method of software engineering procedures and standards. Many bachelor programs like this one could require students to complete approximately 180 credit hours. Education is broken down into courses that focus on general education as well as core courses. With degree specific courses students learn about application design, programming, web service, software development, database design, and program implementation. To widen knowledge a course on contemporary world culture can be taken to address the impact of electronic communication and globalization. The course centers on how fast technological advances has influenced the world. Students are able to continue education or enter into a career as a software engineer or a software programmer.
Students can step into the fast growing industry of software development by learning how to use the latest technology. Accredited programs are designed to prepare students for the industry in both technique and software-based programs. Full accreditation is provided by agencies like the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training ( http://www.accet.org ) to programs that offer a quality education. The world of software development is available to students through a higher education degree.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.
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Posted in higher education | Tags: Development Students, Programming Techniques, Relational Databases | No Comments »