Educause 2013: It’s All About Engagement

Educause 2013 brought together the country’s greatest minds in higher education to discuss the future of learning. We’ve come away from this year’s conference with a lot to think about – the role of mobile devices in the classroom, new technology implementations and turning the traditional classroom upside down. But throughout all of these different discussions, the common thread throughout the conference was engagement.

At the Cisco booth, we featured solutions that can help engage students through the use of video.  Cisco partner Vyopta demonstrated how Cisco® Lecture Vision and Vyopta vPublish, work together to manage the entire lecture-capture process, from recording content to managing media assets to streaming on demand. Read how San Jose State University is using this tool to deliver 51 next-generation learning spaces across campus.

Another exciting video solution was demonstrated by Cisco partner Avizia. Their Educator technology allows a TelePresence or video conferencing room to be controlled entirely by an iPad.  As mobile devices become more and more prevalent, it makes sense to integrate them into other systems. If you missed the demo at Educause, you can view a video below.

http://youtu.be/ucyKPYO1O84

Mobile Device Integration

Mobile devices have already taken their place in the education landscape, making new educational options like MOOCs widely available, enabling students to learn at their own pace anytime, anywhere. While mobile devices were once frowned upon in the classroom, now we are embracing this tool as the modern link to knowledge.  Additionally, mobile devices offer the potential to engage students in ways not previously possible, both in providing on-demand content and opening doors to new ways to learn.

We had a great time at Educause 2013, and hope you were able to stop by our booth to meet our team and learn about new solutions!  I’m looking forward to next year’s conference, and in the meantime, I recommend checking out our Mobile Learning Survival Guide for resources and best practices as you develop your mobile learning strategy.