Focus on the student and be successful

From the interactive Top Ten IT Issues: 2000-2014, I saw a gradual transformation of the needs of IT in each year. In 2000, the needs were directed mostly at funding, infrastructure and IT staffing needs. As the years progressed, more focus was on the training and student outcomes. In the article, Top 10 IT Issues, 2014, “Improving student outcomes through and institutional approach that strategically leverages technology” shows the importance of student perception of online program usability is in today’s academic programs.  This importance is not limited to only a student’s ability to take exams and to access learning, but also embraces the need for college IT departments to understand and implement social networks and virtual space as a part of the learning program.  In addition, cloud based technology has become significant and appears to continue to grow more and more as time continues.   One thing that saw the top ten list year after year was the need for IT funding.  I see the point of this making the list but also seems like a moot point since the funding is required each year and as studies have shown, online learning has come into the academic world with a vengeance and offers hope for more learning and more revenue for the colleges and universities.

As an Online learning director, I would establish two budget priorities for 2015. The first is the understanding, implementation and use of social networking and multimedia into the online program.  Although most of these sites are not costly, the understanding of their proper use in the program requires training.  That would lead me to my second priority of IT and faculty training.  By training both areas in the importance of social media in the academic programs, student retention will remain higher and new students will be more likely to attend the college or university.  There is a great deal of competition in the academic world and student demand interactive and social learning.