21st-Century Campus Defined by Access to Technology and the Community, According to CDW-G Study

VERNON HILLS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a leading source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to educators and governments, today announced the results of its annual 21st-Century Campus Report, which examines the current and future role of technology in higher education. CDW-G surveyed more than 1,000 students, faculty and IT staff members to understand how technology is shaping American campuses and the educational experience.

The 2009 21st-Century Campus Report: Defining the Vision reveals a common view of the 21st-century campus among students, faculty and IT staff. Each group noted that the 21st-century campus is defined by access to information, resources and the community without being hindered by wires or restricted by campus boundaries. Despite their common vision of the 21st-century campus, CDW-G’s survey also identified a substantial gap between student and faculty perceptions of technology integration into the educational experience. Approximately 70 percent of faculty said they are satisfied with their technology professional development and use technology in almost every class, yet less than 40 percent of students said their professors fully understand technology and fully integrate it into their classes.

Other key findings of the CDW-G 21st-Century Campus Report include:

• Students see increasing educational value in campus technology; 81 percent of students report using technology every day to prepare for class, up from 63 percent in 2008
• Faculty’s technology use does not meet students’ expectations. Students rate faculty lack of technology knowledge as the biggest obstacle to classroom technology integration. The report also identified a gap in faculty use of social media tools for personal use versus professional use
• Institutions are lagging in workforce preparation. Less than one-third of students and only 22 percent of faculty strongly agree that higher education institutions are preparing students to successfully use technology in their chosen profession

“Ten years into the 21st-century, we still lacked consensus on the features that define the modern college campus. To answer this question, we asked the educational community to identify the elements and strategies necessary to prepare graduates for success now and as they move into the modern workplace,” said Julie Smith, vice president, higher education, CDW-G. “Across the board, students, faculty and staff view technology as a means to bring the campus community together and further educational goals. They all acknowledge that we haven’t achieved the vision, but their insights have set a clear path forward.”

The 21st-Century Campus: It’s About Access to Technology

Campus technology access is growing in importance to students, CDW-G found. Students said their institutions should offer technologies such as course management systems (53% in 2009 vs. 31% in 2008), computer labs (66% vs. 55%) and wireless networks (76% vs. 50%).

One student respondent noted that the 21st-century campus has technology that “aids students in learning, growing and connecting with each other.”

Seventy-four percent of faculty said they incorporate technology into every class or nearly every class, but students had a different view: Only 38 percent of students said their professors understand technology and fully integrate it into their classes. The student-faculty divide may be rooted in faculty perceptions of the “smart classroom” and a technology-enabled learning environment. Both faculty and IT staff agreed on the top three technologies in a smart classroom – wireless Internet access, Internet connection and an LCD projector – but IT staff placed far greater emphasis than faculty on additional technology elements, including interactive white boards, distance learning capabilities and video or audio recording of lectures.

The 21st-Century Campus: It’s About Access to the Community

Said one IT staffer, the 21st-century campus is about “interconnectivity between students, faculty and staff, using all forms of communication, including voice, e-mail, text messages and Web pages.” CDW-G found that students increasingly are incorporating new connectivity tools into their educational experiences. Fifty-two percent of students reported that they use social networking tools for educational purposes, up from 14 percent in 2008. Yet when it comes to communicating with faculty outside of class, only 5 percent of students connect with faculty on Facebook and only 4 percent use instant messaging.

Faculty lag behind students’ social media usage: 36 percent of faculty report using social networking sites for personal use, but only 14 percent leverage the outlets for teaching purposes. This “social media gap” is an opportunity for faculty to discover the personal/professional cross-over that students are already utilizing to connect and collaborate.

The 21st-Century Campus: It’s About Making the Vision a Reality

“The 21st-century campus combines traditional learning techniques and strategies with the latest approaches and technologies,” said a faculty respondent. While students, faculty and IT staff view the 21st-century campus as a yet unrealized vision, they agree that the concept is within reach. Faced with an increasingly competitive workplace, students are thinking ahead to graduation day and want institutions to ensure that they leave college with the technology skills to succeed in the workforce. Faculty want more interactive technology in their classes, including video conferencing and interactive white boards, as well as fewer restrictions on network access, in order to foster better communication with students. IT staffers envision a future with better computing options for students and seamless enterprise services, including e-mail, online learning and data backup.

To make the vision a reality, the 21st-Century Campus Report recommends that institutions:

• Seek input: Campus administrators should reach out to current students and recent alumni to understand how they use technology; IT managers need to rapidly implement these platforms and techniques to stay ahead of the technology curve
• Make technology ubiquitous: Students’ transition from the scholastic environment to the working world needs to be seamless. IT and faculty should employ the same technology and tools in the classroom as students use at home or will use in the workplace
• Work with faculty: IT should work with faculty to offer targeted technology professional development, with a focus on improving faculty skill sets and achieving teaching goals

For more information on the 21st-Century Campus Report and to download the complete study, please visit www.cdwg.com/21stcenturycampus.

About CDW-G

A wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation, ranked No. 34 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies, CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G) is a leading provider of technology solutions for federal, state and local government agencies, as well as educational institutions at all levels. The company features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right technology products and services to meet their needs. The company’s technology specialists and engineers offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its advanced technology engineers can assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus include notebooks, desktops, printers, servers and storage, unified communications, security, wireless, power and cooling, networking, software licensing and mobility solutions.

For more information about CDW-G product offerings, procurement options, service and solutions, call 1.800.808.4239, email cdwgsales@cdwg.com or visit the CDW-G Web site at CDWG.com.