Education IT News For VARs — July 7, 2014
By Amy Taylor, contributing writer
Student data continues to make headlines: privacy remains a top concern despite technological advances. Biometrics could replace plastic ID cards on college campuses, and Louisiana moves forward with a student data bill that collects information on all public school students.
Biometrics On College Campus Potentially Improves Safety
EdTech Magazine explores the biometric authentication that colleges are implementing to leap past PINs and passwords. The new technology forgoes swiping an ID card, as students look into an iris scanner for less than two seconds to confirm their identity. Implementing five such iris scanners costs about $35,000, and integrate with campus identification and security solutions.
Louisiana Moves Forward With Student Data Bill
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the state’s education department will proceed with establishing unique numbers to identify each of Louisiana’s 713,000-plus public school students as a new legislative bill demands. Local school systems will maintain student names, addresses and the state’s computers will interface with them to ensure consistency and order throughout the school system.
Privacy Concerns Swirl Over Cloud Computing With Student Data
Fox Business reports on privacy issues surrounding student data, examining private online data companies hired by public school districts to manage volumes of sensitive student data. Less than 25 percent of the cloud computing contracts studied by Fordham specified the purposes for sharing student information and less than 7 percent restricted the sale or marketing of shared information by vendors.
The Time Is Now For Education To Adapt To Technological Advances
Educase reports on speeding through the two curves facing higher education and IT including the finance of higher education and the increasing digitization of education and research. The cost pressures and the increasing digitization of research and education are necessitating a greater shift from campus strategies of independence to dependence and interdependence. Digital favors scale and its effects are accelerating in higher education.
Education IT Talking Points
CIO reports on “10 Predictions for What the CIO Role Will Look Like in 2020” and expects an increase role in everything from business planning and cybersecurity to robot management and the cloud.
Revere Massachusetts Newspaper reports on “Looking for an Edge: Schools Look to Technology for Early Childhood Learning.”
New Statesman says technology can transform education, empowering students and teachers, raising standards, and improving outcomes in students. The article says the biggest impact of technology in education is the power to break open the doors of learning, making education more inclusive and enabling marginalized learners to embrace education.
Forbes reported on the overall performance of education technology and the three ways that technology can still transform education: personalization, access, and making EdTech profitable. Business and technology offer the best chance for implementing innovations on a wide scale, but the article questions the best method.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Education IT Resource Center