What do you see as the key challenge(s) related to teaching, learning, or creative expression that colleges and universities will face during the next 5 years?
- Information Literacy – Do students have the cognitive basis to know good information when they find it? Info Literacy has three components: technical, cognitive, and ethical – the last one, ethical, is especially challenging in a remix culture where attribution is less valued than in the past. Information literacy is much more than using a Browser. It encompases things others call multimedia literacy, visual literacy, etc. Although information literacy has been a topic in the library community it hasn't caught on in other segments yet. (Diana Oblinger) How will librarians practically keep up with the digital? (Bryan Alexander)
- Digital Divide – while not a new trend, still very important socially. Its not just a question of whether you hav a computer, but also access to current software, broadband, technical support, etc. (Diana Oblinger)
- Support – All of us are becoming less expert. Are we growing that cadre of people that we will need to support the great ideas coming our way? We can't expect to transform education if faculty need to learn instructional design, software applications, etc. And, can these support personnel take the kind of leadership that is necessary to help pull us out of our established ways?(Diana Oblinger)
- Science and Technology Leadership – we are not graduating or attracting the numbers of people we need in the sciences, and are falling further behind all the time. We need a "Sputnik" episode to wake us up. (Diana Oblinger)
- IP issues - we're returning to the medieval theme of cloisters, by walling off campus digital environments. At the same time, global projects and functions increase in ease of use, scope, and importance (Web 2.0, GoogleEarth, etc. etc.) How to respond to this enormous division? (Bryan Alexander)
- Student/Teacher Gaps In Tech Use it may grow wider and create more discomfort and dis-satisfaction (Alan Levine)
- Technology Churn Can we live with technologies that recycle, grow, change on a monthly, daily basis, rather than yearly basis? Can we accept not being masters of technology? (Alan Levine)
- Balancing Technology and Teaching Not just using technology, but using it in effective ways that enhance the classroom experience without derailing or overwhelming it. (Rachel Smith)
- Assessment Although we may get excited about the opportunities technology presents, does it really make a difference in learning, student retention, etc.? (Diana Oblinger)
- Scalability We have seen lots of innovations in higher education, but many of them are still one-of-a-kind efforts. What can we do to scale our innovations? How do we implement what we already know? (Diana Oblinger)