5 Reasons Why for HED
Contributed by Sandra DeCastro, Vice President of Community Programs
Top Five Reasons for Higher Ed Leaders to Attend Learning Impact
I like to think that every one of our Learning Impact conferences is remarkable. It's always the place where leaders—among our members and in the edtech sector overall—can focus and collaborate on solving the top-of-mind issues facing higher education. It's where we hear from experts about where we're heading and what we need to plan for in the 1-5 years to keep the learning going. And it's where we get inspired by our peers and colleagues for their work advancing teaching and learning technology.
This year is no exception, especially since it will be our first as the 1EdTech Consortium.
If you haven't yet, be sure to check out our comprehensive program for higher ed at the 2022 Learning Impact Conference, June 13-16, in Nashville. Here are some highlights and things to look out for when you're there!
#1: Digital tools to recruit, retain, and reengage students
Institutions face many of the same challenges like attracting students and families who may question the value of what we offer and keeping them engaged and successful once they arrive. Adjusting to new technologies and bringing students back from the pandemic adds to those challenges, but they also offer opportunities for innovation. The 1EdTech community is already implementing these innovations to improve the student experience and is ready to share them with you.
Attendees will learn about:
- Student expectations for technology in a post-pandemic world as they transition from K-12 into college
- Effective applications of artificial intelligence in the classroom to support student success initiatives
- How digital tools allow for more personalized pathways and equitable experiences for learners and educators
- Tools designed to track and measure academic engagement without increasing the burden on faculty
#2: Strategies to turn data into actionable insights and improve student success
While interoperable edtech can enhance learning experiences, it can also lighten the lift for researchers and administrators who need data to make recommendations for improving student engagement, retention, and success or simply to report out to various funding and regulatory organizations.
The 2022 Learning Impact will kick off with a half-day workshop for higher education academic and technology leaders to share institutional use cases for collecting and processing learner data, leverage these open processes to drive student success, and collaborate with your colleagues to identify and work on breaking through barriers institutions face when implementing analytics initiatives to drive student success.
#3: Aligning learning outcomes and employer needs
One of the top reasons college students say they want to attend college is to learn the skills and competencies for a successful career.
We'll take a closer look at a study examining how institutions align and measure learning outcomes with workforce trends and the implications of the findings. Get examples of how other institutions match learned skills with employer needs and implement upskilling programs to help make the cultural changes you want to see in your institution.
#4: Creating meaningful digital credentials to help learners sell their skills
One trend we see is that the traditional transcript no longer communicates everything a learner can do. Digital credentials are quickly becoming an effective solution to that challenge and can help students and professional learners sell their skills to find future success.
1EdTech is already involved in the work. Our members are ready to share lessons learned, whether you're looking to capture skills gained in and outside of classrooms, help your learners sell their skills, increase the value of your existing digital credentials, want to bring your program to scale, recognize your employees, or are just trying to figure out where to start.
#5: Ways to stay ahead of the edtech curve
If there is one thing we know about technology, it's constantly changing, and we need to keep up with it through innovation. While we celebrate what we've accomplished over the past few years, we also want to be sure we continue to look ahead.
Plus, hear from thought leaders like University Innovation Alliance CEO Bridget Burns, who will share her insights on innovative practices to expand access, address costs, and promote completion for students of all backgrounds.
I hope to see all of you in June Learning Impact! You can find the full conference schedule and registration information here.
