Smart Classrooms

U California Hosts Tech Summit

• By Leila Meyer
• 10/23/14

The University of California (UC) will host a summit about technology in higher education on Friday, October 24 in San Francisco.  

The UC eNGAGE summit is intended to explore the role of technology in the student experience at the University of California and in higher education institutions globally. In recent years, technology has had an increasing effect on virtually all aspects of campus life, and organizers of the UC eNGAGE summit said they hope the event "will serve as the kickoff to an ongoing, university-wide discussion about where technology fits into the UC educational experience," according to a news release from the university.

Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California, will give welcoming remarks at the summit, and Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA and author of "iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind," will give the keynote address. The one-day summit will feature talks and panel discussions, as well as a showcase of innovative implementations of technology at UC campuses. Numerous technology companies will also be on hand to show off their products at the vendor pavilion.

Presentation and panel discussion topics will include:

• The effect of technology on learning and the brain;
• How data can be harnessed to improve graduation rates;
• Tools to support first-generation college students;
• How data analytics helps Arizona State University meet enrollment, graduation, academic and diversity goals;
• The effectiveness of digital game-based learning and how UC San Diego Library used a mobile app to transform student orientations, typically held in person, into a mobile gaming event;
• Coaching tools that can increase student success;
• How social media is transforming the way universities connect with students about everything from campus emergencies to academic grades; and
• How mobile devices and apps can drive engagement and create a dynamic learning experience online or in class.

Summit attendees will include more than 300 chancellors, faculty and staff from the UC system, as well as other higher education experts and technology companies.