Most Popular Campus Technology Articles in 2015

We review the top stories on our Web site in the last year.

• By Rhea Kelly
• 01/05/16

Looking back at 2015, a handful of trends stand out in higher education technology: The flipped classroom, active learning, adaptive learning and learning analytics all made headlines and, more important, made an impact on teaching and learning. It's no surprise that those topics were also among the hottest Campus Technology stories for the year — along with a general interest in trendspotting and predictions. Here, in order of popularity, we review the most read articles from our site in 2015.

9 Ed Tech Trends to Watch in 2015
Last January, CT asked five IT leaders to identify the top ed tech trends for the year. In the resulting virtual roundtable, our panelists discussed everything from analytics and personalized learning to badges and gamification. (Look for this year's watchlist in our January/February issue, coming out Jan. 26.)

6 Alternative Social Media Tools for Teaching and Learning
In another January story, educators went outside the Facebook and Twitter box to share other social media tools that can enhance collaboration, content-sharing and community in the classroom.

The 6 Technologies That Will Change the Face of Education
We analyzed the latest NMC Horizon Report in a three-part series that covered technology change, emerging trends and challenges in higher ed. While part two garnered the most attention, parts one and three, The 6 Major Barriers Standing in the Way of Educational Change and 6 Emerging Trends Driving Technology in Education, also made the hot list.

Campus Technology 2015 Readers' Choice Awards
It probably goes without saying that peer recommendations are valued not just in academia, but beyond the ivy-covered walls as well. (Peer-reviewed journals and Yelp reviews come to mind as a couple of big examples.) Our first-ever Readers' Choice Awards polled education professionals on products in 29 categories, from learning management systems to 3D printers.

5 Tech Trends That Will Drive IT Decision-Making for the Next 5 Years
This April story covered some insightful Gartner predictions on how data growth will force IT departments to rethink infrastructure and operations planning.

5 Lecture Capture Hacks for More Engaging Videos
As more instructors flip their classrooms or teach online courses, they are looking for ways to create videos that can hold students' attention. Here, we offered five techniques to take the typical recorded lecture up a notch.

6 Secrets of Active Learning Classroom Design
In July, experts from institutions across the country offered their top tips, tricks and pitfalls for building active learning spaces on campus. Their No. 1 secret: Abandon the cookie cutter, because classroom design is never a one-size-fits-all affair.

How Nanodegrees Are Disrupting Higher Education
Here, we looked at "micro" online certification programs (such as Udacity's Android Developer Nanodegree) that are changing the educational pathways to success — and shaking up traditional higher education.

When Actors Replace Instructors as On-Camera Talent
What happens when a major university hires professional actors to deliver pre-recorded lectures in a professional education program? In this May story, Purdue University shared lessons learned from its unconventional approach.

5 Free (or Low-Cost) Tools for Flipped Learning
Part of our April/May issue's "Complete Guide to the Flipped Classroom," this story offered some practical resources for getting a flipped class off the ground.