What to See at Campus Technology 2016

At this year's Campus Technology Conference in Boston, learn about wearables, gamification, solutions-based IT and the future of technology in higher education.

• By Rhea Kelly
• 06/10/16

We are about two months away from the annual Campus Technology Conference (Aug. 1–4 in Boston), and there's a lot to look forward to at this year's event. My personal list of highlights:

Problem-Solving Through Gamification in Higher Education
Scott Reinke, coordinator for the Ball State Achievements program at Ball State University (which received a 2015 Campus Technology Innovators award), is conducting a hands-on workshop on the elements of game design — a terrific opportunity for anyone interested in gamification as a tool for teaching, guiding and encouraging student success. He will also touch on gamified models outside of the games industry, such as loyalty programs, donation drives, crowdfunding, social media and more.

Assessing Emerging Technology and Futures Capacity for Your Organization
Consultant and futurist Bryan Alexander will reveal the tools of his trade, presenting methods to help identify and assess the current trends most likely to shape the future of higher education. Always an entertaining and enlightening speaker, Alexander is also creator and host of the Future Trends Forum, a weekly video chat with ed tech thinkers that has delved into topics such as credentialing, venture capital in higher ed, open education resources and more. (Don't miss "Redefining Student Success in a Digital Ecosystem" in our June issue, our recap of Alexander's recent forum chat with Virginia Commonwealth University's Gardner Campbell.)

Wearable Technology Innovations
For years, Emory Craig, director of e-learning and instructional technologies at The College of New Rochelle, and ed tech strategist Maya Georgieva have followed the cutting edge of wearable technology in the learning environment. Prepare to be amazed as you learn about the latest improvements in wearables, including more accurate physical and mental tracking, wearable jewelry tech and new ways of communicating with technology.

Future Learning in Higher Education
Get some insight into Google's attitude toward technology and education in the 21st century: Jamie Casap, the company's chief education evangelist, will explain how changes in demographics, technologies and educational models are fundamentally altering the possibilities of higher ed.

Confessions of a Solutions-Based IT Organization
Thomas Hoover, associate vice chancellor and chief information officer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is not one to shy way from challenges. His institution's IT department has been through multiple reorganizations over the last three years, all in an effort to become a solutions-based operation. Hoover will share his team's failures and successes along the way — and the takeaways that every IT shop can learn from.

I would be remiss not to mention the CT2016 keynotes — Georgia Tech's Richard DeMillo, MOOC pioneer Stephen Downes and digital learning expert Amy Collier — sure to set an inspiring tone for the whole event. Plus, in a ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 3, we will recognize this year's recipients of the Campus Technology Innovators awards: 11 higher education technology leaders whose innovative work is making a difference at their institutions. Don't miss it!