Barnes & Noble Education, which recently announced it was spinning off into a separate company from Barnes & Noble booksellers, has expanded dealings with VitalSource, which distributes digital textbooks.
A university in Australia with multiple campuses has upgraded its approach to audio and video management. Central Queensland University, with 25 campuses, has installed media systems from Harman Professional Solutions, to facilitate high-definition streaming into classrooms from lecturers who may be situated anywhere in the university system.
Ryerson University is working with an augmented reality company to develop a series of labs for science courses. The project is based on InfernoAR from NexTech AR Solutions.
VMware has introduced updates to its flagship virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) platform with the introduction of Horizon 8, as well as new additions to its VMware Workspace ONE, its digital workspace platform.
Research and advisory company Gartner recently released its latest "Hype Cycle" analyzing emerging technologies that "show promise in delivering a high degree of competitive advantage over the next five to 10 years." Notably, social distancing technologies have fast-tracked to the top of the cycle — the "peak of inflated expectations." They are also anticipated to reach the "plateau of productivity" in less than two years.
As colleges, universities and K-12 schools navigate hybrid and remote work and learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic, administrative challenges abound, according to research from SAP Concur.
Echo360 is giving instructors a new way to assess student learning in their courses. The company's video platform now features embedded polling and quizzing, allowing faculty to create interactive polling content, add it to their videos or class presentations, and measure student comprehension in both in-person and online environments.
Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia has introduced a new esports program featuring a brand-new esports lab, academic programming for students interested in gaming industry careers, and the establishment of esports as a club sport within the athletics department.
Analytics company SAS has introduced a free browser extension that converts graphs and charts into sound, allowing users to create digital maps that can be explored using non-visual methods.
The University System of Maryland has partnered with Labster to provide its virtual laboratory simulations across all USM institutions.
