Honorable Mentions

Judging the Campus Technology Innovators awards provides a broad view of technology's impact on higher education around the world.

2015 Campus Technology Innovators Awards

This is the 11th year of the Campus Technology Innovators awards, our annual recognition of technology innovation in higher education. Each year, the task is monumental: With a small but devoted team, we comb through hundreds of nominations, looking for standout projects making a difference for teaching, learning and administration on campus.

One of the best parts of the judging process has always been the broad view it provides of all the interesting ways technology is impacting higher ed around the world. I frequently make mental notes about projects that I'd like to learn more about, Innovators award or no. And while we don't have a formal category for honorable mentions, it seems remiss not to highlight a few here:

  • With "UW Profiles Portal and Dashboards," the University of Washington developed an intuitive, user-friendly portal that provides a single point of access to data and visualizations for faculty and staff.
  • The "Neurological Exam Rehearsal Virtual Environment" at the University of Central Florida gives medical students a way to study complex cranial nerve issues in a sophisticated simulation.
  • At Curtin University in Australia, "Campus Quest" uses gamification to give prospective students — particularly underrepresented groups such as low-socioeconomic, regional, remote and Indigenous people — a virtual taste of university life.
  • NYU's Stern School of Business created "NYU SternPlay," an app that promotes wellness, builds community and alleviates elevator congestion by incentivizing students, faculty and staff to take the stairs.
  • Purdue University's (IN) "Convoy" and "Pattern" apps aggregate disparate academic materials into one interface and let learners self-track their academic pursuits.
  • Ryerson University's (Canada) "Mobile Learning Project" transformed the entire School of Journalism technology infrastructure, from studio systems to IT labs, into a mobile-friendly environment.
  • In a project called "The China Institute: 3D Models for an Innovative Next Generation," Minnesota State University, Mankato is building 3D models of rare Chinese artifacts and experimenting with fully immersive museum spaces.
  • Another University of Central Florida effort, "TLE TeachLivE," provides preservice and in-service teachers the opportunity to learn new skills and to craft their practice in a mixed-reality teaching environment

    • Congratulations to our 2015 Campus Technology Innovators! Many of this year's awardees will be presenting in a poster session on Wednesday, July 29 at Campus Technology 2015 in Boston.

    About the Author

    Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

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