New Technology Integration Scorecard Evaluates Ed Tech Solutions
DXtera Institute, a nonprofit consortium of higher ed institutions, ed tech companies and other postsecondary education professionals, has released a free Next Generation Integration Scorecard (NGIS) aimed at improving technology integration in higher education.
An affiliate of Strada Education Network, DXtera works with its member institutions to "increase compatibility and efficiency across their campus information systems." The NGIS uses insights from those projects to compare higher education technology solutions based on ease of integration, a news announcement explained. Covering 19 "functional areas" common to an array of educational systems (such as student information systems and learning management systems), the scorecard is designed to "provide colleges and universities with practical insights into whether potential technology solutions support the level of functional integration required to work together in a next-generation enterprise ecosystem."
The NGIS was initially created by DXtera in collaboration with Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, a fully online university based in Barcelona, Spain. DXtera plans to evolve the scorecard through the ongoing contributions of its members.
"As colleges and universities undertake the daunting task of selecting and implementing next-generation technologies, we know that a general lack of functional, real-time interoperation is one of the most consistent pain points they experience," said Jeff Merriman, co-founder and chief technology officer for DXtera, in a statement. "This work is about giving institutions a common language for specifying and evaluating the integration capacity of software solutions, which will ultimately lead to a more effective application of technology for student and institutional success."
To access the NGIS, create a free account on the DXtera community portal and navigate to the Resources section. For more information, visit the DXtera site.
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Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].