Top 10 Campus Technology Stories of 2019

From virtual reality to learning space design, here are the trends and ideas that garnered the most attention over the last year.

• By Rhea Kelly
• 02/14/20

What better way to start 2020 than by reflecting on the topics that got us through the past year? Judging by the most-read CT articles of 2019, ed tech trends, immersive technologies and instructional design have factored heavily into our collective mindset. Here are the top 10 stories worth rereading to kick off the new year.  

1) 8 Ed Tech Trends to Watch in 2019
We asked four university IT leaders to weigh in on the top issues in ed tech. Among their picks for 2019: learning analytics, accessibility and STEM education. For this year's take, see "6 Ed Tech Trends to Watch in 2020."

2) 9 Amazing Uses for VR and AR in College Classrooms
Immersive tech can help students understand concepts more easily, prepare them for careers through simulated experiences and keep them engaged in learning. Here, we rounded up some of the most interesting projects taking place in American classrooms.

3) Best Sources for Free Digital Textbooks and More
There are more than a billion Creative Commons-licensed works in the world available for use in teaching and learning. This list gathered the best places to start your search for open educational resources.

4) 3 Keys to Engaging Faculty in Instructional Design
Most instructional designers will tell you their work begins with getting a foot in the door with faculty and building rapport from there. Here we examined three ways to make that relationship a success.

5) Why Build a Boot Camp?
Ever-increasing numbers of universities and colleges are teaming up with boot camps to deliver tech training. Find out if your campus needs one too.

6) How MOOCs Make Money.
Dhawal Shah, founder of Class Central, provided perspective on the revenue side of massive open online courses.

7) Gartner: Top 10 Strategic Technologies Impacting Higher Ed in 2019
According to IT research firm Gartner, artificial intelligence conversational interfaces, predictive analytics and digital credentialing are among the top technologies that higher ed CIOs should be watching.

8) 5 Quick Tips for Improving Your Instructional Design
Moving a course from brick-and-mortar to online requires rethinking how you deliver content, replicate in-class interactions and pinpoint areas for improvement. Here are five areas to pay attention to as classes are shifted to an online mode.

9) Study Finds No Difference in VR Learning Outcomes Compared to Other Modes
A research project at Cornell analyzed the learning gains of virtual reality vs. hands-on and computer-based activities. The bottom line: Students learned equally well in all three modes.

10) 4 Essentials for Learning Space Redesign
There's a lot more to creating active learning spaces than bringing in new furniture and moving seats around. Here's how four universities have analyzed their classroom needs, tested new ideas, redesigned spaces and assessed the results.