signifying a lot: what’s really happening with it in higher education? caubo annual conference...

Signifying A Lot:What’s Really Happening with IT in Higher Education?

CAUBO Annual ConferenceSaskatoon, Saskatchewan

June 14, 2004

Richard N. KatzVice President EDUCAUSE

Tales from ECAR

Source: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research

ECAR Research – since 2002

IT Outsourcing Wireless ERP E Learning Support Faculty Use of Course

Management Systems The Condition of the IT

Community and Its Leadership

IT Security Student Uses of IT Aligning IT with

Institutional Priorities and Resources

IT Funding (Q4 2004) Networking and

Integrated Communications Services (Q1 2005)

E Learning - Barbarians at the Gate

First efforts at e-learning innovation were “thwarted”, but faculty and students are now using learning technologies

The revolution (so far) is about convenience and not about learning

Hybrid courses are in use at 40% of surveyed institutions and the number of offerings is growing by more than 10% per year, usually much more

We are not keeping pace with support needs 2-yr institutions are early adopters, while BAs sector in

the U.S. goes slow

Faculty Use of CMSTool Use By Category: UW-Whitewater Fall 2000-Spring 2002

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Fall 2000 (n=178)

Spring 2001(n=232)

Fall 2001 (n=273)

Spring 2002(n=276)

Semester

% U

sers Content Tools

Communication Tools

Gradebook

Quiz Tools


Faculty Uses of IT – Importance of Features

Faculty Rating of Importance of Tools Within a CMS

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

CMS Tools

% R

es

po

nd

en

ts

Very Important Important Not Important Not Used


Features, Learning, and Class Management – The Student ViewFeatures used Learning Rank Management Rank

Sharing materials with students 52.8% 1 30.8% 6

Track grades 47.9% 2 80.3% 1

Faculty feedback on assignments 42.3% 3 27.0% 8

Sample exams on line 42.0% 4 38.4% 4

Online readings 37.8% 5 42.0% 3

Turn in assignments 35.9% 6 34.6% 5

Syllabus 27.3% 7 28.6% 7

Online quizzes 26.8% 8 54.0% 2

Online discussions 22.5% 9 17.5% 9


Student IT PreferencesPreference Frequency Percent Cumulative

Percent

classes that use no information technology

128 2.9 2.9

classes that use limited technology features

991 22.7 25.6

classes that use a moderate level of technology

1802 41.2 66.9

classes that make extensive use of technology

1346 30.8 97.8

classes that are delivered entirely on-line

97 2.2 100.0

Total 4364 99.8


Student IT Preferences, by Discipline


DisciplinePrefer no

technologyPrefer limited

technologyPrefer extensive

technology

Engineering 4.8% 24.4% 67.8%

Business 1.3% 28.2% 64.3%

Life sciences 4.8% 35.3% 56.3%

Physical sciences 5.7% 40.9% 51.8%

Social sciences 7.9% 44.4% 44.2%

Education 3.5% 47.9% 42.9%

Humanities 7.7% 47.9% 40.2%

Fine arts 9.0% 46.9% 39.3%

Student Experience with CMS

Experience Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Very positive 617 14.1 17.0 17.0

Positive 2151 49.2 59.1 76.1

Neutral 631 14.4 17.3 93.4

Negative 196 4.5 5.4 98.8

Very negative 43 1.0 1.2 100.0

Total 3638 83.2 100.0


Wireless – The Mobility Revolution

Rapid and enthusiastic “uptake” in higher education

Enormous popularity with students A real [and needed] win for campus IT Wireless security is an issue Planned evolution to 802.11(g) standards is

underway Supplement to wired networks (for the present)

Wireless Communications – The Affordable Transformation

6%

10%

8%

17%

52%

7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

% of Respondents

Implemented comprehensive

Implemented limited

Planning -pilot implementation

Planning - no pilot yet

Intend to implement

No plans to implement


ERP – We Came, We Saw, We Conquered! Or Did We?

A contemporary application environment was delivered Most Projects Completed on Time and on Budget ERP software improved and we discovered that vanilla

was our favorite flavor Many of us neglected the business intelligence function Code customization is the critical variable IT support costs rise following implementation Real transformation still awaits and depends on

integrating applications, middleware, and infrastructure

ERP Customization

Customization is the most influential variable HRIS is the least customized application Research-intensive institutions customize more often SIS is the most customized application


ERP Support Costs

SUPPORT COSTS MEAN

% decreasedor stayedthe same

% increasedup to 25%

% increasedover 26%

Packaged software 3.25 25% 26% 49%

Data base 3.44 31% 29% 40%

Training 3.72 27% 25% 48%

Staff/personnel 3.84 35% 33% 32%

Hardware and infrastructure 3.97 38% 26% 36%

Desktop products and services 4.13 52% 24% 24%

Help desk & user support 4.17 46% 33% 27%

System operations and management 4.24 46% 29% 35%

Consulting 4.28 57% 23% 20%

Internal applications and code 4.95 66% 23% 11%


ERP – So What’s Next?

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

New ERP Modules

Portal

Workflow

Imaging/Archives

Best-of-Breed Substitute


IT Outsourcing, Slow and Steady May Win the Race

Slow rates of adoption in 2001 Distrust of the generation 1 market providers Experimentation and selective outsourcing in

U.S. and Canadian research universities Fear and loathing in the U.S. liberal arts sector The emergence of “borrowing” as an

application development and maintenance model among a select few (Sakai, OSPI, etc)

IT Security – Unaware and Unprepared

Most Do Not have Comprehensive Plans in Place

Many Hard and Soft Measures are in Use IT Security Measures in HE are Improving Security Strategies Vary by Institution Strong “Soft” Measures Yield Hard Results Leadership Involvement in Security Policy

Development is Low Recent experiences are promoting change

IT Security – Unaware and Unprepared


IT Funding: Maintaining, but …

During the recent economic downturn, technology has held its share of the institutional budget.

However, most IT budgets are committed largely to maintaining existing technologies.

There is an increasing risk that IT organizations will not be able to adequately fund technology renewal and replacement.

Most IT organizations are not sufficiently funded to innovate, experiment and respond to new user needs.

IT Funding – Little Flexibility

Fixed Costs as Percent of IT Budget

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Percent of Budget

Fre

qu

en

cy


IT Funding – Effective PracticesPractice Percent of Respondents

Sr. IT leader member of the Cabinet 44.6%

Sr. IT leader member of budget committee 45.7%

Adequate funds to research and experiment with new technology

19.8%

Adequate funds to respond to new user needs

22.0%

IT budget process aligns IT priorities with institutional priorities

77.0%

IT budget process responds to changing environment

58.4%

IT budget process based on set of well understood management principles

45.8%

Senior level advisory group prioritizes IT projects

33.6%

IT Funding – Effective Practices Institutions that are most successful in their use of

technology engage in the following IT funding practices:

– Place senior IT leader on institution budget committee– Provide sufficient funding levels and flexibility for their IT

organizations to experiment and innovate– Have an IT funding process that is transparent, flexible and

able to align IT priorities with institutional priorities– Have an IT advisory committee that helps to set priorities

A large IT budget alone is not a predictor of success. Flexibility to invest in innovation as well as the core is the critical distinction.

CIOs and CFOs

Both feel that information technology generates value for their institutions.

Both are generally satisfied with how IT investment decisions are made.

CFOs and CIOs diverge on the following:– CFO’s feel that IT is adequately funded to

maintain existing technologies – CIOs do not.– CFOs feel the institution successfully manages

its total technology expenditures (from all budgets), CIOs do not.

The Condition of the IT Community: Aging and Wise

High Level of Commitment to Higher Education Highly Educated, but Aging Workforce Effective Leadership Styles Problematic Environment for Innovation Differing Perspectives by Role Have Earned a Seat at the Cabinet, but For How

Long? Potential Leadership Succession Problem

Condition of the IT Community Aging

Age in quintiles

Over 56

51 - 56

46 - 50

41 -45

40 years and under

Pe

rce

nt

of

Re

sp

on

de

nts

50

40

30

20

10

0

Senior most IT

leader

Next generation -

aspirants

Next generation -

other

14

25

19

15

25

12

16

23

46

25

32

19

13

9


Condition of the IT Community Wise

Variable Leaders Aspirants Other Pros

Low MLQ Laissez-Faire

73.6% 70.0% 63.9%

Mod MLQ

Transactional78.9% 72.1% 74.9%

High MLQ Transformational

50.9% 44.8% 32.8%


“Technology will cut its own channels … leading to institutions that differ from those of today…”

“Technology will cut its own channels … leading to institutions that differ from those of today…”

-Martin Trow, UC Berkeley

Conclusions

“Events” are increasingly volatile, e.g. the rate of change is increasing. Increasing volatility increases the pressure on everyone to become more adaptable. Colleges and universities are historically adaptable organizations.

This is not easy.

“Events” are increasingly volatile, e.g. the rate of change is increasing. Increasing volatility increases the pressure on everyone to become more adaptable. Colleges and universities are historically adaptable organizations.

This is not easy.

Conclusions

Conclusions

Volatility demands adaptability Increases in connectivity beget interactions Disruptive technologies yield intended and unintended

consequences Technology is the motive force; culture and history are the

brakes Dominant design alters competition Our user communities may be outstripping our capacity for

support We may be doing better at holding on to our past than

preparing for our future Today’s higher education leadership is up to the task

Of Canada and the U.S. Where IT is concerned, we are more alike than not Canadian respondents have invested more in the

IT security operational and policy areas than their U.S. counterparts

The IT-enabled “learning revolution” appears to be permeating Canadian H.E. faster than in the U.S.

More Canadian participants in ECAR research are needed

AQ&Q U E S T I O N SQ U E S T I O N S

A N S W E R SA N S W E R S

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