Budget concerns are the most-cited roadblock in the way of universities adopting new technologies, a survey of more than 600 higher education leaders found. A Chronicle of Higher Education survey questioned 665 higher education leaders in March about technology decisions they made during the pandemic. While respondents said they were most interested in exploring open educational resources, predictive analytics, AI and chatbots, about 75% said they believed budget concerns were a top challenge in using new technologies. Emily Bamforth reports.

A Message From AWS Educate

With over 1,500 institutions and hundreds of thousands of students who use AWS Educate, we wanted to take you on a trip around the world and highlight how students are learning and innovating with the cloud. Learn more.

AI isn't automating everything yet

Higher education institutions are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence as a helping hand in major decisions like admissions and counseling, but AI is still serving as an assistant, not a full-time employee. While seeking to retain more students in light of the coronavirus pandemic and to find new students in a diminishing pool of prospects, higher education institutions are using AI to save time, freeing humans up to do work that requires critical thinking or face-to-face interaction. Emily has it.

VR is a welcome addition in universities

The coronavirus pandemic prevented students, professors and administrators from conducting in-person classes and meetings, enhancing the popularity of virtual and augmented reality-based tools on and off campus over the past year. But despite a growing community of advocates and use cases, professors told EdScoop they believe the technology’s unlikely to be more than a complementary teaching tool for the foreseeable future. Ryan Johnston has more.

Emerging Edtech — An EdScoop Special Report

This collection of editorial coverage — EdScoop’s special report on emerging edtech — is a snapshot of just what promise technologies like 5G, virtual reality and artificial intelligence hold for institutions in 2021 and beyond, written for an audience of sensible skeptics interested in taking advantage of what the newest technologies might offer. Check out the special report here.

Mississippi State U. fills new role

Mississippi State University selected Jenni Crenshaw, an executive at the software company PDI in Georgia, to fill the newly created chief technology transformation officer role, leaders announced Wednesday. Crenshaw is a MSU graduate who holds decades of experience in the private sector. She’ll head up the university’s Information Technology Services department beginning July 1, according to a university press release. Emily has the details.