Dive Brief:
- Colleges and universities that have struggled with the shift to online courses when it comes to instruction that once took place in computer labs may have to look no further than virtual desktops.
- Campus Technology reports that Indiana University used to mail DVDs loaded with software and datasets to distance learners, but it took too much time for students, faculty, and support staff, prompting a shift to a virtual desktop, which had gained traction among faculty and staff already, but had yet to make it to the classroom.
- While Indiana University created a solution that doesn’t require any logistical overhead, Capella University, which is all online, responded to a similar need but instead outsourced work to Toolwire, which has created a user-friendly virtual experience for students.
Dive Insight:
As more schools expand their online offerings to extend the reach of their campuses and tap into new revenue sources, the need for high-quality online learning resources is becoming more important than ever. Distance learners graduate with the same diplomas as their on-campus peers, and they need to learn the same skills — just remotely. Virtual desktops basically let students access the school’s networks from afar, as though they were sitting in a lab on campus.
Besides improving online platforms for distance learners, colleges and universities will continue to see increasing demand from their residential and commuter students. As Generation Z makes it to college classrooms, faculty and staff will face pressure to respond to their history of independent learning. A survey released this past summer showed video driving education for the next generation of learners, creating a need for better online platforms to store and play content.
Digital technology will continue to shape postsecondary education, and institutions will need to keep up.