Education

Increasing Graduation Rates Through Technology

Posted: 4/29/2011

The benefits of blended learning are demonstrated by colleges and universities that are seeing higher graduation rates and students better prepared for success.

(NAPSI) - Researchers may have good news for students, teachers, parents and anyone who cares about education in America. It’s been found that students in so-called “blended learning” environments with access to computer-assisted instruction and technology-integrated learning systems fare better than those in traditional classrooms. Fortunately, it’s a move many colleges can easily and affordably make.

That’s just as well, considering that although a higher-education degree is needed more than ever, college dropout rates are approaching 50 percent.

What The Colleges Can Do

Colorado State University recognizes that the growing demand for business education has intensified the need for upgraded technology. Its classrooms are laid out to encourage discussion and dialogue between students and faculty, and are supported by technology that enables seamless connectivity around the world.

The school’s leading distance MBA program serves students all over the globe and demands flexible technology solutions for faculty to interact with students.

“Some faculty have found innovative ways to use their HP tablets to grade student homework papers, then resubmit the documents back to students electronically,” said Jon Schroth, CSU College of Business, director of Information Technology.

Dr. Dave Berque at DePauw University found that in many classes, the content is hard to express with a keyboard—chemistry, for instance, or graphs or Japanese characters. His students use HP tablet PCs to take notes, solve problems and share solutions. The school currently offers the multitouch HP EliteBook 2740p Tablet PC.

By implementing tablets into the daily curriculum, DePauw University saw failure rates in many classes drop. In an introductory computer science class, for example, failure rates dropped from 14 to 1 percent. The university isn’t alone in its findings, as schools all over the country are truly seeing the benefits of tablet use in the classroom.

A school can maximize technology in the classroom several ways:

• Poll students in real time on tablets during lectures to ensure that they’re paying attention and understanding the lesson.

• Use tablets in courses that require characters and graphics that are hard to express with a keyboard.

• Grade student papers electronically so they can view corrections in real time.

• Swivel the screen to lie flat to write notes and for easier group collaboration.

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