What is podcasting?

Podcasting is a collection of technologies for automatically distributing audio programs over the Internet using a publisher/subscriber model. Podcasting differs from earlier online delivery of audio or video because it automatically transfers the digital media files to the user's computer for later use. Podcasting enables independent producers to create self-published, syndicated "shows," and gives broadcast radio or television programs a new distribution method (wikipedia.org).

Application Prediction for 2006

Delivering classroom lectures, notes, interviews and other materials via an audio file will be on many community college educators to-do list in 2006. As more and more students select education that meets their individual learning styles and preferences, offering podcasts will have an immediate strategic advantage for those community colleges wishing to attract more students. Podcasting audio and video will eventually become a mainstream delivery mechanism for higher education. Several four year colleges and universities are already offering podcast series; including Duke and Stanford Universities. Many more are currently piloting podcasting technologies and continue experimenting with the media.

Top 5 Podcasting web resources for educators

http://www.apple.com/education/solutions/podcasting/

http://epnweb.org/

http://www.darcynorman.net/2004/10/30/podcasting-for-education

http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/eclipse/Resources/podcasting.htm

http://www.podcastforteachers.org/elibrary/

Top 5 Podcasting Events for Educators 2006

http://www.ncce.org/ncce2006/sessions/4-48.html

http://www.podcastercon.org/

http://www.portablemediaexpo.com/

http://www.educause.edu/MARC06/Program/7189?PRODUCT_CODE=MARC06/SESS07

http://homepage.mac.com/icuesv/conferences.htm

Top 5 Podcasts on Podcasting for Educators

www.itunes.com

http://www.podcast.net/show/33458

http://www.gmpdc.org/podcasts/listings.php

http://www.podcastcharts.com/retc-tech-pod.html

http://www.podcastpickle.com/casts/?2265

Trend #2: IT Infusion into other Disciplines

What is IT Infusion?

As IT matures and the penetration of IT products expands in a wide range of industry sectors, there is an increasing need for IT workers in “technology-enabled” organizations that use or modify technologies for their specific needs. These industries will experience significant growth in the employment of IT-trained professionals. Examples of these industries include healthcare, local-state-federal government, insurance, banking, finance and e-commerce. This shift requires IT professionals to focus more on the applications of information technologies, as opposed to focusing on the technology itself, and to develop cross-disciplinary knowledge with a strong business emphasis. New cross-over fields between IT and business applications are emerging, often named “ informatics”, such as bio- informatics and medical informatics, requiring a corresponding hybrid education.

Application Prediction for 2006

IT will be taught across programs in 2006, and many community colleges will require a digital literacy certificate or course as an entry-level requirement into any program. IT will be integrated into the classroom in many different ways, through the use of instructional technologies such as blogging, podcasting and online delivery; and IT specialty subjects will play and increasingly bigger role in traditional non-IT curriculum. For example, nurses now need substantial IT user skills to operate complicated computerized equipment. As a result, nursing curriculum needs to incorporate those IT skills in the nursing context of relevant processes, practices and terminology. Another example is the merging of arts and media programs to produce graduates who are essentially digital artists.

Trend #3: Business Intelligence

What is BI?

Business intelligence (BI) refers to applications, software, and technologies used to gather, analyze, store, and access data in enterprise settings to improve decision-making and efficiency. Subsets of BI include decision support systems, querying and reporting, online analytical processing (OLAP), statistical analysis, forecasting, and data mining. One of the common terms used today from aerospace to banking to retail is “data mining”. Data mining describes the art or techniques of extracting specific data from various sources to facilitate intelligent business decisions. Business intelligence/data mining tools allow a user to see relevant patterns, trends and relationships in large amounts of business data, thus providing an important aid to decision-making. Business intelligence can be useful in the areas of market research, customer demographics, customer support and sales profitability.

Application Prediction for 2006

Business intelligence continues to be one of the buzzwords for many businesses in 2006. Community colleges are well positioned to train students in BI and tailor programs to meet local hiring needs in this area. A certificate program in BI may become a profitable business area for community colleges in 2006. There are also numerous opportunities for customized contract training in the business intelligence area. Community colleges should form partnerships with local companies to identify the necessary skills for employees working on BI and create training programs that meet those needs.

Community colleges will benefit from implementing their own BI strategy to help manage student and alumni, improve financial performance, and increase overall organizational performance. More community colleges administrators will be implementing BI processes and strategies in 2006. Schools that have implemented such strategies include UW School of Medicine, University of Toronto, and Pennsylvania State University.

Top 5 BI web resources for educators

Top 5 BI Events for Educators 2006

Trend #4: Gaming

What is Gaming?

Gaming covers a variety of disciplines, including game production, game design and development, game programming, game testing, animation, digital art and advanced computer science, modeling and simulation.

Application Prediction for 2006

The gaming industry, even though large in sales and in its reach to consumers, does not employ a large number of developers. As the gaming interface gains popularity with increasing segments of the population, a game-like style of interactivity will penetrate the non-gaming industries in 2006, from education products to home-smart appliances.

In addition, sophistication of simulation platforms and software is increasing while prices are decreasing, making simulation more affordable in a wide range of technology fields and industries. Simulation and gaming share many IT tools and development strategies. Gaming skills and knowledge will be increasingly in demand for IT developers in a wide range of markets in 2006.

Gaming is will also increasingly be used as an educational tool to teach a variety of subjects, including physics, math, chemistry, and biology.

Top 5 Gaming web resources for educators

Trend #5: Market-driven Programs

What is a Market-driven Program?

Most community colleges have experienced a decline in enrollment in their IT related programs over the last several years. The underlying causes of this phenomenon need to be identified, along with a study of employment opportunities in the region for students pursuing studies in IT. To be successful, institutions should redesign their programs to offer the proper mix of IT programs that are responsive to their students and their local job market.

Application Prediction for 2006

In 2006, many community colleges will realize that their IT programs are dated and need to be revitalized through a study of current industry needs. The resulting market-driven programs will vary from region to region, but will be rooted in up-to-date data on what the labor market needs now and in the future. More community colleges will enter into strategic partnerships with local business and industry with the specific goal of reshaping its educational offerings. This, in turn, will result in improved and relevant programs, higher enrollments, and stronger community-based alliances.