| | SEPTEMBER 20198CIOReviewWe are in one of the coldest weeks in Chicago with the polar vortex looming over us and temperatures deep in the negatives. I'm driving to Olive-Harvey College (one of the City Colleges of Chicago), situated on the far South Side, thinking that not a lot of students will decide to make the trek to our meeting to provide feedback on technology.Surprisingly, there are quite a few students on campus--chatting, laughing, reading and listening to podcasts. Breaking the ice is hard, so we go around the table and make introductions. We have quite a variety of pursuits: criminal justice, engineering, pre-law, biology, and computer science among them. I can see the dreams in their eyes as they talk about the careers they will pursue.When I ask them to share their perspectives on the technology on campus and the impact it has on their learning and education, they become more tentative, perhaps even a little shy, but soon we have a lively discussion.City Colleges of Chicago is made up of seven colleges and five satellite facilities and serves over 80,000 students. My next trip is to the opposite side of the city, to Wright College, which is located in the northwest part of Chicago. Our students are as diverse as the city itself. One thing is common, though: students from all the colleges are eager to share their feedback and are generous with their ideas. A few days later, the weather has improved slightly to a breezy six degrees. I join a couple of Harold Washington College (HWC) students in an effort to learn more about their perspectives, including their thoughts on our online programs. A large population of HWC Students take courses simultaneously at local four-year institutions and City Colleges. They provide a direct feedback loop into how we compare with other schools, sharing things they prefer and what they receive in one environment but not in another. Here are some of the highlights from my conversations:Our laptop loaner program is very popular. It allows students to do their homework online. However, we had not anticipated the demand for Chromebooks. Chromebooks are preponderant at Chicago Public Schools, where a large group of our students attend high school. Not growing up with smart phones, I assumed that devices with small screen space would be difficult to use for homework. But our students know differently, and they are anxious to show me how they can not only read and watch By Carmen V. Lidz , Vice Chancellor & CIO, City Colleges of Chicago CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO: STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVE ON TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT ON LEARNING, EDUCATION, AND THE CAMPUS EXPERIENCEIN MYOPINIONCarmen V. Lidz
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