EdTech Connect - The Evolving Role of CIOs in Higher Education with Helen Norris

The Evolving Role of CIOs in Higher Education with Helen Norris

09/20/24 • 29 min

Helen Norris, CIO at Chapman University, discusses her journey to becoming a CIO and the evolving role of CIOs in higher education. She emphasizes the importance of integration and change advocacy in the current complex IT environment.

Norris also explores the potential of AI in various areas, such as advising, research, and administrative tasks. She highlights the need for explainability and privacy in AI implementation. Additionally, she discusses the challenges of managing content and data in higher education websites.

Takeaways

The role of CIOs in higher education has evolved from being service providers to being integrators and change advocates.
AI has the potential to enhance various areas in higher education, such as advising, research, and administrative tasks.
The strategic value of legacy systems should be considered before deciding to replace them, and integrating new tools with these systems can be a more practical solution.
AI implementation should prioritize explainability and privacy to ensure ethical and effective use.
Managing content and data in higher education websites can be challenging due to the proliferation of information and the presence of stale and duplicate content.

Sound Bites

"Now it's about, oh, all these systems are there. And what I need to do is bring them together, make sure they're secure, make sure they're used well, make sure that we're always scanning that environment and seeing what we need to change."

"Putting new tools in front of legacy systems to enhance their capabilities and provide better outcomes for students and faculty."

"Ensuring explainability in AI decision-making, especially in high-stakes areas like advising."

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Background of Helen Norris

04:43: The Changing Role of CIOs in Higher Education

08:26: Balancing Process and Outcome in Decision-Making

12:56: Managing Change and Legacy Systems

16:21: The Potential of AI in Higher Education

19:40: Use Cases of AI in Higher Education

21:53: Academic Advisory Guidelines and Policies

22:10: Priorities at Chapman University

24:15: The Importance of IT Strategic Planning

25:08: Challenges of Content Management in Higher Education Websites

27:27: Advice for Upcoming IT Leaders in Higher Education

Takeaways

The role of CIOs in higher education has evolved from being service providers to being integrators and change advocates.
AI has the potential to enhance various areas in higher education, such as advising, research, and administrative tasks.
The strategic value of legacy systems should be considered before deciding to replace them, and integrating new tools with these systems can be a more practical solution.
AI implementation should prioritize explainability and privacy to ensure ethical and effective use.
Managing content and data in higher education websites can be challenging due to the proliferation of information and the presence of stale and duplicate content.

Sound Bites

"Putting new tools in front of legacy systems to enhance their capabilities and provide better outcomes for students and faculty."

"Ensuring explainability in AI decision-making, especially in high-stakes areas like advising."

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Background of Helen Norris

04:43: The Changing Role of CIOs in Higher Education

08:26: Balancing Process and Outcome in Decision-Making

12:56: Managing Change and Legacy Systems

16:21: The Potential of AI in Higher Education

19:40: Use Cases of AI in Higher Education

21:53: Academic Advisory Guidelines and Policies

22:10: Priorities at Chapman University

24:15: The Importance of IT Strategic Planning

25:08: Challenges of Content Management in Higher Education Websites

27:27: Advice for Upcoming IT Leaders in Higher Education

Previous Episode

Embracing AI for Student-Centric Experiences with Ardis Kadiu

Ardis Kadiu, founder and CEO of Element 451, discusses the evolution of AI in education and the importance of personalization in student engagement. He shares the inspiration behind the name Element 451 and the journey of starting the company. Kadiu emphasizes the need for education institutions to embrace AI and prioritize student-centric experiences.

He also addresses concerns about job security and highlights the potential of AI to enhance productivity and eliminate menial tasks. Kadiu provides insights on how campuses can prepare for AI implementation and emphasizes the importance of data privacy and security.

Takeaways

AI has the potential to transform education by enabling personalization and improving student engagement.
Education institutions should prioritize student-centric experiences and embrace AI to enhance the student journey.
AI can eliminate menial tasks and enhance productivity, allowing professionals to focus on higher-value work.
Campuses can prepare for AI implementation by identifying areas where AI can remove friction from the student experience.
Data privacy and security should be prioritized when implementing AI solutions in education.

Sound Bites

"We don't have enough time today to do our jobs properly. The fear of AI taking our jobs is so far away. AI is going to eliminate tasks we don't want to do and amplify what we're able to do."
"Think about where you're having deficiencies and friction in the student experience today and invest in AI solutions there."
"Think about the AI capabilities that are being embedded in current tools that you're using that already have the data security layer and governance in place."

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Background of Ardis Kadiu

02:23: Ardis Kadiu's Founder Story

06:01: The Evolution of Element 451

08:02: User Experience and Personalization in Element 451

10:47: Addressing the Fear of AI Taking Jobs

13:09: Enhancing Productivity and Eliminating Menial Tasks with AI

15:45: Prioritizing Data Privacy and Security in AI Solutions

17:53: The Future of AI in Education and Personalization

20:31: Closing Remarks

Links

Next Episode

Powering Engaging Learning with AI-Driven Video Creation with Vikram Chalana

In this episode, we sit down with Vikram Chalana, the co-founder and driving force behind Pictory.AI - an innovative software company leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence to empower users to transform their messages into captivating video content.

Vikram shares the inspiration behind starting Pictory.AI, which stemmed from his own experience struggling to create professional-quality videos as a business leader.

He recognized the challenges that many professionals, especially in education, face when it comes to video production, and set out to build a user-friendly platform that democratizes the video creation process through the power of AI.

We explore how Pictory.AI is helping to enable micro-learning and engage students through short, impactful video content.

Vikram discusses the company's evolution, the integration of technologies like GPT-3 and AI voice synthesis, and the strategies they are employing to drive adoption within the higher education sector.

Additionally, Vikram shares insights from his personal entrepreneurial journey, including the lessons he learned while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with his son, and the influential leaders and companies that have inspired his vision for Pictory.AI.

This conversation offers a fascinating look at the transformative potential of AI-driven content creation tools and their impact on the future of education and learning.

Takeaways

Pictory uses AI to make video creation easy for business people
The ideal video length for effective learning is around four to five minutes
Pictory has evolved over the years, incorporating AI models and adding features like AI voiceovers
Engagement is key in creating and consuming learning content
Pictory offers individual user pricing as well as enterprise solutions for universities
Vikram finds inspiration in the founders of Canva and business leaders like Bill Gates and Satya Nadella

Sound Bites

"Just like building a business, climbing Kilimanjaro was tough"

"The inspiration for Pictory was to make videos easy using AI"

"Pictory is like a Canva for video"

Chapters

00:00: Introduction to Vikram Chalana and Pictory

02:08: The Inspiration for Pictory: Making Video Creation Easy with AI

05:34: Enabling Micro Learning with Short Videos

07:33: Building Analytics Capabilities and Challenges

09:44: Challenges Faced by Pictory

12:00: Ethical Concerns and Adoption of AI in Higher Ed

13:53: Pictory's Model: Individual User Pricing and Enterprise Solutions