HOUSTON (June 7, 2012) – Lone Star College System has been named a 2012 Computerworld Honors Laureate award winner in the IDG Computerworld Honors Program. LSCS was honored in the category of Training and Education.
The Computerworld Honors awards were presented at the annual Laureates Medal ceremony and Gala Awards, June 4, in Washington, D.C. The awards program honors visionary applications of information technology promoting positive social, economic and educational change.
LSCS’s video-based learning and collaboration was chosen among the entries for its innovative way of using technology in the classroom.
Computerworld received more than 500 nominations in 11 categories from around the globe for the 2012 Honors Program. Two hundred Laureates were selected by a panel of leading information technology company chairmen and CEOs. One Laureate from each category is chosen for the 21st Century Achievement Award.
"Today's generation is engaged by video. It fosters collaboration," says Link Alander, interim vice chancellor, technology services/CIO.
Over the past year, LSCS sought to cost-effectively make technology a foundation for new ways of teaching and learning, while improving staff and faculty productivity.
LSCS implemented several enterprise video technologies to help transform teaching and learning. Faculty members, administrators, and student leaders use multiple video products including Cisco WebEx, TelePresence and portable video cameras to capture video and related content, provide face-to-face communication and collaboration, and reduce time and expense previously lost traveling between campuses.
"A group that I would never expect to use the technology held its regular monthly meeting instead of traveling via TelePresence and WebEx combined,” said Alander. “They integrated the two together. That was 27 people who were able to be together on a virtual event. The feedback afterward was phenomenal."
Video is also extending the classroom beyond the campus, giving LSCS instructors access to the tools that they need to engage their students and use them however and whenever they see fit.
“Video brings the online educational experience to life,” said Alander. “Using Cisco WebEx, instructors are able to distribute learning through video and the web to more than 25,000 students enrolled in online classes from all 50 states and several overseas countries.”
With 75,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 90,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, and the fastest-growing community college system in Texas. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, five centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.
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