21st-Century Campus Defined by Access to Technology and the Community, According to CDW-G Study

Students, Faculty and IT Staff Find Common Ground on a Vision for the
21st-Century Learning Environment
VERNON HILLS, Ill.--(Business Wire)--
CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a leading source of Information Technology (IT)
solutions to educators and governments, today announced the results of its
annual 21st-Century Campus Report, which examines the current and future role of
technology in higher education. CDW-G surveyed more than 1,000 students, faculty
and IT staff members to understand how technology is shaping American campuses
and the educational experience.

The 2009 21st-Century Campus Report: Defining the Vision reveals a common view
of the 21st-century campus among students, faculty and IT staff. Each group
noted that the 21st-century campus is defined by access to information,
resources and the community without being hindered by wires or restricted by
campus boundaries. Despite their common vision of the 21st-century campus,
CDW-G`s survey also identified a substantial gap between student and faculty
perceptions of technology integration into the educational experience.
Approximately 70 percent of faculty said they are satisfied with their
technology professional development and use technology in almost every class,
yet less than 40 percent of students said their professors fully understand
technology and fully integrate it into their classes.

Other key findings of the CDW-G 21st-Century Campus Report include:

* Students see increasing educational value in campus technology; 81 percent of
students report using technology every day to prepare for class, up from 63
percent in 2008
* Faculty`s technology use does not meet students` expectations. Students rate
faculty lack of technology knowledge as the biggest obstacle to classroom
technology integration. The report also identified a gap in faculty use of
social media tools for personal use versus professional use
* Institutions are lagging in workforce preparation. Less than one-third of
students and only 22 percent of faculty strongly agree that higher education
institutions are preparing students to successfully use technology in their
chosen profession

"Ten years into the 21st-century, we still lacked consensus on the features that
define the modern college campus. To answer this question, we asked the
educational community to identify the elements and strategies necessary to
prepare graduates for success now and as they move into the modern workplace,"
said Julie Smith, vice president, higher education, CDW-G. "Across the board,
students, faculty and staff view technology as a means to bring the campus
community together and further educational goals. They all acknowledge that we
haven`t achieved the vision, but their insights have set a clear path forward."

The 21st-Century Campus:It`s About Access to Technology

Campus technology access is growing in importance to students, CDW-G found.
Students said their institutions should offer technologies such as course
management systems (53% in 2009 vs. 31% in 2008), computer labs (66% vs. 55%)
and wireless networks (76% vs. 50%).

One student respondent noted that the 21st-century campus has technology that
"aids students in learning, growing and connecting with each other."

Seventy-four percent of faculty said they incorporate technology into every
class or nearly every class, but students had a different view: Only 38 percent
of students said their professors understand technology and fully integrate it
into their classes. The student-faculty divide may be rooted in faculty
perceptions of the "smart classroom" and a technology-enabled learning
environment. Both faculty and IT staff agreed on the top three technologies in a
smart classroom - wireless Internet access, Internet connection and an LCD
projector - but IT staff placed far greater emphasis than faculty on additional
technology elements, including interactive white boards, distance learning
capabilities and video or audio recording of lectures.

The 21st-Century Campus:It`s About Access to the Community

Said one IT staffer, the 21st-century campus is about "interconnectivity between
students, faculty and staff, using all forms of communication, including voice,
e-mail, text messages and Web pages." CDW-G found that students increasingly are
incorporating new connectivity tools into their educational experiences.
Fifty-two percent of students reported that they use social networking tools for
educational purposes, up from 14 percent in 2008. Yet when it comes to
communicating with faculty outside of class, only 5 percent of students connect
with faculty on Facebook and only 4 percent use instant messaging.

Faculty lag behind students` social media usage: 36 percent of faculty report
using social networking sites for personal use, but only 14 percent leverage the
outlets for teaching purposes. This "social media gap" is an opportunity for
faculty to discover the personal/professional cross-over that students are
already utilizing to connect and collaborate.

The 21st-Century Campus:It`s About Making the Vision a Reality

"The 21st-century campus combines traditional learning techniques and strategies
with the latest approaches and technologies," said a faculty respondent. While
students, faculty and IT staff view the 21st-century campus as a yet unrealized
vision, they agree that the concept is within reach. Faced with an increasingly
competitive workplace, students are thinking ahead to graduation day and want
institutions to ensure that they leave college with the technology skills to
succeed in the workforce. Faculty want more interactive technology in their
classes, including video conferencing and interactive white boards, as well as
fewer restrictions on network access, in order to foster better communication
with students. IT staffers envision a future with better computing options for
students and seamless enterprise services, including e-mail, online learning and
data backup.

To make the vision a reality, the 21st-Century Campus Report recommends that
institutions:

* Seek input: Campus administrators should reach out to current students and
recent alumni to understand how they use technology; IT managers need to rapidly
implement these platforms and techniques to stay ahead of the technology curve
* Make technology ubiquitous: Students` transition from the scholastic
environment to the working world needs to be seamless. IT and faculty should
employ the same technology and tools in the classroom as students use at home or
will use in the workplace
* Work with faculty: IT should work with faculty to offer targeted technology
professional development, with a focus on improving faculty skill sets and
achieving teaching goals

For more information on the 21st-Century Campus Report and to download the
complete study, please visit www.cdwg.com/21stcenturycampus.

About CDW-G

A wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation, ranked No. 34 on Forbes` list of
America`s Largest Private Companies, CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G) is a leading
provider of technology solutions for federal, state and local government
agencies, as well as educational institutions at all levels. The company
features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right
technology products and services to meet their needs. The company`s technology
specialists and engineers offer expertise in designing customized solutions,
while its advanced technology engineers can assist customers with the
implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus
include notebooks, desktops, printers, servers and storage, unified
communications, security, wireless, power and cooling, networking, software
licensing and mobility solutions.

For more information about CDW-G product offerings, procurement options, service
and solutions, call 1.800.808.4239, email cdwgsales@cdwg.com or visit the CDW-G
Web site at CDWG.com.

CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G)
Ryan Kurtz, 847-968-0211
ryankur@cdw.com
or
O`Keeffe & Company
Meredith Braselman, 703-883-9000 ext. 107
mbraselman@okco.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009