About ECAR

The mission of the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research is to foster better decision making by conducting and disseminating research and analysis about the role and implications of information technology in higher education. ECAR systematically addresses many of the challenges brought more sharply into focus by information technologies.

Institutional challenges define the general shape of the ECAR agenda as well as the lines and scope of our inquiry. These challenges include:

Enabling the Transformation of Higher Education

What new approaches should higher education adopt to meet the academy's new challenges? What traditions must existing colleges and universities retain to fulfill their historic missions? If institutions of higher learning are to remain arbiters and transmitters of society's values and cultural aspirations, how will these roles be enabled or constrained by the application of information technologies to core institutional activities? What is the actual performance of new approaches being promoted or piloted?

Adapting Our Policies and Practices to the Changing Nature of Students, Research, and Work

There is a growing body of evidence that information technology is changing how we work, teach, and conduct research. Learners who have "grown up digital" appear to learn differently. How should higher education adapt to a world being reshaped by IT? What is the diffusion rate of IT in higher education, and how can traditional colleges and universities diffuse new innovations more rapidly and effectively?

Providing Sustainable Leadership in Changing Times

Information technologies are increasingly thought of as having disruptive potential. If information technology is to serve society and the educational community well, what kinds of leadership, support and sustainable human resource models will be required? What organization structures and governance are most effective?

Creating an Effective Climate of Collaboration

Institutional collaboration is essential for higher education in the Information Age. What are examples of collaborations that work? How can IT be leveraged to create stronger communities? Are there new forms of collaboration that balance the traditional respect for the individual and institution with pressures for greater efficiency, scale, and market reach?

Making it Happen

Colleges and universities are challenged to identify, select, and finance investments in IT. Investments must be made in technology, people, and processes. What operating principles might enable colleges and universities to be more successful in achieving their goals related to investments in IT? What policies and practices are most effective? How do you balance the possible efficiencies of centralized solutions with the political appeal of distributed approaches?

Measuring, Assessing, and Demonstrating the Impact and Value of IT

Large investments are expected to bring positive returns to an institution. What should we expect for our investments in IT? On the other hand, what is the cost of doing nothing? Both advocates and skeptics are interested in whether the human and financial resources associated with IT have brought lasting value to our students and institutions. A critical question is whether IT solutions have been integrated into higher education institutions in ways that have made a demonstrable difference.