It's 2021, and user expectations and the overall engagement of technology have shifted. The landscape of engagement, communication, and collaboration has forever changed, and we can safely say it has changed for the better.

The pandemic necessitated big changes in higher education, with institutions relying on technology to keep students learning during campus closures. In tandem with this increased need for technology, the roles of campus CIOs have also evolved, playing a critical part in both student and institutional success.

Want to encourage compliance with your institution's COVID-19 testing protocol? You may want to take a page from the University of Arizona's playbook. Students must be tested weekly, and if they don't, they lose campus Wi-Fi access.

As the pandemic has caused shifts to course delivery, it has also changed what students need to be successful in their academic journeys. EdTech Magazine shares advice to help make learning more flexible and engaging to best serve learners in these disruptive times.

If institutions truly want to meet the current moment, the time is now to make higher education feel more accessible. The EvoLLLution shares best practices for reaching an expanded audience.

The state of Hawaii will use a $10 million federal grant to establish the Hawaii Online Portal for Education -- an open-source digital resource that includes free lessons plans and other materials. Educators will begin work this summer to create the platform, which is expected to be available in 2022.

US education technology startups in 2020 raised more than $2.2 billion -- the largest investment reported in a single year, according to EdSurge data. There appeared to be some indication before the coronavirus pandemic that this area was poised for growth, but the rapid shift to remote instruction likely played a large factor.

When setting up classrooms for video, hiring a full-time camera operator is often not possible. That's one of the reasons remote video capabilities are so attractive. According to Eddy Boyette from Lumens Integration, "institutions are working on hybrid classrooms, and students need to be able to see the material clearly when learning from home."

Embracing open educational resources can make a big impact on student costs. Read how institutions can take a page from the University of Central Florida's playbook to help make college more affordable.

Institutional cybersecurity threats are constantly shifting and advancing -- this has been especially true in the age of remote learning. As hackers continue to develop attacks targeting higher ed, the time is now to develop solid security strategies.