Students envision 'digital dorms' of the future

[asteriskea]

<p>National essay contest invites students to describe the kinds of technologies they’d expect to see in college dormitories by 2020 - “the essay contest gives students the chance to win a college scholarship for sharing their ideas about how technology will be integrated into the “digital dorm room” of the future. The top student responses will be compiled in book format and distributed to colleges nationwide, possibly influencing the design of future school facilities.”</p>

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“We want to bring back the notion that U.S. colleges and high schools are important breeding grounds of technological innovation and cultural creativity,” said Spencer Sakata, Gradware’s chief executive officer. “This is a chance for creative, forward-thinking students to brainstorm the coolest gadgets they can think of. No rules, no limits–we’re really looking for some crazy ideas here. Technology can be very cool when it enhances campus life.”</p>

<p>Sakata said he hopes education officials will find the essay compilation useful as they plan their future needs for campus technology. “They’re going to be intrigued by the ideas that students have,” he predicted. “Students are using technology differently, and it’s … changing their priorities.”</p>

<p>Sakata said creative thinking is of paramount importance in the contest.</p>

<p>“The first thing we want to do is foster innovation at the college level and have students think about technology and how it relates to everyday life, and we want them to think big about it in ways that are more integrated into their lifestyle,” he said.</p>

<p>Today’s student entrants just might dream up tomorrow’s “it” technology, Sakata said.</p>

<p>“I think the future innovations will come from ideas that students have now,” he said. “We’re looking for how technology applies to your lifestyle, not just point solutions that aren’t integrated in any way. Technology is starting to really converge, is getting cheaper, and is becoming more widespread. Now we [should] focus on how to use [it] in a way to benefit us, not just technology for technology’s sake.” …</p>

<p>The 2007 Gradware National Essay Scholarship, “The Digital Dorm Room of the Future,” is open to all undergraduates and college-bound high school juniors and seniors in the United States. The scholarship contest details are available on the Gradware web site from now until the competition deadline, March 16.</p>

<p>Sakata said he expects a lot of responses from IT and design majors, as well as English and writing majors. “This kind of contest doesn’t require technical knowledge–it requires imagination,” he said.</p>

<p>There are no need-based or GPA requirements to enter. Essay applicants must be 28 or younger as of the scholarship deadline. Students must submit an essay no longer than 750 words describing their vision of the “digital dorm room” in the year 2020, and what campus life should be like with the power of emerging and future (not yet invented) technologies.

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<p>Links:</p>

<p>Gradware
<a href=“http://www.gradware.com%5B/url%5D”>http://www.gradware.com</a></p>

<p>2007 Gradware National Essay Scholarship: “The Digital Dorm Room of the Future”
<a href=“http://www.gradware.com/scholarship.asp[/url]”>http://www.gradware.com/scholarship.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
<a href=“http://www.edfacilities.org%5B/url%5D”>http://www.edfacilities.org</a></p>

[asteriskea]

<p>The idea for this scholarship essay is intriguing because the college dorm room is recognized to be “a key part of a university’s ‘brand’ in the ever-increasing marketing wars to capture the competitive enrollment numbers that allow campuses to continue to grow and thrive.” So this is rather neat way to find out what student expectations, needs, and dreams are for defining future college campus experiences.</p>

<p>Just a thought, but since doctors say about one in five college students suffer from allergies or asthma and the situation in most dorm rooms when it comes to cleanliness is akin to a national disaster area (I am afraid to ask but I am quite sure that my S has not touched or seen a vacuum cleaner while at college) I wonder if the digital dorms of the future could include dust and dust mite control?</p>

[asteriskea]

<p>Innovative design ideas for the dorm of the future earns firm the accolade of best design plus $25,000 grand prize money at the 21st Century Project Design Showcase presented by the Association of College & University Housing Officers. The residence dorm rooms of the future might have stackable rooms, fold-out beds, and a one-piece sink and toilet. These design concepts created by Jonathan Levi Architects (JLA) of Boston, Massachusetts, also included digital technological advances featuring a smart-media wall and glass walls with adjustable transparencies. The focus of the design centered on the individual student living unit of a residence hall. The winning entry, called the Flexdorm, “stressed the importance of supporting the academic mission of a college or university and being able to provide adjustable spaces to meet a campus’s ever-changing needs…Fixed arrangements imply boundaries and inhibit spontaneous adaptations to new forms of knowing and communicating. Flexible arrangements help blur boundaries and accommodate the spontaneous groupings needed to support change and invention.”</p>

<p>University planners envision the architecture of student residences playing a defining role in the future of colleges and universities over the coming decades to create what they hope we want to be the ultimate college experience. </p>

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The 21st Century Project is a multi-phased initiative leading to the construction of a new, state-of-the-art residential facility for colleges and universities. In addition to creating one or more prototype residential facilities on several campuses, the project will assist colleges and universities in designing new residential facilities that reflect the ever-changing roles that residences play in the collegiate experience."

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<p><a href=“http://www.21stcenturyproject.com/press_winner.html[/url]”>http://www.21stcenturyproject.com/press_winner.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;