The Top 4 Higher Ed Stories of 2011

This year's most read higher education stories on convergemag.com involve social networks, e-books and tablets. Tablets have really taken off this year, while more universities and colleges continue to explore e-books as a lower-cost replacement for physical textbooks.

1. 4 Universities Use Social Networks to Engage Community
As potential recruits, current students and alumni increasingly spend more time on sites like Facebook and Twitter, universities see an opportunity to reach them where they're at.

2. CSU System Shares E-book Pilot Results
The largest university system in the United States piloted e-book rentals at five universities around California as part of a broader initiative to reduce textbook costs for students.

3. E-readers, E-books Represent Future for Community College
At a community college in Houston, faculty and students tested three dfiferent devices with e-books to see how they would fit into the classroom.

4. iPad Studies at Abilene Christian U. Dig Deep into Learning Outcomes
Pretty much anything with an iPad in the title received plenty of attention in media outlets throughout the country because it's such a hot topic. And this story was no different. Through a small study, the university gained some insight into how the tablets affect student learning.

Next year, it'll be interesting to see what topics top the list. What technology do you think will make big headlines in 2012?