Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design Reviews The Value Of Digital Tools And Technology In Education

Digital tools and virtual spaces have revolutionized educational programs and institutions around the world. From enabling remote learning and online classes to organizing unique events and engaging with the broader community, technology has made new avenues of education and attainment possible. These digital tools and virtual technologies present unique value and unique opportunities for the organizations willing to adopt them.

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) is one such organization. Established in 1963, RMCAD is a leading art institution located in Denver, Colorado that also offers online learning solutions that leverage the school’s rigorous and innovative approach to education. With accreditations from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), and 11 undergraduate programs, few institutions are better situated to support artists and designers in their careers.

Given the school’s values and its stated vision to create a socially conscious and innovative student body trained to positively impact their communities, it shouldn’t be surprising that RMCAD has been eager to adopt new technologies. The college’s five-year roadmap, RMCAD RISE, explicitly prioritizes educational innovation and student services, among others—both things that benefit from innovative tools and virtual spaces. After years of successful operation, the value of RMCAD’s digital presence and technology speaks for itself.

Leveraging Technology As A Competitive Advantage

Something that stands out in RMCAD reviews and student feedback is that the institution’s robust community is one of the standout features of the school, and the way RMCAD integrates technology into its daily operations is a major facilitator of that. With over a decade of experience with online learning environments and a forward-thinking perspective on new technology, the school has consistently leveraged technology to the benefit of its students and staff.

Every student learning at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design takes at least a portion of their coursework online, taking advantage of the engaging, interactive, and asynchronous online classes built by RMCAD’s instructional design team. Combined with the school’s custom learning management system, which forms a digital hub for students’ assignments, work submissions, and teacher communications, the online learning experience is smooth, effective, and consistently engaging.

Internally, the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design also maintains dashboards that identify and track student enrollment, retention, and graduation rates by program. This data, combined with regular KPI reviews, end-of-course surveys, annual student satisfaction surveys, and annual employee and faculty engagement surveys, gives RMCAD a robust data set year over year. These data analytics allow the school to track what courses appeal to (and retain) students, make improvements to existing programs, and research potential new programs, unique opportunities, or Sidequests—out-of-the-classroom learning programs related to cultural awareness, art and design practice, and more.

“We take feedback from students and make positive changes that impact their daily lives,” says Provost Dr. Amy Smith. “This has led us to launch degree concentrations in UX/UI and Advertising. We plan on expanding our programs even further over the next few years.”

Digital Spaces and Marketing

The suite of tools and virtual spaces that the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design utilizes is leveraged first and foremost to the students’ benefit, but the school also takes advantage of them for marketing purposes. Online publications and virtual spaces have been a boon to the school’s students and faculty alike, whether that’s social media or RMCAD’s own blog. The school strongly believes that featuring stories about students, alumni, and faculty is the best way to attract prospective students and foster alumni engagement.

RMCAD is active across a number of virtual spaces, namely their blog, website, official app, and the usual spread of social media websites. The school’s blog features faculty, students, and alumni in stories that celebrate their achievements, inspiring students with examples of how their degrees can open new doors and broaden their horizons. From student art and design contests to Faculty Friday social media posts to internal HR newsletters and press releases, the community at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is always vibrantly at your fingertips.

“We love to feature current students and alumni on our blog and social channels, this often sparks high engagement and the opportunity to have genuine conversations with our community,” Vice President of Marketing, Leila Ertel,  says. “We are proud of the work our faculty do, both inside and outside of RMCAD, and we hope that sharing this with the public helps them understand the talent and passion they bring to their teaching.”

The RMCAD blog also posts a number of well-researched and educational blogs every month that provide information related to a variety of their programs, with the goal of supporting students specifically, and the broader artistic community in general.

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is a very community-minded institution and seeks to instill that perspective in its students through community partnerships and events like speaking engagements, art shows, and more. Information for all school events is accessible on the RMCAD website, they are announced on social media, and they are often accessible to both in-person and virtual attendees. For those who can’t make it, recordings and recap videos are often available for students’ benefit on their YouTube channel.

Online Reviews And Feedback

With so many avenues of engagement and interaction, data analytics, and insight, it’s not surprising that the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design takes feedback seriously. As can be seen in the school’s values listed on its website, the students come first, and so any feedback from students—current or former—on ways to improve the RMCAD experience is eagerly collected and considered.

Beyond that, the school’s marketing team goes to great lengths to read and respond to comments on social media and reviews from various review platforms. All concerns and feedback are taken seriously and passed up to the executive team for swift consideration and action. The executive and leadership teams regularly review these reports, and the feedback gathered from the school’s internal systems in order to make the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design a leading art and design educational institution in the United States.