Techno-News Blog

by Donald Clark, TES Connect

At the EMOOC (European MOOC) conference in Lausanne last week, the real buzz was about the way MOOCs have burst out of higher education into vocational learning. VOOCs (Vocational Open Online Courses) have arrived. The data shows that the vast majority of the millions of MOOCers are not undergraduate-age students, but older, life-long learners; people who work in corporates, government and other sectors. They are largely professionals who are learning for the sake of learning or up-skilling. Udacity has moved wholly into this market and Coursera and EdX are following suit. This is NOT about 18-year-old undergraduates, it is about almost everyone else.

http://news.tes.co.uk/further-education/b/opinion/2014/02/21/39-moocs-have-burst-out-of-higher-education-into-vocational-learning-voocs-have-arrived-39.aspx

by CBC News

School snow days should be turned into e-learning days with students attending class online, a Halifax education expert says. Paul Bennett, director of Schoolhouse Consulting and adjunct professor of education at Saint Mary’s University, said the “throw away” days hurt students’ education. He said in 2008/09, Nova Scotia had a record high number of snow days — and test results fell in every board. Bennett said the lack of make-up days means students miss about two weeks of learning each year. In the U.S., some districts have introduced e-lesson days when snow days pile up. In Ohio, it kicks in after five snow days in one year.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/e-learning-should-replace-snow-days-expert-says-1.2544975

BY CARMEL DEAMICIS, Pando Online

Despite the shaky beginnings, though, the Year of Code still raises the question: What the hell, America? Silicon Valley is the biggest powerhouse of technology and entrepreneurship in the world. Every child in the United States — or at least California — should be learning how to code in school. Instead, our beautifully accented British brethren have beat us to the punch. By September, all state primary and secondary schools will be rolling out the new computing curriculum, where children from early ages will be taught how computers work and how to make them do cool things. According to a BBC report on the new UK program, Michael Gove, the country’s Secretary of State for Education, said, “[T]here was no alternative to making this work if we didn’t want the Googles and Microsofts of tomorrow to be created elsewhere.”

http://pando.com/2014/02/10/by-next-year-coding-will-be-mandatory-in-british-schools-what-the-hell-america/

By David Nagel, Campus Technology

Smart phones running on Google’s Android OS will approach 1 billion units by the end of this year, according to a new forecast from market research firm Gartner. In 2013, Android phones accounted for 78.4 percent of all smart phone sales to end users worldwide, or 758.7 million units. In 2013, total worldwide smart phone sales were 967.8 million, by Gartner’s reckoning. (Note that we have reported different smart phone statistics in the last couple weeks. Gartner and International Data Corp. both provide worldwide statistics on technology shipments and sales, but the two often differ on their final numbers. IDC had total 2013 shipments at slightly more than 1 billion, with Android phones accounting for 793.6 million units. IDC reported “unit shipments,” while Gartner reported “sales to end users.” Not all devices that are shipped by manufacturers wind up being sold to end users, which may account for some of the variance in the figures reported by the two firms.)

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/02/14/android-smart-phones-to-approach-1-billion-in-2014.aspx?=CTMOB

By Toni Fuhrman, Campus Technology

Once banned in the classroom, mobile devices are becoming more accepted as a teaching and learning tool. Yet teaching methods have not caught up with mobile’s potential, according to Ron Yaros, assistant professor of new media and mobile journalism at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. “Under the current methods of teaching in higher education, a mobile device can be a distraction rather than a helpful tool,” said Yaros. “Nobody seems to be looking at how to teach with smart devices, while keeping students engaged.” His assertion is backed up by a recent University of Central Florida survey on mobile learning practices in higher education: Among students who owned a tablet, 82 percent said they used the device for academic purposes. But to improve mobile learning effectiveness, the study advised, “students and instructors need help adopting more effective learning and teaching practices across content areas.”

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/02/20/from-distraction-to-learning-tool-mobile-devices-in-the-classroom.aspx?=CTMOB

by Sramana Mitra, Huffington Post

Working with a team of 25 speech therapists and nearly 300 children, the Invention Labs team initially developed a tablet and then an application called Avaz that helped children with autism communicate by replacing words with pictures. FreeSpeech, on the other hand, represents information in a pictorial ‘map’ that captures meaning in a language-independent structure. A FreeSpeech sentence can be fed into a software algorithm called the “FreeSpeech Engine” to convert it into grammatical, well-formed, and meaningful English sentences. It could well revolutionize how language is taught to children with special needs. When Avaz is integrated with FreeSpeech, it addresses the problems not just of children with autism but also those with dyslexia or even aphasia.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sramana-mitra/a-tablet-app-from-inventi_b_4816237.html

by Jonathan Harper, Language Magazine

The tools for language training are changing. Electronic media, such as online translators and individualized learning programs, are reshaping the learning environment. But for the global industry of language instruction, the nuances of language and culture often require more human interaction and mentorship to be successful. Not only are the tools for teaching language modernizing, the methods through which we train our future instructors are also evolving. One degree program that has stepped up to the demands of an increasingly digital educational landscape is American University’s TESOL Program. In response to the growing needs of an international student body, it has recently launched an online TEFL master’s degree.

http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=32012

BY MEGAN ERBACHER, Evansville Courier & Press

A digital tattoo, just like a real tattoo, lasts forever and never goes away, even after pressing the delete button. That was a reminder DeLyn Beard delivered during a recent meeting of the Digital Divas, a girls only eLeader Academy club centered on young girls’ needs and interests. Beard, eLeader founder, coach and fourth-grade teacher at Oak Hill, told the girls ages 9 to 11 that the digital footprint is permanent and never leaves, so be aware of what you’re doing online. Throughout the course, Digital Divas will be encouraged to explore computer science-related careers and hobbies, including new techie tools, Internet safety, cyber bullying, Internet literacy and computer programming.

http://www.kansascity.com/2014/02/18/4831598/technology-classes-help-girls.html

by Rodger Bates, OJDLA

Universities and colleges have been developing institutional continuity plans to protect their ability to function within an environment of increasing uncertainties caused by natural and man-made disasters and events. Within the academic context, distance learning strategies have emerged as critical components for program continuity. This research reviews the strategies and tactics of online learning in institutional continuity planning and preparation. In addition, the necessities of institutional continuity create an important and symbiotic opportunity for faculty training and the integration of distance learning within the fabric of the academic mission of an institution.

http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter164/bates164.html

By Jeff Dunn, Edudemic

What good is a nifty new device if you don’t know how to use it? What’s the purpose of loading up your new iPad Air with a gazillion apps if you never figure out how to properly use them in the classroom? What if there was a simpler way to figure out how to use the most popular tech tools in education? That’s the idea behind the new Global Education Database (GEDB) – it’s still in the very early stages but has an aim to be something akin to the ‘Yelp for Education’ thanks to the robust and brilliant education crowd around the globe. Each listing in the GEDB features expert reviews, pros, cons, tips on using each product in the classroom, what the product is good for (flipped classrooms, Common Core, etc.), and more. I’m proud to be one of the folks helping make the ‘Yelp for Education’ dream a reality as it’s something sorely needed in education.

http://www.edudemic.com/top-tech-tools-gedb/

by Hannah Fearn, the Guardian

A University of London study tracked four new Mooc courses launched with the US-based provider Coursera in autumn 2013, each lasting six weeks and designed as an introduction to a particular subject.  It found that more men than women studied for Moocs – with a male to female gender ratio of 64:36, while the majority of students (22%) lived in the United States. India accounted for the second biggest proportion of students, with just 6% of participants. The UK came third, making up 5% of candidates. Importantly, 70% of the enrolled students already held a degree, while more than a third (35%) were already enrolled with another education provider. The data suggests that a typical Mooc student is a well-educated man in his mid-thirties, living and working full time in a developed or Bric (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) country, and using the course to improve their professional or personal knowledge. The developing economies are not getting a look in.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/feb/19/moocs-online-universities-recruit-students

by Matthew Lynch, Huffington Post

Digital technology has taken the world by storm – particularly in the past decade. It makes sense that this trend would have an impact on K-12 learning because there is nothing in modern American society that digital technology has not touched. While the names of the mobile applications and computer programs may change, there are some foundational ways that technology has already changed the face of education forever.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-lynch-edd/4-ways-digital-technology_b_4802846.html

by Aurion Learning

We all know that the E-Learning landscape is rapidly changing. With so much information available, staying up-to-date with the latest information and statistics within the industry can be time consuming. To help you get informed, we’ve gathered and summarised 14 statistics from a range of sources in a useful infographic that will inform you about what’s happening in the E-Learning industry this year. See the interesting infographic linked below.

http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/blogs-post/14-e-learning-statistics-you-need-know-2014/186371

by Sara K. Satullo, The Express-Times

A new classroom on Northampton Community College’s main campus may offer a glimpse into the classroom of the future. The college’s Innovation Lab in the College Center re-imagines the traditional college computer lab with touchscreen laptops for all students and four walls doubling as projection screens and blackboards. Students sit in pods to encourage collaboration and so professors can make sure students are on task. Professors teach from a high-tech pod that, with a swipe on an iPad, allows them to bring what is on their screen onto students’ screens.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2014/02/northampton_community_college_60.html

By PAIGE SUTHERLAND, Associated Press

While hundreds of thousands of students across the country attend virtual public schools, New England has been slow to adopt the high-tech education model as states weigh how to manage the schools and judge their performance. There are 310,000 students in full-time public K-12 cyber schools in 29 states across the country, but less than 800 of them are enrolled in two schools in New England. Ohio itself has more than 35,000 students in cyber schools, according to October 2013 statistics from Keeping Pace, a nonprofit focused on online learning.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/02/16/new-england-slow-adopt-virtual-schools/RUIpeBIdF9chS5HVBTMCRJ/story.html

by GMA Network

Users of Apple’s iPad tablet can expect to get much more productive as Microsoft continues work on a version of its Office productivity suite for it. The Microsoft Office for iPad suite, presently codenamed Miramar, may even come ahead of Microsoft’s touch-first Office version for Windows, ZDNet reported. “Microsoft officials have acknowledged, in a somewhat roundabout way, that it exists and is coming. Last we heard, it sounded from the words of ex-CEO Steve Ballmer that it was going to arrive some time after Microsoft’s own touch-first, ‘Gemini’ implementation of Office. Gemini is Microsoft’s Metro-Style/Windows Store versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote,” ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley reported.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/348712/scitech/technology/ipad-users-may-get-ms-office-in-1st-half-of-2014

by Chad Buenaflor, the Droid Guy

The rise in the number of mobile device theft all across the United States has prompted several Senators to introduce a smartphone kill switch on the federal level. This past Thursday, a proposed law called the Smartphone Theft Prevention Act was introduced by Democratic Senators Barbara Mikulski (MD), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Richard Blumenthal (CT), and Mazie Hirono (HI). According to Sen. Amy Klobuchar who is the founder of the bill , “Cell phone theft has become a big business for thieves looking to cash in on these devices and any valuable information they contain, costing consumers more than $30 billion every year and endangering countless theft victims. This legislation will help eliminate the incentives for criminals to target smartphones by empowering victims to take steps to keep their information private; protect their identity and finances; and render the phone inoperable to the thieves.”

http://thedroidguy.com/2014/02/smartphone-kill-switch-proposed-new-federal-law/

By LEE SHEARER, Athens Online

Area college and K-12 students got a long holiday during last week’s winter storm, but many will have to make up those days. One area college, the University of North Georgia, will actually extend its academic calendar by a week, while two other area colleges, Piedmont and the University of Georgia, anticipate some Saturday classes to make up the days lost Athens Technical College has a pre-existing plan in place requiring students and instructors to continue covering the material they’re supposed to be learning, using online materials or email, if weather prevents them from coming to class. Like many other area schools, Athens Tech shut down for four days last week.

http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2014-02-15/schools-colleges-make-plans-cover-days-lost-winter-storm

By Chris Riedel, THE Journal

With ever-increasing opportunities for online learning, educators must find new ways to engage their students and create a sense of community in a virtual world. But just how do you, as an educator, do that? “Whether it’s in the classroom or in the virtual space,” said Dean Shareski, community manager for Discovery Education Canada, “educators need to actively engage the question ‘how do we really create this notion of community?’… How do we engage our students [and inspire them to engage one another]?”

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/02/12/9-tips-for-creating-a-sense-of-community-for-distance-learners.aspx

By Bridget McCrea, THE Journal

Working with limited budgets and a seemingly endless pipeline of new technology tools, applications and equipment to test out and possibly implement, today’s K-12 IT directors have a lot on their plates right now. Add Common Core State Standards and growth of mobile devices on campus to the equation and the task of balancing student and teacher needs with available resources becomes that much more daunting. “Nothing is static around here when it comes to IT; everything is changing all the time,” said Steve Young, CTO at the Judson Independent School District in San Antonio, TX. “Half of the tools and applications we’re talking about today didn’t even exist a few years ago. At this point, change is the only thing we can count on.”

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/02/13/it-directions-change-is-the-only-thing-we-can-count-on.aspx

by Kavya Ram Mohan, the Hindu

The data gathered from online learning tools, as well from more traditional sources like class assignments, can be used to analyse student behaviour and improve their learning experience, said Professor Baker, a specialist in cognitive studies. “A student who is not fully engaged in the classroom might be bored or frustrated. A little bit of frustration can be good, it could lead him to seek answers. Boredom is always bad,” said Prof. Baker. He has developed a protocol named Baker-Rodrigo Observation Method Protocol (BROMP), which was developed by observing students at various levels in the U.S and can be used in Educational Data Mining (EDM).

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/harnessing-data-mining-to-revolutionise-education/article5690365.ece