Techno-News Blog

By David Nagel, Campus Technology

In 2013, for the first time ever, the number of smart phones shipped worldwide in a year topped 1 billion. That’s about one smart phone for every seven human beings alive. According to new research from International Data Corp., smart phone shipments grew by a massive 38.4 percent from the previous year, hitting a little more than 1.01 billion units in 2013. In another first, smart phones also made up the majority of all cell phone shipments (55.1 percent) in 2013. In 2012, smart phones were only 41.7 percent of the total. Total mobile phone shipment

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/01/28/one-seventh-of-the-worlds-population-got-a-smart-phone-last-year.aspx

by Adeline Koh, Prof Hacker Blog

Unlike the typical passive viewing sessions, live tweeting allows instructors to directly engage in the student’s learning, by directing attention to issues that they might otherwise miss. This semester, I’m teaching a graduate seminar in the digital humanities, and one of the assignments for the semester is for students to live tweet the class and to later storify the tweets as notes. I’ve decided to implement this assignment for two reasons: (1) to provide some kind of a backchannel for more quiet students to participate, and (2) to encourage a public dimension to my students’ learning. After writing up the assignment, I did some searching for best practices of live tweeting events to help my students out, but didn’t find much that would be directly pertinent to what they needed. This post is the result. Effectively live-tweeting an event to take notes is a little different from how one would approach live-tweeting an event simply to participate. I list some ideas for best practices for live-tweeting for note taking below at the URL below.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/livetweeting-classes-some-suggested-guidelines/54963

by Brittany Schmidt, News 8000

As the times continue to change, so do the teaching techniques used on a daily basis. “Whether we like it or not, kids are starting to use technology on their own. By using it in this structured environment where they are really learning how to use it, that just benefits them in the end,” said Jeanne Halderson, a teacher at Longfellow Middle School. There are some social media sites that teachers have not brought into their classroom. For example, the La Crosse School District does not allow students to use Facebook or Twitter at school. The La Crosse School District uses Facebook and Twitter outside of the classroom, as a way to communicate with parents and the community.

http://www.news8000.com/news/teachers-use-social-media-to-encourage-online-learning/-/326/24128412/-/fapyc4/-/index.html

By Associated Press

Tweets and other social media posts are part of modern communication and are modern forms of expression. Some schools and colleges are embracing them. On students’ desks are hand-written notes and copies of “Rebecca,” a psychological thriller by Daphne du Maurier. But instead, the focus of Valerie Williams’ ninth-grade English class were often on a different tool: their smartphones. In recent years, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy has incorporated social media and other technologies into the classroom, encouraging teachers to allow smartphones as part of their lessons.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/471775-english-class-includes-tweeting/

by Channel News Asia

It is not simply about using more technology in education, but using it in a way that brings out the heart of education that is important. Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said this in a posting on his Facebook page on Sunday morning. He noted that Singapore will have an integrated online learning portal for all primary and secondary school students by 2016. He described it as “a most invigorating prospect”, but said it’s not just about using technology more. “Ultimately it is about how we use technology to bring out the heart of education,” said Mr Heng.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/technology-matters-but/968426.html

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

Big Data is all around. Used in every type of industry to identify trends and possibility, data is also being used in education. Identified as one of the top trends in education, institutions are using them in all sorts of different ways. Think of it like the Google analytics for your classroom. Google analytics analyzes your website’s traffic and shows you what your best opportunities are for presenting certain ideas to certain audiences. Learning analytics can analyze your students and their work, and you can pinpoint some opportunity for personalization and optimization of your teaching and classroom. The handy infographic linked below takes a look at some ways that data mining and learning analytics can help enhance education. Keep reading to learn more.

http://www.edudemic.com/big-data-education/

By Jake New, eCampus News

Following two high-profile education events organized by the White House, the Obama administration is asking institutions for their input on technology and college affordability. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released a notice earlier this month inviting colleges and universities that participate in student assistance programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to propose ideas for new financial aid experiments. “The secretary is particularly interested in experiments that will improve student persistence and academic success, result in shorter time to degree, and reduce student loan indebtedness,” the Department of Education said.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/white-house-technology-024/

by Jonathan Haber, Huffington Post

Having gotten past the notion of MOOCs destroying the educational multiverse (for good or ill), it is now time for a more measured conversation about what this extraordinary educational technology can and cannot do, now that we know it isn’t about to replace traditional higher education overnight. And measurement is always a matter of data combined with analysis, with an added dose of humility regarding what we still do not know (and might never now with certainty).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-haber/more-data-answers-and-questions_b_4645299.html

by Concetta M. Stewart, Huffington Post

One way to meet their needs is by offering options. For example, mixed modality, a hybrid of face-to-face and online learning, gives students the flexibility of mobile learning combined with the on-campus experience. Studies have shown that this hybrid learning style has the potential to increase student learning while lowering attrition rates compared to equivalent, fully online courses. These online options coupled with advances in digital and mobile learning can actually help us better serve students who are underprepared. Intelligent Tutoring Systems that incorporate a self-paced learning model address the simple fact that students learn at different speeds, and perhaps those who have less experience with technology still have the opportunity to succeed in a mobile learning environment. In addition, Open Educational Resources (OER) and e-books along with podcast and video availability on mobile devices have also enhanced our capacity to reach students.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/concetta-m-stewart/meeting-the-needs-of-stud_b_4646926.html

By Kate Lewis, Edudemic

The phrase “using data to drive instruction” is showing up everywhere in education circles lately. Particularly with the incorporation of the Common Core State Standards, and new standardized tests and teacher evaluation systems, the way that teachers use data is becoming more and more important. But what exactly does it look like in the classroom? And how can technology help make the process more manageable?Using data in the classroom doesn’t have to be as intimidating as it sounds. My favorite way to use data in my eighth grade English Language Arts classroom is to use formative assessment data to drive instruction and for intervention. Here are three easy ways to start using data in the classroom:

http://www.edudemic.com/3-ways-use-data-classroom/

by Lauren Landry, BostonInno

Completion rates remain a contentious issue when discussing massive open online courses. Yet, new papers released Tuesday by Harvard and MIT argue there’s more to learning online than a shrinking number of registrants would suggest. Daphne Koller, co-founder of fellow MOOC platform Coursera, acknowledged in a previous interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education that most students who register for an online course have no intention of completing it. And should we knock that? Learning is learning, and education is power. Why knock a platform delivering that power to the entire world? Seventy-two percent of edX registrants were from abroad, while nearly 21,000 of those individuals had IP or mailing addresses from countries on the United Nations’ list of Least Developed Countries.

http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2014/01/22/boston-companies-harvard-and-mit-release-edx-working-papers/

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

Memorization sometimes gets a bad rap in the education world. Yes, education IS way more than just memorizing facts, dates, formulas, spellings, and pronunciations. But you do have to get information into the brain somehow, right? Technology has brought more information to our fingertips, but does it also make us forget things more easily? The handy infographic linked below takes a look at how Google and its tools have changed how we find and retain information. Pretty interesting stuff – and if you can’t remember it later to tell your colleagues about what you read, you can always refer back to this page!

http://www.edudemic.com/google-memory/

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

The State University of New York (SUNY) has formally introduced a new online program that allows students to access courses, degrees, professors and academic resources from any of SUNY’s 64 campuses. Open SUNY, as it’s called, is a mix-and-match service that offers access to 400 “online-enabled” degrees, 12,000 course sections and eight full degrees. The system’s expectation is that people from inside and outside the state will attend courses, including international students. Students can use the program to start a degree, finish a degree or just take a single course

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/01/21/open-suny-unites-online-ed-offerings-across-64-institutions.aspx?admgarea=news

By Oliver Staley, Bloomberg

Yale University said it was wrong to block an online course guide built by students that competed with the college’s own website. Mary Miller, dean of students, said the university objected to the way student feedback about the courses was presented as a numerical score without the context of their comments. That violated the school’s policy about modifying data without permission and encouraged students to select courses with incomplete information, Miller said in a Jan. 20 letter to students and staff. “Although the University acted in keeping with its policies and principles, I see now that it erred in trying to compel students to have as a reference the superior set of data that the complete course evaluations provide,” Miller said. “Students can and will decide for themselves how much effort to invest in selecting their courses.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-22/yale-concedes-error-in-banning-student-course-evaluation-website.html

by Jason Hardy, Deseret News

A new report in Forbes argues that 2014 will be a big year for higher education. The article by Todd Hixon argues that its current business model is largely outdated, and that innovation will be critical for students and future employers alike. In fact, online education is starting to create virtual boom towns across the nation as a means of addressing tuition hikes, student loans, graduation rates, and other troubling trends.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865594554/Online-learning-gaining-steam-as-a-disruptive-innovation-in-higher-education.html

By David Nagel, THE Journal

A new national poll shows that the vast majority of Americans have concerns about student data privacy and the potential use of such data for commercial purposes. In a survey of 800 adults conducted by the Benenson Strategy Group for nonprofit Common Sense Media, 89 percent of respondents indicated the are “very or somewhat concerned about advertisers using kids’ personal data to market to them.” “What we are hearing from American families is that students’ personal and private information must not be used for advertising, period,” said Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media. “Privacy in general is a major concern for Americans, and what we are clearly seeing from this poll is that schools should be completely off limits when it comes to collecting the personal information of students for marketing purposes.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/01/22/concerns-over-student-data-privacy-widespread-among-americans.aspx

by George Anders, Forbes

Coursera has been pushing to offer a more formalized, paid version of its MOOC experience. The site now invites students to take Signature-track classes, in which final exams are digitally proctored and students pay $100 or so for a completion certificate. Currently more than 200 of Coursera’s total 584 classes are offered in Signature format. Topics range from calculus to Roman architecture. Coursera has set up the Specialization label to cover a series of interlocking courses that are meant to provide students with full mastery of a subject. See the graphic linked below shared by George Anders.

http://b-i.forbesimg.com/georgeanders/files/2014/01/Coursera.Specializations.jpg

by George Anders, Forbes

Coursera will start awarding Specializations for students who have mastered a series of closely connected online courses — and are willing to pay $250 to $500 for validation of their work. Coursera’s latest initiative is further blurring what used to be a very sharp distinction between full-fledged universities and the anything-goes ethos of massively open online courses (or MOOCs.)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2014/01/21/coursera-flirts-with-diplomas-online-specialization-is-250/

by eLearning 24/7

Published by E-Learning 24/7, which not only publishes a regularly updated list of the top LMSs but also a list of the top rapid content authoring tools (comprising some 168 vendors), and the work of the internationally-known corporate online learning industry analyst, Craig Weiss, the current top ten LMSs in the world are:

1. ExpertusOne
2. Growth Engineering
3. Blackboard
4. Instructure
5. eLogic Learning
6. IMC-Clix
7. Docebo
8. Biz Library
9. Meridian Global
10. CM Group LTD

In addition, this latest report on the state of the learning management system (LMS) industry includes comments on LMS market trends and forces, as well as developing trends in LMS features. Craig Weiss also presents a continent-by-continent analysis of the LMS market.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1691998

By Carl Straumsheim, THE Journal

Harvard University will this spring offer three versions of its Introduction to Computer Science course, each with its own level of rigor and student-instructor interactivity. With a paid option that offers students a discount toward future studies at the university, the course represents yet another attempt to find a sustainable business model for massive open online courses. The course can be taken for no academic credit as a free, self-paced MOOC through HarvardX, the university’s branch of edX, and also as a credit-granting online course through the Harvard Extension School for $2,050. The school is also offering a third path that blends the flexibility of the HarvardX course with biweekly, online office hours with senior lecturer David J. Malan and a discussion forum moderated by teaching fellows. That hybrid option, which costs $350, can be completed for an official certificate, and the cost is returned in form of a discount on a future course through the Extension School or Summer School.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/01/21/harvard-u-experiments-three-versions-same-course

By KIRSTY CHADWICK, Biz Community

E-learning has been around for quite some time now, and as its popularity continues to grow within the corporate and educational sectors, so does its capabilities. Computers are becoming increasingly essential as educational tools, while technologies are becoming more portable and cost-effective – mobile learning is a perfect example of this. It has become imperative in recent years to look critically at the learning outcomes of training and to adapt those outcomes accordingly. Organisations no longer require an endless accumulation of general knowledge, but the focus is now rather on skills that help them to save money, decrease downtime and increase effectiveness. According to research firm, Ambient Insight, the global market for self-paced e-learning products and services reached US$ 27.1 billion by 2009 and is likely to double by 2014.

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/424/107615.html