Techno-News Blog

March 11, 2015

Piazza offers free online learning platform to help the shy

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by Julie Hare, the Australian

Pooja Sanka went to an all-girls school, lived a traditional life that didn’t involve socialising with boys, and when she started studying computer science at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur she was one of three women in a class of 50 men. The inevitable shyness didn’t make in-class interaction easy. But Ms Sanka has used the experience to create a free online social-interaction platform, ­Piazza, aimed at science, technology, engineering and maths students globally to get them talking and interacting, and getting their professor involved in using it as a teaching tool. “I was deeply inspired to solve the problems for other shy women and enable them to learn better in their science and maths classes,” Ms Sanka said.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/piazza-offers-free-online-learning-platform-to-help-the-shy/story-e6frgcjx-1227246804101

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March 10, 2015

MOOCs to the rescue?

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By Anna Patricia Valerio, Devex

edX offers university-level MOOCs, and CEO Anant Agarwal said it currently has more than 3.5 million students, 40 percent of whom come from developing countries. While Agarwal believes MOOCs won’t replace traditional on-campus teaching, he said these courses can be an alternative form of schooling for those who do not have access to education. “Certainly for students who already have access to teachers and access to learning, online learning can improve the quality of their education by creating models in which we combine the best of online learning and the best of in-person learning,” edX’s chief executive told Devex. “That is why I like to say that online learning is like a rising tide that lifts all boats — it’ll increase access for those who don’t have access, and will improve learning for those who do.” Still, that may be easier said than done. Poorer countries, after all, have a weaker digital infrastructure to support the bandwidth needed to even view MOOCs.

https://www.devex.com/news/moocs-to-the-rescue-85589

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3D Printing Heats Up on Campus

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By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

More than just a toy for engineers, 3D printing is beginning to move from experimental tech to multi-disciplinary learning tool. A young woman walks up to a vending machine, slides her student ID card, plugs in a USB drive, specifies the right file, chooses a color and starts the production process. When her object is printed, the machine shoves it into a tray and sends her a text message that it’s ready for pickup — practically like buying a Snickers bar. So goes another print job for DreamVendor 2, Virginia Tech’s latest experiment in open-access 3D printing.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/02/26/3d-printing-heats-up-on-campus.aspx

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Tools for Teaching: Managing a Large Class Size

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by Rebecca Alber, Edutopia

Do you have more students this year? Education budget cuts across the country are one cause of class-size increase in public schools. If you’ve found yourself with larger class sizes, or you’re a new teacher still grasping the often overwhelming experience of one of you and many of them, here are some helpful tips:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/managing-large-class-size-rebecca-alber

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March 9, 2015

Tech helps UNOH teach in different ways

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by David Trinko, Civitas Media

“We have a variety of ages in classes,” said Lynn Lease, the director of the Center for Educational Excellence and a senior instructional designer at UNOH. “We have people in their 40s and 50s, and some straight out of high school. We have digital natives and digital novices mixed in together.” Lease said one of her favorite online tools is MoveNote, which allows you to record a video or audio to accompany a more traditional slide of a presentation, as well as marking it up. Another is VoiceThread, which encourages more engagement in classes. “It’s like a discussion forum on steroids,” Lease said. It’s audio, video, information, crowd participation.”

http://www.limaohio.com/news/news-news_education/151996209/Tech-helps-UNOH-teach-in-different-ways

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Virtual classroom lets students stay at home

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by Henrietta Cook, Sydney Morning Herald

In a Victorian first, students at Nossal High School had been given what to many must have seemed the ultimate option – to stay home. The school has begun letting students choose to participate in a virtual classroom from the comfort of their bedroom. Last year, the selective state school held two “digital delivery days” for year 9 to 12 students. The initial trial was successful and will be expanded to three days this year. The school’s e-learning director, Stuart Fankhauser, said it was designed to prepare students for university, where digital learning was entrenched. “I went to a conference a few years ago and the universities were indicating that it was taking quite a while for students to adapt to the way universities have really embraced the digital world. We wanted to prepare our students a little more effectively for that environment,” he said.

http://www.smh.com.au/victoria/virtual-classroom-lets-students-stay-at-home-20150228-13qiuw.html

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Online MBAs Match The Campus Model

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by Nick Morrison, Forbes

Advances in distance learning have elevated the status of the online MBA, and for some, the chance to learn while you work even means it is stealing a march on the campus model. Most business schools now offer an online version of their MBA, but while in the past this would have been a shadow of the campus model, it is getting increasingly difficult to tell them apart. At Warwick Business School in the U.K., ranked second in the world for online MBA courses by the Financial Times, the average online student has 12 years of work behind them. And that means they have a wealth of experience to draw upon during the course, according to Nigel Pye, assistant dean for the executive masters’ programs. But there is one area where online learners may even be at an advantage. Most students taking online MBAs combine their study with employment, and while they toil into the night on their books, their day job provides them with a ready-made testing ground.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2015/02/28/online-mbas-are-stealing-a-march-on-the-campus-model/

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March 8, 2015

10 Things Students Should Know About Tech by Fifth Grade

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By Julie Davis, THE Journal

I wrote the following list for parents at my school to let them know what their kids need to know to be ready for upper school. This list is in no particular order and is definitely based on my humble opinion.  (below is a sample… to get the full list see the URL)

4) Device basics. All students should be able to do the following tasks on their device of choice:

Turn power on and off;

adjust volume up/down and mute;

select an appropriate WiFi network;

log in to a school e-mail account;

plug in headphones;

open Web browser to access the Internet;

take a picture;

take a video;

switch between front- and rear-facing cameras;

bookmark a website and add a shortcut to the home screen;

take a screenshot; and

access photos and videos.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/02/23/10-things-elementary-students-should-know-about-tech-by-fifth-grade.aspx

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Give Yourself a Raise: The Big Income Potential of Teaching Your Own Online Courses

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by Jeremy Sandow, Huffington Post

A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon an online course my girlfriend bought on how to optimize your YouTube videos. I wasn’t particularly interested in the topic, but I was intrigued when I found out that the producer of this course was a normal guy that happened to be making well in to the six figures annually selling it on a platform called Udemy. I saw the potential to grow my own reach; not only would I be able to tap into Udemy’s customer base of over 5 million students, but it was an opportunity to get myself in front of an audience that I may not have been able to reach otherwise. Not to mention, it would enable me to add an income stream to my business that was semi-passive; I wouldn’t have to sacrifice too much of my time to add a decent amount of income. Fast forward to now, and in just under two months, I’ve released three marketing related courses on Udemy, added a couple thousand dollars to my monthly income, and teach over 4,000 students; all with very little time commitment.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremy-sandow/give-yourself-a-raise-the_b_6765454.html

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To Each His Own Education

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by Jessica Gourdon, Translated by Nina Fink; EducPros.fr

According to Michelle Weise, Senior Research Fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute, soon very few American students will receive a traditional four-year, on-campus college education. The majority of them will put together their own mix of trainings, internships, MOOCs and other alternative coursework. We met with Weise to discuss the digital revolution in education in preparation for EducPros’ East Coast Learning Expedition this April.

http://www.letudiant.fr/educpros/actualite/to-each-his-own-education.html

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March 7, 2015

Telepresence robots putting online students in class at Michigan State

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By Keith Button, Education Dive

Michigan State University is using robots to stand in for online students as they join in face-to-face classes, Campus Technology reports. The telepresence robots are intended to help make sure that all students in the class are treated the same, and that any online students don’t feel like second-class citizens. The university is testing the robots in a hybrid online/face-to-face model of its doctoral program in educational psychology and educational technology.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/telepresence-robots-putting-online-students-in-class-at-michigan-state/368313/

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American varsities keen on offering online courses

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by C. JAISANKAR, the Hindu

University of North Carolina and University of Toledo of the U.S. have begun designing modalities for offering online courses with the active participation of some of the higher learning institutes of India, including the National Institute of Technology-Tiruchi. A team of professors led by Tony Schmitz (University of North Carolina) and Matthew Franchetti (University of Toledo) visited NIT-T and held discussions with its Director S. Sundarrajan on Monday and senior professors over the possibilities of offering online courses to the students of both India and the U.S. They visited various departments to make on-the-spot assessment of courses offered to students. Besides interacting with professors, students and other stakeholders, they took note of the strength of Indian education system.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/american-varsities-keen-on-offering-online-courses/article6935664.ece

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Millionaire Teachers: Top Udemy Instructors Continue to Crack Major Earnings Threshold

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by Udemy

Top instructors eclipse $17 million in earnings from courses on the leading online marketplace for learning and teaching. In the latest demonstration of the potential and growth of online education, Udemy, the leading global marketplace for learning and teaching online, today announced that the courses taught by its top 10 instructors have earned $17 million. The earnings range from $500,000 to more than $8 million. The announcement demonstrates the potential of teaching online for everyday experts to earn substantial income from sharing their expertise with skill seekers around the world. Today more than 12,000 instructors share their skills and knowledge on Udemy, with more than half of those joining in 2014 alone.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sharing-economy-millionaires–top-udemy-instructors-continue-to-crack-major-earnings-threshold-300042048.html

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March 6, 2015

Even more higher-ed IT services moving to the cloud

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by Laura Devaney, eCampus News

Study highlights IT’s necessary role in moving higher education to the cloud. A new report reveals that 39 percent of surveyed higher education IT services are delivered totally or partially by cloud, and of that 39 percent, 53 percent migrated from traditional delivery and 47 percent started in the cloud. The information comes from CDW’s “Cloud 401: Navigating Advanced Topics in Cloud Computing.” The report measures the successes and struggles that organizations across multiple industries experienced as they deployed data, storage or application services in the cloud. Higher education survey respondents said that of their individual institution’s current cloud resources, they have reserved 39 percent for storage, 33 percent for computing, and 28 percent for applications.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/higher-ed-cloud-034/

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3 reasons online learning institutions fail

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by Steve Perry, eCampus News

This year (2015), working adult students, in particular, are turning to the Internet in pursuit of more cost-effective classes, certification programs and entire degrees in droves. However, while there are numerous proven benefits to an online education–such as flexible learning schedules, budget-friendliness and access to industry-leading curriculums–the industry is not without its challenges, as many online institutions face enrollment decline. Indeed, online educators face three key challenges in their journey toward mainstream industry and marketplace acceptance.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/op-ed-3-reasons-online-learning-institutions-fail/

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Why You Now Need a Team to Create and Deliver Learning

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By Mary Grush, Campus Technology

“Higher education institutions that intentionally move towards using a team-based approach to creating and delivering the majority of their education content and learning experiences will stand out and be successful over the long run.” — Daniel Christian Institutions employing a team-based approach to the creation and delivery of education content and experiences will differentiate themselves and succeed, even as the pace of change — both in technology and in the disciplines — accelerates, says Daniel Christian, a senior instructional designer at Calvin College. Teams, comprised of a range of technology and subject content specialists, will be structured and function differently at each institution, but they all share a prime advantage: the ability to guide their institutions to thrive in higher education’s increasingly competitive environment. CT explored the idea with Christian.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/02/24/why-you-now-need-a-team-to-create-and-deliver-learning.aspx

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March 5, 2015

College, Technical Training Key to Success After High School Graduation

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BY STUART HIRSCH, the Herald

A new report released Feb. 16 finds that 88.6 percent of all Indiana high school students graduate on time, but in order to be career ready they should be prepared to attend college or technical training programs after graduation. At the same time, families with modest incomes have the least access to quality preschool programs that can boost school readiness and strengthen a child’s academic skills in reading and math, according to the annual KIDS COUNT report compiled by the Indiana Youth Institute. The percentage of Indiana’s 3- and 4-year-olds who are enrolled in an early education program (37.5 percent), has decreased since 2007, and is lower than the national average of 46.1 percent.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/higher-ed/College-Technical-Training-Key-to-Success-After-High-School-Graduation.html

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Is Social Media the Key to Effective Communication During Campus Emergencies?

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BY JUSTINE BROWN, Center for Digital Education

Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind., has an official Twitter account used to relay emergency alert messages — something a new study has found to be particularly effective. The widespread popularity of social media and associated mobile apps, especially among young people, has potential in public safety, a new study finds. Use of such sites as Facebook and Twitter has become so significant that universities should strongly consider utilizing them to spread information during campus emergencies, according to a study from the University at Buffalo School of Management called Factors impacting the adoption of social network sites for emergency notification purposes in universities. Social media not only enables campus authorities to instantly reach a large percentage of students to provide timely and accurate information during crisis situations, the study states, but sending messages through social networking channels also means students are more likely to comply with emergency notifications received.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/higher-ed/Is-Social-Media-Key-to-Effective-Communication-During-Campus-Emergencies.html

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University of Wisconsin Internet Outage Cost $360,000

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BY DAN SIMMONS, Wisconsin State Journal

Replacing a power system destroyed last June at UW-Madison — which darkened the university’s website and disabled nearly all electronic communication for a day — cost $360,000, said a spokesman with the school’s Division of Information Technology, or DoIT. Spokesman Brian Rust said it’s still unknown who will be on the hook to replace the uninterruptible power supply, a roomful of batteries that power a data center on Dayton Street. “The ‘who pays’ question is still in negotiation with the insurance company,” Rust said. John Krogman, who directs DoIT, told the State Journal last September that he was “cautiously optimistic” the insurer would pay.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/higher-ed/University-of-Wisconsin-Madison-Internet-Outage-Cost-360000.html

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March 4, 2015

Report: Virtual learning expanding among Michigan’s K-12 public school students

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By Izzy Lyman, Watchdog Arena

Over 76,000 K-12 Michigan public school students elected to take one or more virtual courses during the 2013-14 school year, according to a new report from the Michigan Virtual Research Learning Institute, a Lansing-based center for online learning research. A report by the Michigan Virtual Research Learning Institute finds that virtual learning is expanding in the Great Lake State, and rural students are thriving. That’s an increase of 38 percent from the previous year, although only 2 percent of K-12 enrollment is currently delivered online. “The trends are clear that more and more K-12 students will be taking virtual courses in the coming years, and the need to be able to learn in this kind of environment has become an important part of being college and career ready,” states Jamey Fitzpatrick, president and CEO of Michigan Virtual University.

http://watchdog.org/201780/virtual-learning-michigan-report/

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How Google and Coursera may upend the traditional college degree

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by Stuart M. Butler, Brookings Institution

Recently, the online education firm Coursera announced a new arrangement with Google, Instagram and other tech firms to launch what some are calling “microdegrees” – a set of online courses plus a hands-on capstone project designed in conjunction with top universities and leading high-tech firms. Coursera is one of America’s leading MOOC developers (Massive Open Online Courses). Together with other developments, such as rival MOOC developer Udacity’s “nanodegree” program, the Coursera announcement could be an important step in a radical shakeup of higher education. That shakeup holds the prospect of far less expensive and more customized degrees that are more in tune with the recruiting needs of major employers.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/techtank/posts/2015/02/23-mooc-google-coursera-butler

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