Techno-News Blog

by Kelly Wynne, College of DuPage Courier

Online learning allows me to take my education into my own hands. I know that if I don’t understand the material I cannot blame it on a teacher. I have to blame it on my own lack of attention and lack of care. Because of this, I have been nothing but successful in an online classroom. I don’t think there is an accurate way to measure the effectiveness of an online class, simply because every person learns differently. For someone like me who pays more attention when I am in control, these classes give me a true sense of freedom and responsibility. Someone who learns better in a classroom setting may find himself or herself failing to stay on top of assignments without constant reminders and a physical representation of a teacher who can answer questions on the spot. The only way to accurately measure your ability to flourish in an online learning environment is to try it for yourself.

http://codcourier.org/3012/opinion/point-counterpoint-online-classes-are-perfect-for-independent-students/

by Arizona State University

Arizona State University and Coursera announced Tuesday that they will offer open online professional-development courses targeted towards Hispanic audiences in Latin America and the U.S. that will help students succeed in the global economy. Through this partnership with Coursera, ASU becomes the first university in the United States to offer online courses tailored to the needs of Latin America and the Hispanic community. The announcement underscores why U.S News and World Report named ASU the most innovative school in the nation. “ASU continues to develop new ways to provide students a path to learning that fits their life balance,” said Mark Searle, interim provost at ASU. “Yesterday’s announcement also reflects our efforts to prepare students for an increasingly interconnected global economy.”

https://asunews.asu.edu/20150930-asu-coursera-spanish-courses

by Ryan Craig, Forbes

Two high-profile companies are pursuing a badge-based future: Coursera and Udacity. Both began their lives as providers of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). While some figured out quickly that there was no business model to support credential-less online learning, it took the companies a bit longer. Udacity pivoted first in 2013, announcing “Nanodegrees” developed in partnership with leading technology companies (“built by industry”). The thinking being that Google’s involvement in the Android Developer Nanodegree improves the curriculum; the Google brand doesn’t hurt either. Udacity has done the same with iOS (Apple), Tech Entrepreneur (Google) and its other programs (by a committee of leading technology lights). For its part, Coursera is betting on content and brands from top universities. Coursera launched its “Specializations” in 2014 and now offers 75 different programs, the vast majority from a single university.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryancraig/2015/09/30/coursera-udacity-and-the-future-of-credentials/

by Matt ZalaznickUniversity Business

More institutions now offer digital badges as a form of micro-credential or “subdegree” to students who pass individual courses or certifications, and want to show potential employers what they’ve learned. Badges, which can be posted to LinkedIn profiles and in digital portfolios, link to detailed information about the course taken, skills taught and assessments passed. Today’s professionals are more likely than were previous generations to return to higher education—perhaps more than once, says David Schejbal, dean of continuing education at University of Wisconsin-Extension. “The vision is to create a structure of alternative credentials that students could acquire relatively quickly and inexpensively that will also be immediately useful from an employment perspective.”

http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/digital-badges-hit-big-time-higher-ed

By Charles McIntyre, EdTech

Two billion students will be learning English over the next decade, 80% of global companies say English is needed to succeed in their business and 55% of all websites are written in English. The English language is pervasive and the teaching of English is big business. Expenditure on English language learning is growing at twice the rate of spend on education more generally and by 2018 we expect global expenditure on English language learning to exceed $80bn, almost 4x more than the total spend on all the other languages put together. The challenge is how to deliver English language learning in an effective way. Language learning is a sophisticated skill that requires high levels of engagement and ideally a fully immersive experience. For example, it is not easy to replicate the outside world of multiple accents, different speeds of delivery and a wide range of vocabulary in a classroom.

http://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/can-online-learning-rise-to-the-challenge

By Sharon Florentine, CIO

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer an incredible value for enterprises looking to increase skills and knowledge within their workforce. What began in the realm of academia has evolved into a powerful platform for enterprise training, continuing education and professional development. The IT industry evolves at a break-neck pace, and organizations that aren’t committed to ongoing learning and education are at a distinct competitive disadvantage. But spending thousands — even millions – to send IT workers to lengthy training classes or even back to college for additional degrees just isn’t cost-effective or practical. “MOOCs and online learning are addressing three of the biggest obstacles to learning in the enterprise: the cost, inevitable technology obsolescence and accessibility,” says Ryan Corey, co-founder of online enterprise learning platform Cybrary.

http://www.cio.com/article/2986306/it-skills-training/4-ways-moocs-are-changing-professional-development.html

by Elena Sanina Freddy Esparza, Mark Montero, EdSurge

“Quantity of devices and well-developed adaptive software is the key to a successful blended learning implementation,” said no one ever! What is key? Teacher appetite and readiness to rethink what is possible. Over the last four years, Aspire Public Schools has rolled out blended learning classrooms in 23 of its 38 schools in California and Tennessee. Along the way, we’ve learned some hard lessons about converting whole schools to station rotation blended learning models in short periods of time.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-09-28-how-to-kick-off-blended-learning-hint-it-s-not-just-about-tech

by Brian Rashid, Forbes

Fifteen million people have made a choice. They chose to learn and grow and expand and advance. They sat in their apartments in New York City or their flats in London or their huts in Colombia. They came to learn from the four corners of the world. They opened their computer screens or turned on their mobile devices. These 15 million people had two things in common. They used Coursera. Their lives improved. As of today, Coursera launched more than 100 new courses in Spanish from the some of the best Universities across Latin America. That is 10 times the amount of courses previously on the platform. They also have 60 courses that have been subtitled or fully translated in Spanish. A majority of these offerings are career-focused courses like business english, IOS development, data analytics, green marketing, and entrepreneurship. Oh, and the mobile app is now also available in Spanish, making it easier for its users to navigate.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brianrashid/2015/09/29/coursera-expands-to-latin-america-in-big-ways/

by Kurt Eisele-Dyrli, University Business

Fulfilling a connection need: Troy University’s Trojan Cafe (left) has had more than 19,000 users in the past year, and Northern Virginia Community College’s virtual student union (right), still in expansion mode, has had about 500 users so far. For all the advantages of online learning—flexibility, personalization and affordability among them—there can be downsides for some students. Traditional, on-campus students can take advantage of a wide variety of social and extracurricular opportunities, but online students may feel isolated and disconnected from their peers and from their college or university—and risk losing the engagement so crucial to student success. Linked below are reports from three higher ed institutions in various stages of addressing these issues via a virtual student union.

http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/keeping-remote-college-students-connected

by Nichole Osinski, The Spectrum & Daily News

Technology is becoming a normal part of education and it may be the key to defining the success of students’ futures. Incorporating blended learning in classrooms leads to an increase of graduation rates among other positive benefits, according to a recent case study from the Evergreen Group and the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. The study looked at 12 school districts in the U.S. that use blended learning within their curriculum.

http://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2015/09/26/success-blended-learning/72880952/

by Alex Hernandez, EdSurge

My 9-year-old twins recently completed a five-week MOOC (massive open online course). I thought I’d be a proud, high-fiving dad, but MOOC completion rates hover around 6%, so when they completed the MOOC, I was mostly puzzled. Something went terribly… right. Brain Chase is an online learning experience geared for 2nd to 8th graders designed to cure summer learning loss and provide afterschool enrichment. Each week, children work on a variety of online programs such as Khan Academy, myOn and Rosetta Stone, submit a piece of writing and read–a substantial investment of 5 hours a week during the summer. Brain Chase takes a standard set of online learning programs like Khan Academy and Rosetta Stone and layers a Hollywood-like treasure hunt–reminiscent of the National Treasure or Indiana Jones movies–over the top. Once kids meet their weekly goals, a video is unlocked which reveals clues to find a buried treasure.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-09-21-why-my-kids-finished-their-mooc-when-most-adults-don-t

by Joshua Grondin, THE VARSITY

In an age of technology and readily available information, course instructors are experimenting with the inverted classroom teaching format. Gaining popularity among academic institutions around the world, the inverted classroom model requires students to cover lecture material at home through online lecture videos, learning modules, and supplementary readings. During scheduled class hours, students then have the opportunity to actively engage with their professor to gain further understanding of the material. The purpose of this alternative approach is to give students the opportunity to improve their skills in a more interactive environment.

http://thevarsity.ca/2015/09/21/u-of-t-courses-adopt-the-inverted-classroom/

by Michael Hotchkiss, Princeton University

Princeton University continues to broaden its online teaching and learning efforts and has become a charter member of the edX Consortium. As a result, millions of learners will have the opportunity to take free classes offered by Princeton faculty on the edX online platform. The first course taught by a Princeton faculty member on edX is scheduled to begin in October. Jennifer Widner, a professor of politics and international affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, will lead the course “Making Government Work in Hard Places.”

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S44/30/40Q82/index.xml

By Darwin Green, US News

With online learning, military students don’t have to worry about whether moving will interfere with their studies. It was the winter of 2012, and my wife and I were waiting to hear the location of her next military post. I wanted to enroll in college because I needed to start a career I could use wherever we ended up. We got the orders for Nebraska one month prior to moving. Several weeks after we arrived, I started taking online classes at Pennsylvania State University—World Campus, where I’m now in my last semester of earning an online degree in psychology. Based on my experience, here are three things people from the military community should know about online learning.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/2015/09/25/3-things-the-military-community-should-know-about-online-learning

By: Rob Kelly, Faculty Focus

Scenario-based learning can be an effective way for students to apply what they have learned to realistic situations. There are many different ways to design scenarios for online delivery, from text-based case studies to interactive, immersive simulations. Regardless of the resources that you have available, there are effective ways to put students in scenarios that contribute to their learning. In an interview with Online Classroom, Claudia Howery, elearning instructional coordinator at Delta College, explained the basic principles of scenario-based learning and offered advice on how to implement it an online course.

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/scenario-based-learning-in-the-online-classroom/

By Erika Morphy, CMS Wire

Vancouver, British Columbia-based Hootsuite debuted an online learning portal called Podium this week that’s devoted to classes on (what else?) social media. There’s no charge for the classes and a quick preview suggests they are worth the time invested in watching them — especially since they are free, outside of a $200 fee for people who want to be certified.

http://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/hootsuite-gets-stickier-with-free-online-classes/

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

Animated flashcards and sub-two-minute videos turn out to be the most effective online resources for K-12 against all other common options. That’s the finding determined by OpenEd, which recently studied the data generated from the results of assessments given to students who used its free online resources for educational purposes. OpenEd has collected “over a million” assessments, homework assignments, videos, games and lesson plans for every Common Core and Next Generation Science standard. Some are free; some are part of a “premium” collection. Teachers use the site to assign homework and quizzes to their students. Those formative assessments are automatically graded and then the student receives recommendations about the resources to watch or work through in gaining additional mastery. It’s those scores that were used to derive the data used in OpenEd’s analysis.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2015/09/23/opened-assesses-most-effective-online-learning-resources.aspx

by the University of Wisconsin

George Mosse was one of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s iconic professors: a pioneering historian with a gift for connecting the past to the present. Mosse was an authority on Nazism who himself fled the Nazi regime, writing influential works on fascism like “The Crisis of German Ideology” and “The Nationalization of the Masses.” Students flocked to his UW classes from 1955 until his retirement in 1987, drawn by his charismatic style and his insights into European cultural history. Mosse died in 1999, but a unique online course from UW-Madison’s Division of Continuing Studies is bringing his lectures to a new audience. From Oct. 5-31, What History Tells plans to recreate the exhilarating experience of sitting in Mosse’s classroom.

http://news.wisc.edu/24034

By Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

Higher education institutions won’t ever get to a point where they can stop worrying about protecting data, so the best strategy is to prepare for continual training and review. Campus Technology reports that there are clear behaviors to stay away from, including treating security as an IT problem exclusively and using the same training for everyone across the institution. Michigan Tech follows the TARR system — training, auditing, reviewing, and remediating based on a mandatory survey for every staff member at the university dealing with any kind of personal information.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/higher-ed-data-security-an-ongoing-process-not-a-problem-to-be-solved/406231/

By Laura Devaney, eSchoolNews

A new survey finds that just 13 percent of participating educators have used social media as part of their classroom learning. The University of Phoenix College of Education survey of 1,002 U.S. K-12 teachers found that 87 percent of those surveyed said they have not embraced social media platforms. Sixty-two percent of those surveyed said they are reluctant to use social media in the classroom, compared to 55 percent of participating educators in a 2013 survey.Fewer than half of teachers surveyed (44 percent) said they believe social media can enhance a student’s educational experiences. Lack of training could be to blame. Although 95 percent of surveyed educators said they have had training related to classroom technology integration, 62 percent said they had either minimal or no training around how to interact with students and parents through social media.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/09/25/social-media-teachers-052/

By Corinne Lestch, Fed Scoop

Andrew Marcinek was hired by the Office of Educational Technology to work on connecting K-12 and higher ed schools to openly licensed educational resources. According to officials, Marcinek will work with “tool providers and developers, district and state leaders, and educators” to connect them to open educational resources, also known as OER, which can range from podcasts to digital libraries and games. The announcement comes as President Barack Obama once again directed his focus to a key higher education issue: trying to hold colleges accountable to students with a new website.

http://fedscoop.com/education-department-announces-new-open-educational-resources-hire-and-college-website