Techno-News Blog

May 31, 2016

Why I Bought a Chromebook Instead of a Mac

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by Matt Novak, Gizmodo

Chromebooks have surpassed sales of Mac laptops in the United States for the first time ever. And that doesn’t surprise me. Because roughly a year ago I made the same switch. Formerly a lifelong Mac user, I bought my first PC ever in the form of a Chromebook. And I’m never looking back. Driven by the kind of passion that can only be found in the recently converted, I have aided and abetted friends in renouncing the sins of gluttony and pride uniquely found in the House of Apples. I have helped them find salvation with the Book of Chrome. Glory be the Kingdom of Chrome, for your light shines down upon us at a quarter of the price.

http://gizmodo.com/why-i-bought-a-chromebook-instead-of-a-mac-1778403065

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4 Ways to Use Social Media for Learning

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By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

These four uses for social media in STEM courses focus on deepening student learning through better communication. Social media continues to offer great promise for enhancing learning in the classroom. Much of the usage in college and university courses emphasizes collaborative activities, such as sharing ideas and building community — the social half of the term. But sites like Wikipedia, Twitter and YouTube are useful platforms for the media side too, enhancing communication and content delivery. Here, we look at how educators in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are tapping into both aspects of social media for learning. Of course, many of their methods can benefit students in any subject.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/05/18/4-ways-to-use-social-media-for-learning.aspx

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Robotic Telepresence Device Allows Student to Attend School Virtually While Receiving Treatment

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By Richard Chang, THE Journal

Brad Sandman and Tanya Jenkins both work at Suitable Technologies, based in Palo Alto. The company makes Beam, a mobile videoconferencing device that can be operated remotely with a computer or a phone. The Sandmans spoke with their company and convinced them to let Naya indefinitely lease the Beam+. Within a couple of weeks, Naya was virtually attending classes through Beam, even socializing with her friends, while she was lying in the hospital or at home in San Carlos, getting treatment or recovering. “I think it’s pretty cool,” she said. “I feel it’s more high tech. I feel really lucky to be in the Bay Area because of stuff like this.”

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/05/17/robotic-telepresence-device-allows-student-to-attend-school-virtually.aspx

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May 30, 2016

Career Pathways: Graduation is No Longer the Endgame

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by Jessica Giffin, InformED Blog

More American students than ever are graduating from high school and going on to college or some other postsecondary education. Two-thirds of our high school graduates enroll in two- or four-year programs in the fall after graduation. Although colleges award several million bachelor’s and associate degrees, only 59 percent of students attending four-year colleges will earn their degrees within six years. And just 29 percent of those attending community colleges will finish within three years. A 2015 Achieve survey on college and career preparedness found that more than three-quarters of employers reported gaps in recent high school graduates’ preparation for typical jobs in their companies. Educators, employers, and policy makers see the problem: the old either/or model of college-prep or vocational education is simply out of sync with the needs of 21st-century America.

http://educationpolicy.air.org/blog/career-pathways-graduation-no-longer-endgame

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Building a Student-Level Data System

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by Ben Miller, Center for American Progress

Comprehensive data collection on students in higher education would substantially benefit everyone involved in higher education. For institutions, a student-level data system would be a powerful tool allowing colleges to better document success by counting all students. Linking such a system to other existing federal data, such as those on workforce results, could provide institutions with new data on outcomes. In combination, these new data could help make the case for additional state funding, as well as potentially help recruit students by showing the value of an education. A student-level system would also offer students and families access to powerful new sources of data that could help them make better choices about college. Current federal data can only tell students how specific cohorts performed—most often, those who enrolled in college for the first time as a full-time student. Individuals who attend part time or transfer colleges thus learn little about what their outcomes might be. A student-level system fixes this issue.

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/higher-education/news/2016/05/23/137881/building-a-student-level-data-system/

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Higher Creducation: Do Students Go to College to Get Educated or to Get a Degree?

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by Kevin M. Guthrie, Ithaka S+R Blog

What remains to be seen in today’s rapidly changing economy and society is whether your success in the future will be determined more by whether you have been well-educated or if you have a credential from a place that indicates you are well educated. History seems to have favored the latter. The increase in digital surrogates of our work, connected by the network, combined with more of a gig-based and do-it-yourself economy, may increasingly favor what you know and the actual work you have done, rather than where you may have done it. If that is true, institutions of “higher creducation” will need to become better at education.

http://www.sr.ithaka.org/blog/higher-creducation/

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May 29, 2016

3 Keys to Creating an IT Strategic Plan

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By Frank DiMaria, Campus Technology

An information technology strategic plan provides tech workers with guidance and ensures that all personnel are working in alignment with the university mission. Here are three things to keep in mind when formulating an IT strategy. Woe is the IT shop operating without a strategic plan. Staffers may be tasked with supporting the overall university mission, but without a specific strategy they are working with little or no guidance. On these campuses unofficial strategic plans often hatch organically — or perhaps haphazardly — as tech workers do what comes naturally and makes sense to them, said Christopher Eagle, IT strategist and enterprise architect at the University of Michigan. A formal IT strategic plan helps ensure all personnel are moving in the same direction.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/05/26/3-keys-to-creating-an-it-strategic-plan.aspx

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U Wisconsin Prof Seeks To Bring Data Science to Life with Virtual Reality

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By Joshua Bolkan, Campus Technology

Students in an online data science program offered by the University of Wisconsin (UW) may soon get an opportunity to use virtual reality headsets to interact with mountains of data. “Ryan Martinez, an instructional designer for UW-Extension, sees both a need and an opportunity to make big data come to life in a way that can dramatically change people’s behavior,” according to a news release.”If data scientists could more quickly analyze data that’s already available, they could make faster decisions, act sooner and potentially even save lives,” said Martinez in a prepared statement. “All someone needs is a phone and a VR headset. What we can do to bring the data from virtual reality into real life — it’s incredible.”

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/05/19/u-wisconsin-prof-seeks-to-bring-data-science-to-life-with-virtual-reality.aspx

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Report: U Iowa students used Chinese companies to cheat online

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by Jeff Charis-Carlson, Press Citizen

Dozens of Chinese students at the University of Iowa are being investigated for cheating in their online courses, according to a news report from Reuters. ProctorU alerted UI that the students may have attempted to cheat by having other people take their exams in one or more courses. In a story posted Wednesday, Reuters reports that most, if not all, of the UI students under investigation are Chinese nationals who stand accused of cheating in online versions of at least three courses. Three of those Chinese students admitted to Reuters that they hired Chinese-run online companies to take exams for them. There are many such services that offer to help foreign students at U.S. colleges do much of the work required for their online classes — everything from writing papers to taking exams.

http://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/education/university-of-iowa/2016/05/25/report-ui-students-used-chinese-companies-cheat-online/84930626/

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May 28, 2016

Online degree units to cut tuition fees

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By Sean Coughlan, BBC

A UK online university network is claiming a “breakthrough moment” with a project which will allow students to cut the cost of a Russell Group degree by studying part of it online. A Futurelearn online course will provide credits towards a University of Leeds undergraduate degree. It will mean reducing the time and cost of tuition fees for a full degree. Futurelearn chairman Peter Horrocks says this will provide the flexibility needed by many students.  The online learning platform, which offers courses from more than 50 universities, was set up in 2013 by the Open University, as a UK provider for so-called Moocs (massive, open, online courses).

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-36378572

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North Carolina State’s Moodle plug-in gamifies sport management course

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By Roger Riddell, Education Dive

A Moodle plug-in developed in-house at North Carolina State University has gamified an Introduction to Sport Management course. Conceived by assistant teaching professor Edwin Lindsay, assistant professor Michelle Harrolle (who is no longer at the university), and NC State business and tech applications analyst Stephen Bader, the plug-in allows students to pursue individualized paths through coursework, gaining skill points so their avatars can complete various objectives. Funded by a grant from NC State’s DELTA (Distance Education and Learning Technology Applications), for which Bader also serves as Moodle lead, the plug-in may be released to the open-source community by the end of this year.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/north-carolina-states-moodle-plug-in-gamifies-sport-management-course/419841/

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Moocs prove that universities can and should embrace online learning

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by Kerri Morgan, Times Higher Education

The demand by students to study by distance, and the increasingly sophisticated delivery methods on offer, has created a truly staggering shift in our understanding of what “going to university” means. No longer are students confined to studying within their borders: a wonderful fact if you come from a poor country with limited university access, or if you want to learn a specialist subject but don’t have the means to travel overseas to study. While the power of technology to improve learning is well understood, the spectre of failure that comes from innovating, including deep technology adoption, sits heavy on the shoulders of universities who are acutely aware of what it would mean to fail. Higher education institutions have a responsibility to ensure that they are wisely adopting technology to support and advance their core endeavours.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/moocs-prove-universities-can-and-should-embrace-online-learning

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May 27, 2016

How this 16-year-old is teaching the world to code

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by Anita Balakrishnan, CNBC

High school junior Moksh Jawa is only 16 years old, but thousands of people around the world are turning to him to learn a valuable skill: coding. Jawa, the author of “Decoding AP Computer Science A: For a High Schooler, By a High Schooler,” is also the self-taught brains behind a free online computer course that has 4,000 students enrolled. “Going through the entire experience, I know that if the resources I had used had been paid, I wouldn’t have learned computer science,” Jawa said. “It’s my way of giving back. I’ve learned so much from the online community. Computer science is such an important skill it should be offered for free.”

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/19/how-this-16-year-old-is-teaching-the-world-to-code.html

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Our online model will always be free: ALISON founder

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by Sanjay Vijayakumar, the Hindu

When compared to other prominent Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) such as Udacity, Coursera and edX, ALISON’s content is not drawn from elite US-based universities, instead it focuses on practical workplace skills. ALISON, which has 7 million learners and over 750 courses, focuses mainly on developing markets such as India and Africa. ALISON calls itself a ‘for profit social enterprise’ and a single platform focused on workplace skills. “We are focusing on job skills at lower level. We are not training any one to become neuro scientist. We are training lots of people to speak English, to learn about IT, to learn about basic principles of business, on entrepreneurship this is what we teach,” said Mr. Feerick. Workplace is where the numbers are when compared to the academics, he said.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/our-online-model-will-always-be-free-alison-founder/article8632836.ece

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3 Ways Online Students Might Take Exams

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By Bobbie Lynn Eicher, US News

Different programs have different test-taking requirements and might proctor exams in person or online. Some programs will require that students have the proper equipment needed to take tests online, such as a microphone and webcam. Few students would cite exams as their favorite part of being in school, but doing well on them is crucial to surviving most academic programs. Being an online student means never having to sit in a classroom overseen by a professor and surrounded by others taking the same test, but online programs have still found ways to examine what students know.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2016-05-20/3-ways-online-students-might-take-exams

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May 26, 2016

University of Iowa investigates claims of cheating by online students

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by Vanessa Miller, the Gazette

Safeguards in place to prevent cheating among University of Iowa online students recently detected “potential irregularities” during an exam, prompting the institution to launch an academic misconduct investigation. The revelations came after ProctorU, a national proctoring service that the university partners with to provide identity verification for several online courses, alerted UI officials that at least 30 students enrolled in online courses might have tried to cheat by having other people take their tests. The proctoring service flagged potential instances of cheating through discrepancies in identification provided by test-takers in one or more exams and — in some cases — in multiple courses. A statement provided by UI spokeswoman Jeneane Beck says the institution is reviewing each case and will determine appropriate next steps.

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/higher-education/university-of-iowa-investigating-cheating-among-online-students-20160520

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Surprise! Data science, technology among key higher ed growth areas

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By Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

New research from Learning House aims to help colleges and universities think about the future of higher education. While many of the findings should not be a surprise to those inside the evolving educational landscape, “Growth Opportunities in Higher Education: Degrees and Alternate Pathways,” may provide some external validation of strategic plans at colleges and universities across the country. The report projects high-demand online bachelor’s, master’s, MBA and doctoral degree programs of the future, along with alternative learning pathways that are bound to gain in popularity. “This research underscores that for higher education institutions to thrive, it’s critical that they’re flexible in how, where, and what they offer to students,” said Learning House CEO Todd Zipper in a prepared statement.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/surprise-data-science-technology-among-key-higher-ed-growth-areas/418204/

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Role of CIO critical in higher ed’s future

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By Roger Riddell, Education Dive

Citing an Educause and Jisc report that states future IT leaders in higher ed must bring strategic focus to the role, EdTech Magazine breaks down the importance of the position as campuses are increasingly required to adapt to the technological demands of the 21st Century. Strategy in the role must go beyond simply being a middle-man between a college or university’s top administrators and IT, addressing how IT fits into the campus overall in relation to its strengths and weaknesses. A survey from CIO magazine suggests this is a challenge those in the position (regardless of official title, which can vary) are more than up for as they increasingly tackle business strategy as part of their day-to-day responsibilities.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/role-of-cio-critical-in-higher-eds-future/419455/

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May 25, 2016

Common Active Learning Mistakes

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by Richard M. Felder and Rebecca Brent, Tomorrow’s Professor

Active learning is an easy and remarkably robust teaching method that functions well in every conceivable academic setting – a claim supported by a mountain of literature. Instructors who start using it often limit its effectiveness by making certain mistakes, however, and many drop the method when the results disappoint them or they experience vigorous student resistance. Table 6.5-1 lists six mistakes to avoid when you use active learning and strategies to avoid making them, and the paragraphs that follow elaborate on the strategies.

https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1491

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Facebook Schools MOOCs on Engagement

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By Jason Schmitt, EdSurge

If MOOCs want to build student engagement, they may want to take a lesson from Facebook. That’s the takeaway from a recent study by researchers at Pennsylvania State University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who found students favor using Facebook groups over MOOC forums in part because they have more positive interactions on the social media site and feel a stronger sense of community there. Trust plays a role; on Facebook the students tended to use their “real” names and could see one another’s profiles. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory analyzed data on student use of forums for three MOOCs from Coursera and course-related Facebook groups, and interviewed instructors and a dozen students. The research was presented at the ACM conference on Learning at Scale.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-19-facebook-schools-moocs-on-engagement

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What’s Your Type? Making Online Education Work #infographic

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by Affordable Colleges

A useful collection of data by type of online student is provided in this infographic. This may be a good orientation to those who are unfamiliar with the growing importance of online learning.

http://www.affordable-online-colleges.net/online-education/

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