Techno-News Blog

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

A United States Department of Agriculture grant program will fund 45 projects intended to connect rural communities in 32 states with educational experts via videoconferencing. The same funding stream is also being applied to healthcare projects for connecting patients with medical professionals. On the education side, in Alaska Copper River School District, for example, will use nearly $500,000 to provide distance learning to five primary schools in extremely remote Alaskan villages. The schools will share curriculum and professional development. Three of the sites are on Native Alaskan trust lands. Across the country in West Virginia the Roane County Schools will use its $500,000 grant to place videoconferencing equipment in 19 schools.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/07/18/web-based-learning-in-rural-areas-gets-federal-financial-lift.aspx

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

1-to-1 programming up and running? Check. Blended learning in place? Check. Then maybe it’s time to add virtual reality to the classroom too. In a recent survey more than 9 in 10 teachers (93 percent) said they believe the use of VR would “excite” their students, and 8 in 10 (83 percent) say it might improve learning outcomes. The survey was run by a market research firm on behalf of Samsung, which sells its own VR headgear. Among the findings: Although only two percent of teachers reported having tried VR in the classroom, 60 percent said they would like to add it to their learning technology arsenal. Almost 8 in 10 respondents (77 percent) said they believe that VR could help students gain a better understanding of learning concepts, as well as increase collaboration (71 percent) and help motivate students in the classroom (84 percent).

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/06/28/the-possibilities-for-vr-to-transport-students-appeal-to-teachers.aspx

By Bradley Fuster, US News

Don’t hit the “submit” button when angry, or you may regret it. Did you ever send an email or submit a discussion forum post that you wish you could take back? Most people have. As a result, an online classmate or professor may misinterpret sarcastic jokes, puns and innuendos. Before taking an online class for the first time, it’s wise to familiarize yourself with Internet etiquette, or “netiquette.” Many online programs include this information as part of orientation. Arizona State University tells ASU Online students on its website, “Netiquette, a social code that defines ‘good’ online behavior, is something to keep in mind during your online course interactions. Writing may be the only means of communication you have with classmates and instructors, so it is especially important to do this effectively.”

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2016-07-22/5-tips-to-interact-sucessfully-with-professors-students-in-online-courses

By Stan Freeda, EdSurge

Educators, especially those of you in rural communities—you shouldn’t have to go out and find good professional development on your own. Your state should provide it. But where do state administrators start? In the rural state of New Hampshire, online professional development empowers educators to take ownership of their own growth and learning. Through consistent support and feedback and flexibility in scheduling, the OPEN NH program, run by the Office of Educational Technology at the New Hampshire Department of Education since 2005, offers high-quality, seven-week online professional development courses that focus on content and pedagogical knowledge, and emphasize active learning. By 2011, about 10% of NH teachers had participated in the 175 courses offered by OPEN NH—and currently, the program has expanded to offer over 300 courses.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-07-23-what-10-years-of-k-12-online-professional-development-taught-new-hampshire

BY KAVITA IYER, TechWorm

Does ever the thought of your personal details lying unsafe online cross your mind? Have you ever thought of how to keep your personal data secure online? At some point of time, these questions do cross everyone’s mind at one point or the other. With hacking and data breaches on the rise, internet and information safety is hugely important. As our lives increasingly depend on digital services, the need to protect our information from being maliciously disrupted or misused is really important. For instance, if your credentials are stolen, there is very little you can do to stop their resale and reuse. However, there are plenty of free online resources designed to teach you about basic information security techniques that can keep yourself safe from criminals who could use them against you. Even though your credentials may be stolen, you can definitely lessen the potential damage that is caused.

http://www.techworm.net/2016/07/5-free-cyber-security-courses-will-keep-safe-online.html

by Karis Hustad, Chicago Inno

Shaily Baranwal’s startup, Elevate K12, focused on providing digital instruction and online resources to the millions of at-risk students across the US. And it worked–since launching in 2008, Elevate K12 provided over 1 million hours of online instruction and had an average of 35 percent increase in student test scores. Now she’s taking lessons learned from instructing at-risk students and going after the millions of non-at-risk students around the country. Her latest product is called Classblox, and it offers on-demand, online classes taught by a real teacher. Students take hour long virtual, interactive classes from vetted teachers in subjects ranging from Chinese to ACT prep. Her aim is to reach middle class students, especially in rural and under-resourced suburbs, who are seeking additional learning opportunities that they may not have access to close to home.

http://chicagoinno.streetwise.co/2016/07/22/classblox-takes-on-khan-academy-kaplan-with-live-online-classes/

By Andrew Kreighbaum, Inside Higher Ed

The online retail giant’s promise to provide “discounted” student loans through a new partnership with Wells Fargo elicits concerns from consumer advocates about possible duping of students. Search “student loans” on Amazon.com and the results include titles like The Student Loan Scam and The Student Loan Mess: How Good Intentions Created a Trillion-Dollar Problem. Now the online retail giant is becoming involved in the student loan sector itself through a partnership with Wells Fargo. On Thursday, Amazon and the banking and financial services company announced a partnership through which Amazon Prime Student members will be eligible for a 0.5 percentage point reduction on their interest rate for private student loans taken out through Wells Fargo Education Financial Services.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/07/22/amazon-wells-fargo-partnership-private-student-loans-troubles-consumer-advocates

by DAVID McCURRY, Greenville Online

In South Carolina there are now more options for completing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Our regional colleges and universities have expanded evening, weekend and online offerings for students who do not fit the definition of the “traditional” 18-year-old high school graduate. Online courses – when designed well and taught by instructors and professors trained in effective methods for this type of learning – are a good alternative to traditional types of education. Many professors have reported, for example, that students’ participation in discussions increase in their online courses compared to their traditional classrooms. Some students, who may be reluctant to speak out in class, find their voice in writing and make their thoughts known in online discussions. More faculty have embraced this “virtual” classroom and excel at providing rich learning experiences for their students.

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/opinion/contributors/2016/07/17/commentary-finish-your-degree-online/87027526/

by SKILLCRUSH, AlleyWatch

There are some questions you need to ask yourself before you decide if learning to code online is right for you (it probably is! But I might be biased…), and more importantly, what kind of online class is going to be the most likely to lead to success. There are online subscriptions, mentorship programs, resource libraries, and everything in-between. And there isn’t a single right way to learn to code online. While one person might need a structure and schedule to stay on track, another person might want unlimited access to move at her own pace. If you’re not sure how to decide which online course is right for you, then ask yourself these fifteen questions to get a better handle on the kind of learning environment you need to be successful.

http://www.alleywatch.com/2016/07/15-things-know-learning-code-online/

By Sri Ravipati, THE Journal

Facebook is pledging $15 million over the next five years to Code.org to enable the nonprofit to expand access to computer science education, in an effort to improve diversity in the technology industry. The news comes after Facebook released a report on the diversity of its own employees earlier today. Data indicates the company still has a long way to go before it has a diverse employee base, particularly for its senior leadership and technical employees. For senior leadership, 27 percent are women, 3 percent are African American and 3 percent are Hispanic. Only 17 percent of technical workers are women, 3 percent are Hispanic and 1 percent is African American.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/07/14/facebook-commits-$15-million-to-code.org-to-diversify-coding-education.aspx

by Learninghouse

The report found that online college education has expanded access to students who previously might not have attended; this was primarily due to issues around time and finances. Of note, 50 percent of online college students reported that they “would not,” “probably would not,” or were “unsure” whether they would have pursued higher education had their program not been offered online. The researchers also found that potential students are choosing their schools faster, and limiting the number of institutions they consider, with many selecting the first program that engages with them. The expectation of rapid communication translates to all materials they submit, including those related to financial aid and transfer credit eligibility. The research also found that awareness of alternative pathways — including massive open online courses, micro degrees and bootcamps — is low; 66% of those surveyed reported either “no knowledge” or “minimal knowledge” of these options.

http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/new-research-from-learning-house-aslanian-market-research-debunks-online-college-student-2143911.htm

By Michael Hart, Campus Technology

New research into the demographics of online college students found 50 percent of them would probably not choose to attend classes on a physical campus. Half of higher education students taking advantage of online instruction said in a survey they either would not or were not sure they would attend live courses even if they were available to them. That’s according to the fifth annual survey by Learning House and Aslanian Market Research on the demographics of students who are pursuing online college degrees. This year’s study, entitled “Online College Students 2016: Comprehensive Data on Demands and Preferences,” found that while online courses were the only option for half of students, 90 percent of students who had taken live on-campus courses said they either prefer online courses or found them just as satisfying.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/07/20/half-of-online-students-would-not-opt-for-live-courses.aspx

by Suzanne Baker, Naperville Sun

More than 900 students from Indian Prairie District 204, Naperville District 203 and Wheaton Warrenville District 200 are participating in the first session of an online learning consortium known as eLo, or Expanding Learning Opportunities. Neuqua Valley junior Diego Hernandez took an American government class in June and still had time to sightsee around Germany, where he was visiting for the month. He was one of 917 students from Indian Prairie District 204, Naperville District 203 and Wheaton Warrenville District 200 participating in the first session of an online learning consortium known as eLo, or Expanding Learning Opportunities. The consortium touts that its courses are taught by teachers in the three districts with the same rigor as students experience in the school year.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-online-school-benefits-st-0720-20160719-story.html

by DutchNews.nl

Delft University of Technology has signed up its one millionth student for its online lectures or Massive Open Online Course programme. The university launched its first courses, on solar energy and water treatment, in September 2013. It now offers 36 different MOOCs, ranging from ‘leadership for engineers’ to aerospace. There is even a programming class, in Dutch, geared towards children ages 8 and up Students can select which courses to take via edX, a non-profit platform for online education that is also used by MIT, Harvard and other universities to make their courses available to anyone on the planet with access to the internet. Some 20% of Delft’s subscribers hail from the United States and 13% are based in India. The most popular course so far has been solar energy, which has drawn 131,000 enrolments. Creative Problem Solving, the second most popular, has attracted 113,000.

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2016/07/delft-university-attracts-one-million-students-for-its-online-courses/

by Barnes & Noble College, Education Dive

But after a brief conversation with Mary Ellen Deutsch, the time-crunched second year student, talk soon shifts to family, a house on Chicago’s North Shore and the pressures of the job as an HR executive. It also includes her participation in the part time EMBA program at The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. “It didn’t require a lot of thought,” says the ‘forty-something’ Deutsch. “I just saw this as a window, as a good time — probably the only time I would be able to get back to college and finish up my education,” she says. Increasingly, students like Deutsch are becoming the norm in a bid for better jobs, better salaries and career advancement. These nontraditional students have little in common with their 18-21 year-old counterparts, as they weave widely differing lifestyles, incomes and age groups with their motivation for further education. As an important emergent group, they are becoming the future of higher education.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/college-research-initiative-is-anything-but-traditional/422790/

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Understanding the goal of how to best help students is one of several points to consider in developing an institutional mobile app. Researching best practices among peer institutions, gathering intel on price point and maintenance, and testing strategies are vital considerations before selecting a developer for an app creation and launch. Branding the app presents an ideal opportunity to dive into institutional photo repositories and to engage students in creating and designing the function and appeal of the app.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/considering-a-mobile-app-for-your-institution-keep-these-5-things-in-mind/422932/

by Diana Coker, HR Digest

Do you want to hone your existing skills or pick up some new one? But, do you have time to do so? Are you willing to go back to school to learn those skills? Do you lack some of the skills that you may require once your change careers? If so, you can rely on online courses in order to develop what you lack. Online courses allow you to develop those much-needed skills at your own pace. They are self-regulated, shorter than a typical college semester, and cover all the topics and skills that you can possibly imagine. The hard part of taking online classes is to find online learning sites that are reputed and provide an online class in the field that you are looking for. But the good news is, we have done your part of hard work and have made a list of online sites that offer a variety of free and paid courses. Here are some top online learning sites.

http://www.thehrdigest.com/5-best-sites-online-courses-will-help-hone-skills/

by ATD

In this Q&A podcast, I speak with Ethan Edwards, who facilitates ATD’s E-Learning Instructional Design Certificate and Advanced E-Learning Instructional Design Certificate. Ethan has been designing online instruction for almost 25 years, beginning with work at the PLATO laboratory at the University of Illinois, continuing through positions at Authorware, Macromedia, Microsoft, and as a consultant with a host of top companies in the United States and abroad. The problem with most e-learning courseware, according to Ethan, is that designers get caught up in the media. Meanwhile, on the end of the spectrum, subject matter experts are applying pressure on designers to “just present content”—a lot of content. Consequently, too much e-learning—and training, for that matter—is presented like a trivia contest. What’s more, Ethan reminds, that “reading or listening to content without purpose is one of the most dull things in the universe.”

https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/Learning-Technologies-Blog/2016/07/How-to-Make-Elearning-so-People-Really-Learn-QA-with-Ethan-Edwards

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

A recent study indicates lecture hall-style classes increase the probability of failure by 55%. Lecturing may present a disadvantage to students from low-income high schools or communities, because they may have work schedules beyond the classroom and may learn best with more individualized attention. Lectures are most prevalent in secondary systems serving affluent learners. Some professors are incorporating multimedia into traditional lecture formats to try to reach 21st century students.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/how-to-fix-the-college-lecture/422786/

By Sri Ravipati, THE Journal

In an effort to increase the number of women and other underrepresented groups in the computer science field, Facebook is pledging $15 million over the next five years to Code.org to enable the nonprofit to train teachers to teach computer science in urban public school districts and to expand learning opportunities for students. Facebook released a report on the diversity of its own employees earlier today, admitting the company has a long way to go before it has a diverse employee base, particularly for its technical departments and senior leadership. Only 17 percent of technical workers are women, while 3 percent are Hispanic and 1 percent is African American. For senior leadership, 27 percent are women, 3 percent are African American and 3 percent are Hispanic.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/07/14/facebook-commits-$15-million-to-code.org-to-diversify-coding-education.aspx

by Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

A survey conducted by Inside Higher Ed found a majority of college business officials agree higher education is in financial crisis, with a bleak outlook for the next 10 years. More than 80% of business officers believe institutions must be more innovative and cost-conscious about academic offerings. More than half of survey respondents indicated faculty do not play a significant role in major budgeting decisions.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/survey-college-business-officers-say-higher-ed-in-crisis/422779/