Techno-News Blog

By Growth Engineering

Game mechanics have subsequently been applied to just about everything – Store loyalty cards, air miles, sales leaderboards, Fitbit, and even eating your ‘5 A Day’! But it’s the world of online learning which has seen some of the most extensive use of gamification. If you were unfortunate enough to experience any early attempts at online learning, then chances are that you slipped into a coma immediately afterwards. Online learning can be mind-numbingly boring. But now the power of game mechanics is being used to engage learners with their training, improve their information retention, and ultimately make a training programme much more effective! So which game mechanics in particular can you expect to find in the world of online learning? Let’s take a look!

http://www.growthengineering.co.uk/video-game-mechanics-and-online-learning/

by Erica L. Snow, Educational Data Mining

The current study employs transitional probabilities as a way to classify and trace students’ interactions within an online learning system. Results revealed that students’ interaction patterns within the system varied in relation to their performances on embedded assessments. The results and methodologies presented here are designed to provide practitioners with a starting place for how to extract information concerning how and why their students interact within an online environment.

http://www.educationaldatamining.org/EDM2016/proceedings/paper_190.pdf

by Alice Mani, Deccan Herald

Conventional teaching tools have changed dramatically over the past several decades. Schools have gone from blackboards and chalk to whiteboards with dry erase markers — and in some places, from textbooks to laptops that place a wide range of up-to-date information at students’ fingertips. One of the latest developments in the education world is the growing use of YouTube, the popular video sharing website where any user can upload and share videos of every possible kind. The first thing that many people associate with YouTube is that it is an easy and convenient way to view music videos, television or movie clips. Meanwhile, it is also becoming clear that YouTube has much more potential than that.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/555058/an-effective-e-learning-tool.html

BY LAURA DEVANEY, eSchool News

Educators from Pre-K up through higher education most often prefer to participate in professional learning opportunities that focus on training for online software and digital resources (34 percent), classroom management strategies (34 percent), and digital device training (33 percent), according to a new survey released during this year’s ISTE conference. The 2016 Vision K-20 Professional Learning Survey Report is the ninth annual national K-20 educator survey from the Education Technology Industry Network (ETIN) of SIIA, and also is the first survey focusing on online professional learning (PL).

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/06/30/180520/

By Sri Ravipati, Campus Technology

Millennial students seem to prefer badging and certificate programs to traditional bachelor’s degrees, according to a new study from University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), Pennsylvania State University and Pearson that explored the role that alternative credentials play in higher education. “Demographic Shifts in Educational Demand and the Rise of Alternative Credentials” reveals that programs offering alternative credentialing have become widespread in higher education, with 94 percent of the institutions reporting they offer alternative credentials. Alternative credentials can take the form of digital badges, certificates and micro-credentials. The study was conducted by Jim Fong, director of UPCEA’s Center for Research Marketing Strategy; Kyle Peck, director of the Center for Online Innovation in Learning and a professor at Penn State; and Peter Janzow, senior director of business development at Pearson’s Acclaim.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/06/29/study-says-more-than-90-percent-of-institutions-offer-alternative-credentials.aspx

by Itai Asseo, et al, EDUCAUSE Review

Predictions for the growth of the IoT vary considerably: some experts forecast that about 20 billion devices will be connected by 2020; others put the number closer to 40 or 50 billion; and some even foresee as many as 100+ billion connected devices by that time. Regardless of the exact number of devices, spending in this market is expected to increase substantially, with the International Data Corporation (IDC) calculating that the worldwide market for IoT solutions will reach $7.1 trillion in four years. Clearly, the hardware, networking, software, analytics, and device/component vendors are embracing the IoT.1 What does all this mean for colleges and universities? Considering the key role being played by vendors in this market, we decided to ask some industry leaders in higher education a few questions.

http://er.educause.edu/articles/2016/6/the-internet-of-things-riding-the-wave-in-higher-education

by Jonathan Jackson, FinFeed

The rise of learning management systems and e-Learning for use in business shows no signs of abating. Statistics highlight the adoption of e-learning methodology will only become stronger in the coming years. It is estimated that between the years 2015 and 2020, the LMS market will grow by about 180%, with an estimate of growth from $4.07 billion in 2015 to $11.34 billion in 2020, roughly an annual growth rate of 22.8%. While LMS (learning management systems) and eLearning isn’t new, technological capabilities have made eLearning more accessible.

http://finfeed.com/technology/vpc/new-e-learning-paradigm/20160628/

by Juliette Powell, Strategy+Business

Andrew Ng, chief scientist of Baidu Research, sees artificial intelligence as part of a larger socially valuable endeavor, says deep learning is a new take on ideas that have been around for decades. People first began experimenting with artificial neural networks, loosely inspired by the brain, years ago. But only recently have we had the computing power, data, and expertise to create networks that learn a hierarchy of concepts in an emergent manner without guidance or design by a human programmer. [These deep learning networks] can help extract patterns from, and make sense of, the complex data inside today’s organizations. Several years ago, we saw deep learning beginning to work really well compared with more traditional AI approaches. Older generations of AI algorithms didn’t know what to do with all the data we now have.

http://www.strategy-business.com/article/An-Advocate-of-Deep-Learning?gko=2d725

by Marilyn Campbell, Alexandria Gazette

Opportunities for continuing and professional education abound for the intellectually curious. One trend in continuing education that local educators say is on the rise is online learning. A study by the Babson Survey Research Group shows the number of students enrolled in distance learning courses increased each year for the past 13 years. Driven by advancements in technology, the explosion of online learning is making education — once available only to those with extra time and the funds — accessible to anyone with a tablet or laptop computer.“Our online courses have increased at about 20 percent a year for about three years,” said Stephen Nodine, Ph.D., associate vice president for E-Learning and director of Distance Education at George Mason University.

http://www.alexandriagazette.com/news/2016/jun/27/online-classes-offer-flexible-options-earning-cred/

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

According to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 41% of students who earned an associate degree during the 2009-10 academic year earned a bachelor’s degree within six years. Outcomes were better for younger community college attendees; students aged 20 or younger earned associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees or both, at a slightly higher rate than students between the ages of 20-24 or older. Nearly 37% of students earning an associate degree took 2-3 years to earn a bachelor’s degree.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/report-41-of-associate-degree-earners-move-to-bachelors-in-6-years/421765/

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

A new study reveals that more than 90% of American colleges and universities offer alternative credential or badging programs for certification in industry-specific careers. The University Professional and Continuing Education Association says millennial survey respondents prefer certifications to bachelor’s degrees, and schools are responding with increased development of professional training silos. More than 60% of respondents believe that credentialing is an important part of an institution’s professional development strategy.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/millennials-prefer-credentialing-programs-to-traditional-degrees/421754/

By Michael Hart, THE Journal

Incorporating touch technology, a new device can turn any flat-screen television or monitor into an interactive display. The Touchjet Wave was first introduced to the consumer market at International CES in January. It was introduced to the education market during ISTE’s annual conference taking place this week in Denver. The Wave is a device that hooks on to the top of a television and turns it into a giant Android tablet. It connects to any TV with HDMI and uses a mix of infrared technology, sensors and what Touchjet calls its Light Processing Unit (LPU) to track finger movements on the screen. A camera and dual-stereo microphones for video chats can also be added. The Touchjet Wave uses its own launcher on top of Android KitKat and offers full access to the Google Play Store.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/06/28/new-touch-projector-can-turn-a-tv-into-a-whiteboard.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 IBC International News

The Indian market for corporate education in India has been a niche market that has witnessed steady growth but is yet to be explored in full potential and has a huge scope for expansion in the coming years in comparison to global corporate education market. The training methodology has seen rapid digitization of content and migration towards online training which has been a noticeable trend in the last decade. Influx of a flurry of corporate training companies in the Indian landscape has been an important stimulant for the market. Rising demand for trainings on a spectrum of courses has put the market on an exemplary growth track. IT training market in India has been the premium sector and the most important revenue generator for the industry. Telecom Training Industry in India along with corporate training in banking and automobile corporate education has also seen considerable demand.

https://www.ibcworldnews.com/2016/06/27/e-learning-and-mobile-learning-platforms-to-lead-the-corporate-training-market-in-india/

By Jordan Friedman, US News

Virtual group work and a combination of self-paced and live classes are common, experts and students say. When it comes to scheduling courses, experts say, the top online MBA programs give students greater flexibility than they would find on a physical campus. An education from a top online MBA program includes both self-paced instruction, where students watch video lectures and complete readings on their own time, and live learning, where students gather in the online “classroom” – a learning management system such as Canvas or Blackboard – and actively participate using webcams. This combination, experts say, is ideal for working professionals, like Scott Grady, an online MBA student in Temple’s program who lives in Pennsylvania. He says the asynchronous portion allows for significant flexibility, though the live sessions also have benefits.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2016-06-27/what-to-expect-in-a-top-online-mba-program

by JC Torres, Slash Gear

In this Internet age, a lot of information flows freely on the Web, but not all of them are reliable or even factually correct. A whole market, led by the likes of Coursera and Udacity, have sprung up to give a bit of formality to “online education.” Now Amazon is jumping in with its new Amazon Inspire platform, but with a very different twist. Instead of catering to students looking online instruction, Inspire practically crowdsources educational materials and resources that other teachers and educators can use and customize for their particular use cases. Teachers reveal to Amazon that they spend 12 hours a week scouring for resources to use in their classes, and that, more often than not, they favor those that come from their peers and fellows in the field. Sensing an opportunity, Amazon created Amazon Inspire to give these educators a single place to share and use those materials to not only help make their lives easier but also improve the quality of education, especially for K-12 programs.

http://www.slashgear.com/amazon-inspire-crowdsources-resources-for-educators-28446104/

by Walter Pearson, the EvoLLLution

While enrollments of adult students are dropping nearly across the board, four-year non-profit institutions have seen growth among this critical demographic. In the latest report from the National Student Clearing House, the enrollment in Spring 2016 had increased among those above age 24 only for those enrolling in four-year non-profits. The enrollment increased by 1.5 percent. The enrollment among adult students has generally been shifting downward, with the overall enrollment falling 3.4 percent. The downward trend is sharpest in the for-profit sector, dropping 7.7 percent. The two-year sector has seen enrollments fall 5.8 percent while four-year publics have declined 1.8 percent.

http://evolllution.com/managing-institution/higher_ed_business/adult-students-shifting-to-four-year-non-profits/

By Kristine Walker, Parent Herald

The world is currently facing a worsening refugee crisis, where roughly 1.1 million people, who fled their homes due to violence, drought and food insecurity, are needed to be relocated this year. Fortunately, United Nations is making efforts to raise awareness about refugees, particularly in refugee education and learning. Previous researches on education technology (EdTech) have underscored its potential to revolutionize the opportunity limits and access of less fortunate students to education through the influence of new digital tools as educational resources. That’s why experts believed that education technology can help transform and improve children refugees’ education.

http://www.parentherald.com/articles/50596/20160622/education-technology-latest-news-updates-how-edtech-revolutionizes-education-for-children-refugees.htm

by Coursera

From everyone at Coursera – congratulations to the Class of 2016, and best of luck to all our learners in your upcoming adventures.

Top graduation season courses and Specializations:

Machine Learning, Stanford University

Graphic Design, California Institute of the Arts

Python for Everybody, University of Michigan

Responsive Web Development & Design, University of London

Java Programming, Duke University

Data Science, Johns Hopkins University

Business Foundations, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Big Data, University of California, San Diego

Agile Development, University of Virginia

Career Success, University of California, Irvine

http://coursera.tumblr.com/post/146415367147/graduation-season-wrap-up-10-most-popular-courses

By Rob Thubron, Tech Spot

If you’ve got an idea for a killer app that’s going to make millions but are held back by a total lack of coding knowledge, Google could have the answer. The search giant is teaming up with online learning platform Udacity to offer a course that teaches people with zero experience how to create Android apps. The Google Android Basics Nanodegree is aimed at that those who are new to programming looking to eventually become an Android developer. The course covers topics such as interactivity, layouts, object-oriented programming basics, data storage, and multi-screen apps.“We built this program with Google specifically to support aspiring Android Developers with no programming experience. Our goal is to ensure you get the real-world skills you need to actually start building Android apps,” Udacity says.

http://www.techspot.com/news/65318-google-online-nanodegree-course-teach-newcomers-how-write.html

BY KENT ERDAHLA, Fox 31 Denver

A tech startup is helping students, teachers and parents track online learning thanks to a free extension to the Google Chrome Browser. It’s called StackUp and some of the students who are using it say it’s already changed the way they approach summer reading. “It’s really fun,” said Kailen Bryant, who is using StackUp as part of his Scholars Unlimited summer program in Denver. “You know how much progress you’ve gotten and how well you’re doing. How much better you’re doing at reading.” StackUp is a free plug-in that anyone can download to track their own productivity or prove the amount of research they’ve put in to a given topic.

http://kdvr.com/2016/06/23/tech-companys-tool-tracks-online-learning-its-also-fun-for-kids/