Techno-News Blog

by Andrew Rikard, EdSurge

By measuring the number of times a text appears on different syllabuses, OSP calculates a “teaching score.” The more a text appears, the higher the score is. Topping the list is “The Elements of Style” with Plato’s “Republic” and “The Communist Manifesto” not far behind. Each individual entry shows the top books assigned with it, data they’ve turned into a myriad of visualizations, including the network below. The project recounts what teachers teach—what the next generation of young college grads will read. The metadata, which OSP plans to release to the public (date TBD), will be open to researchers and for-profit educational technology companies alike. From journal articles on literary canon development to great book recommendation software, the future looks bright for the data.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-08-04-more-than-a-million-syllabuses-at-your-fingertips

by Todd Tauber, CLO

Most of the diehard learning myths that linger in today’s companies just aren’t true. For instance, employees do have time for learning — if it helps them do their jobs better or advances their careers. Most CLOs are working hard to connect with their workforce. According to the Brandon Hall Group, 61 percent of learning and development leaders think workers should engage with their resources at least once-a-week. Yet, in a webinar poll conducted with Chief Learning Officer earlier this year, only 20 percent of learning leaders said their employees do that. To help learning and development teams better engage employees, Degreed recently surveyed 512 people to understand how today’s workforce builds their skills and careers. The findings, summarized in the “How the Workforce Learns in 2016” report, call out three common myths about workplace learning.

http://www.clomedia.com/2016/08/01/3-big-myths-about-workplace-learning/

BY ALYSE KALISH, Inc

It’s something you’ve probably heard a decent amount: “You should take an online class,” “That’s what online classes are for,” “Online courses are a great resource.” But what exactly are you getting yourself into by enrolling? Why exactly is it a useful tool? Is it even worth it? Trust me, you’re not the only one with these questions. That’s why I spoke to real, live people who’ve taken classes before to get the real scoop on what they entail. And what I learned is that they’re more than just worthwhile–they can be complete game changers.

http://www.inc.com/the-muse/10-things-you-should-know-about-online-classes-skills.html

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Competitive schools of law, medicine and business may be slower to admit students for graduate study, who have earned undergraduate degrees exclusively through distance learning, even if awarded by accredited, well-known institutions. In most cases, graduate admissions officers will consider the ranking of an institution and the rigor of coursework, in addition to the applicant’s context for choosing online learning, in consideration of admission. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine does not accept online classes for prerequisite requirements, a sign that some experts say speaks to the value of students’ ability to engage in classroom and laboratory settings.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/online-degrees-could-complicate-grad-school-prospects/423830/

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Adult learners are expected to grow as a major part of the undergraduate enrollment population in the next nine years, a data point that will require financial and structural adjustments from institutions and states. More flexible scheduling in courses, unique options for billing and additional credentialing opportunities for industry-specific majors are all accommodations adult learners often require. States like Florida, Tennessee and New York have introduced legislation to induce institutions to recruit adult learners.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/adult-learner-enrollment-on-the-rise/423836/

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Georgia Tech Center for 21st Century Universities Executive Director Richard DeMillo told Campus Technology 2016 attendees that technology will soon govern how colleges and universities are operated. DeMillo says MOOCs, artificial intelligence and personal technology are making traditional classroom service delivery too expensive to maintain, and too exclusionary by today’s standards of access. Technology allows for customization in teaching and learning models, which gives institutions more flexibility in managing the business of education and making decisions based upon performance and research-based data.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/georgia-tech-exec-tech-key-to-answering-higher-ed-triple-threat/423855/

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Sony is out to woo academia through a new research program that focuses on a broad palette of technology. The company is taking a two-pronged approach to teaming up with North American universities: faculty innovation awards and an annual research award. The innovation awards, worth up to $100,000, will be given to institutions that submit one-year research projects in any of several areas: artificial intelligence, the internet of things, virtual reality, autonomous driving and robotics.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/08/03/sony-unveils-university-research-program.aspx

By Lisa Gibson, Prairie Business

College professors and instructors are increasingly designing their courses using free online resources that allow tailored curriculums and reduced textbook expenses for students. During the spring 2016 semester, Valley City State University students saved an estimated $82,000 through an expansion of the school’s use of open educational resources (OERs) as a substitute for costly textbooks. About 600 students that semester participated in classes using OERs, almost half of the university’s total 1,400 enrollment, says Julee Russell, a VCSU English professor who uses OERs in her courses.

http://www.prairiebusinessmagazine.com/magazine/current-issue/4086202-higher-education-learning-next-level

by Kylie Lacey, University Business

Devices will talk to other devices on campus. Here’s how to get ready. While little pockets of IoT are springing up in higher ed—both in the form of institution- and student-owned devices—campuswide installations are predicted to be a few years away. That’s not an excuse for sitting back and waiting for smart coffee makers to pop up in every residence hall, however. Enough bandwidth needs to be purchased. Data storage and usage policies, including around security, need to be developed. Processes for managing more expansive networks need to be defined. The potential of IoT could touch every aspect of campus life. Student traffic patterns could be tracked by networked wearables such as Fitbits, mobile phones and maybe even the next generation of access cards.

http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/higher-prepares-internet-things

By Elana Goodwin, ULoop

Nowadays, there are a lot of different opportunities online to continue your education, take classes, or earn a degree. However, you shouldn’t necessarily consider becoming an online learner an easy feat — here are some characteristics and abilities you’ll want to have in order to be a successful online learner. Ultimately, completing and excelling in your online classes is up to you — but you’ll find it helpful if you have some, if not all, of these characteristics and abilities as they’ll allow you to be a successful online learner.

http://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/208702/What-Makes-A-Successful-Online-Learner

by Seb Murray, Business Because

The robots are coming for education — tech will help instructors enhance the learning experience. Artificial intelligence (or AI) has permeated most facets of our lives. Algorithms suggest our social media mates. Software trades our stocks. Soon, computers may even whizz us about town, autonomously. But could the arrival of the robots be applied to education? Jozef Misik, managing director of Knowble, a language tech start-up whose products are built on AI, believes so: “Most educational technology products will have an AI or deep learning component in future,” he says.

http://www.businessbecause.com/news/mba-distance-learning/4099/edtech-ai-is-transforming-online-learning

by Gregory Dobbin, Educause Review

The most effective IT leaders solve institutional problems, not simply IT problems. Their success relies on a shared understanding with institutional leaders on how technology can advance the institutional mission. Promoting this two-way learning between IT and other institutional leaders will contribute to a climate in which constructive dialogue can take place.

http://er.educause.edu/articles/2016/7/building-a-common-technology-vision

By Richard Chang, THE Journal

The learning management system market is expected to grow from $5.22 billion in 2016 to $15.72 billion by 2021, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets, an India-based market research firm. That increase represents a compound annual growth rate of 24.7 percent. Some of the major driving factors for the growing LMS market are increasing adoption of digital learning among corporate organizations and academic institutions, as well as the bring your own device (BYOD) trend. Furthermore, the market is expected to be driven by new opportunities, such as the growing use of wearable e-learning devices and emerging technologies like gamification and virtual reality.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/07/28/learning-management-system-market-expected-to-grow-10.5-billion-in-next-5-years.aspx

By David Raths, Campus Technology

By creating a centralized Office of Analytics and developing a flexible analytics platform, the University of Maryland University College has leveraged data to reduce recruiting expenses, increase course completion and student persistence rates, and inform university policy. Faced with decreasing revenue from lower enrollments, an evolving business model and an increased focus on student outcomes, the University of Maryland University College created a new Office of Analytics and kick-started data-driven decision-making on campus. “We aimed to build a flexible platform that could answer many of the business questions that the university had,” said Darren Catalano, UMUC’s former vice president of analytics and now CEO of HelioCampus.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/07/28/building-a-new-model-for-data-driven-decision-making.aspx

By Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

Arkansas created the Virtual Arkansas program in response to statewide demand for online courses at the K-12 level, but it hired its teachers for their content area expertise and few had experience teaching in the online format. According to eSchool News, the state responded by sending teachers through Leading Edge Certification’s Online and Blended Teacher certification, composed of eight modules including ones about online assessment, pedagogical strategies, and project-based learning options. Teachers are asked to research digital learning tools and test them before incorporating them into their classes, and they develop custom assessments and create collaborative presentations during the training, which teachers generally complete in four to eight weeks over the summer.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/virtual-arkansas-instructors-go-through-intensive-training-in-online-ed/423534/

by Jordan Friedman, US News

Prospective MBA students might ultimately narrow their options to completely online and blended options. Experts say the ultimate decision often boils down to whether they want the total flexibility that an online-only education provides, or opportunities for face-to-face communication. “There’s no way that a purely online program could claim itself as being better – a better experience, a more robust education – than one with some on-campus experience,” says Dan Bauer, CEO and founder of The MBA Exchange, an admissions consulting firm. Students need to consider what benefits they will sacrifice by choosing one form of learning over the other, he says. Prospective online learners should consider answering these questions when weighing their options, experts say.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2016-07-28/ask-5-questions-to-decide-between-online-blended-mba-programs

by Merris Stansbury, eCampus News

Researchers from the University of California Riverside and zyBooks recently presented findings at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) annual conference that shows students demonstrate integrity in learning and ignore online cheating opportunities—if they feel like they’re really learning.The study reveals that most college students make a legitimate attempt to answer questions in homework assignments, even when a short-cut to the answer is available to them through the click of a button. The paper also discusses teaching practices that can have a negative impact on honesty such as assigning excessive work. Experts were also able to compare response data to the makeup of the questions themselves to determine which types of questions are most effective.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/research/student-online-cheating/

By LEE SHEARER, Online Athens

Enrollment in University of Georgia’s slate of online summer school courses has more than doubled in two years, helping push the university’s summer school enrollment to a new record this year. Students registered for 7,507 virtual seats in online courses this summer — up from 4,500 in 2015 and 2,965 in 2014, said UGA Vice President for Instruction Rahul Shrivastav. Most of the enrollment is undergraduate — 6,245, vs. 1,262 graduate registrations. Shrivastav sees that as a major factor in pushing summer school enrollment to a record 15,792 this year, up by nearly 10 percent from a year ago.

http://onlineathens.com/mobile/2016-07-28/ugas-online-courses-lift-summer-enrollment-new-record

BY STEPHEN NOONOO, eCampus News

In Arkansas, as in most states, student interest in online learning is skyrocketing. While most students still take at least some of their courses in a face-to-face setting, the need to scale online learning opportunities for thousands of students has required new infrastructure, new curriculum, and, of course, new teachers. The state’s official response was to create a new program, called Virtual Arkansas, to manage its online courses and work with districts to find students who want to take them. The idea is to provide a full range of services, from catering to students in rural areas looking for a hard-to-find class to districts turning to online in the face of teacher shortages or budget cutbacks. Currently, about 30,000 students in the state take courses through Virtual Arkansas and the program employs dozens of teachers, whose experience with blended learning might be spotty at best.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/07/28/how-this-state-is-turning-its-virtual-teachers-into-online-learning-experts/

by Tomas Laurinavicius, Huffington Post

Simply put, online certifications deliver incredible returns for the investment, both in terms of time and resources. While a college or university degree takes three to five years to finish, online certification programs run for no longer than a few weeks or a couple of months, depending on the field of study. Increased employer recognition and the tangible benefits that follow from having a certification to your name have made this a popular choice for professionals around the world. According to Upwork, 54 million people did freelance work in 2015, with the number as high as 75 million in 2016. That’s 24% of the population of the United States! The pull of a freer lifestyle and flexible working hours have been the main reasons an increasing number of professionals are opting for freelance careers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tomas-laurinavicius/why-online-certifications_b_11081630.html

by Walter Frick, Harvard Business Review

I’ve found there are at least three good ways to learn from MOOCs, depending on your goals and the time you plan to spend. In some cases, it makes sense to go for a certificate, which means completing all the coursework and usually costs money. For courses on Coursera, edX, or Udacity, getting a certificate typically requires several hours of work per week, for several weeks or even months. But that’s not the only way to use MOOCs. Another option is to audit the course, watching all the videos but not necessarily completing all the assignments. Finally, in some cases you can get what you need just by sampling a MOOC, watching a video here or there to get the specific knowledge that you need.

https://hbr.org/2016/07/3-ways-to-use-moocs-to-advance-your-career