Techno-News Blog

by Bezinga

Four major associations join together as a cohesive voice advocating for adult students and the institutions that serve them. With support from Lumina Foundation, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), Presidents’ Forum, and University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) are pleased to announce the National Adult Learner Coalition. “For more than a century, UPCEA has advocated for adult learners,” said Robert Hansen, CEO, UPCEA. “Once a small minority, adult and non-traditional learners now constitute up to 85 percent of today’s students.” “Our coalition is dedicated to help realign federal policy with this new higher education landscape, advocating for the expansion of access, innovation, and creative solutions.”

https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/17/02/p9009921/national-adult-learner-coalition-created-to-advance-student-success

by Technavio, Business Wire

Global medical education market to grow at a CAGR of close to 17% during the period 2017-2021. Medical professionals are increasingly imparting education through online methodologies, largely replacing traditional physical classrooms. Universities and healthcare organizations are providing online medical education courses. Online methods such as flipped classrooms and blended learning offer myriad benefits to both students and teachers. These benefits vary from access features to course materials, online assessment facilities. It also has varied synchronous as well as asynchronous communication means such as webcasts and video conferencing. “Online learning technologies are becoming largely popular in emerging nations such as Kenya and China wherein most students do not have access to qualified teachers,” says Jhansi.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170207005730/en/Online-Learning-Technologies-Boost-Global-Medical-Education

by John Boitnott, Entrepreneur

To assess the efficacy of their programs, Coursera surveyed 52,000 of their users and asked them how taking an online course benefited them. The majority (over 60 percent) said the move helped them develop skills in their new position. Forty percent reported that they believed it improved their candidacy for a new job. Only 25 percent, however, said that they found a new job, and less than 5 percent received a raise. The final takeaway is this: free online courses can improve your current skill set and make you a better employee. It also shows initiative, which managers like. But it won’t necessarily land you a dream job.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/288781

by Insights, Samsung Government

Today’s workforce faces a greater range of threats to their livelihoods than ever before. Many jobs will come under threat in the next decade from trends such as globalization, automation and robotics. However, the growing digital workforce doesn’t necessarily mean the end for today’s workers. With the abundance of education and training classes now available online, employees can stay ahead of the game and safeguard their futures by developing new skills and talents, making them indispensable to their employers. Education has long been seen as something which you do at the start of your career, jamming as much training as possible into the early part of your life, before moving into the world of work. However, with today’s digital workforce and the trend of continuing education gaining pace, employees — and employers — are beginning to see the benefits of upgrading skills while on the job.

https://insights.samsung.com/2017/02/09/reprogramming-the-digital-workforce-with-online-education

by Knight Center

For the first time, students in a Knight Center MOOC (massive open online course) will be viewing some lessons in 360 degrees through interactive videos. In our newest MOOC, “Introduction to Immersive Journalism: Virtual Reality and 360 Video,” we will be using some of the very tools taught in the course. Watch this video of MOOC instructor, professor Robert Hernandez, explaining course content using 360 video. Immersive journalism, based on virtual reality and 360 video, has been used around the world as a new narrative format that allows reporters to tell stories and, at the same time, bring the audience to the places they want to show, as never before. It’s a skill that is in demand within news organizations that have experimented or want to start experimenting with the new tool that allows for immersive storytelling.

https://knightcenter.utexas.edu/00-17990-learn-about-virtual-reality-and-360-video-knight-center%E2%80%99s-free-online-course-intro-immersiv

by Kendi A. Rainwater, Times Free Press

Learning Blade was developed by Chattanooga entrepreneurs Shelia and Dane Boyington, both chemical engineers, and it is being used in most of Hamilton County’s middle schools and more than 525 schools statewide. Thanks to the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network and through the support of lawmakers, Learning Blade is now available to any middle school in the state at no cost. Shelia Boyington said she and her husband developed the program to meet a need, as many students across the state are graduating high school not prepared for the increasing number of well-paying STEM jobs in the region. “This program exposes them to those jobs,” she said, adding that interesting kids in STEM fields at a young age is one of the best ways to strengthen the workforce.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/feb/10/learning-blade-works-prepare-middle-school-st/412154/

by Chain-Finance

B9lab has announced the launch of its online course for CTOs, covering blockchain technology and decentralised infrastructure. Elias Haase, co-founder of B9lab, said: “Blockchain has the potential to change the way companies, customers and authorities interact in many industries. Companies, and especially CTOs, need to understand the nature of the technology to understand and plan for the potential impact on their business.” It covers the protocols Bitcoin, Ethereum, Hyperledger among several others. Beyond the technological landscape the material also goes into change management and future trends, both socially and technologically. The certificates are verified through the Ethereum Network, showcasing one of the current successful uses of the technology. The certificates have been integrated into LinkedIn and anyone can click through to see the unique B9lab verification and certification.

http://blockchain-finance.com/2017/02/10/b9lab-offers-blockchain-online-course-for-ctos/

By MATTHEW LYNCH, Tech Edvocate

Gamification has grown in popularity as teachers and educators realize the wealth of potential that games offer their students, no matter the age. Fast fading is the idea that video games are a waste of time. Children these days are among the most tech-savvy people precisely because they have been playing games on a range of devices for nearly their entire lives. Gamification is not a new concept (Oregon Trail was a unique blend of fun and learning back in the 1980s), but it is only recently where educators actually began to embrace it for its potential. As gamification grows in popularity, some Edtech companies have not only embraced it but have found ways to take gamification to a whole new level.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/five-edtech-companies-that-are-taking-gamification-to-the-next-level/

By MATTHEW LYNCH, Tech Edvocate

Students, whether in grade school or in higher education, are always on social media. They are creating, connecting, networking, and collaborating. Professors can easily take advantage of these platforms to help manage their classroom. Not only will taking advantage of social media help reduce the amount of paper used, but it will also benefit both the professor and the class. By doing so, professors can create a learning environment that becomes an advantage to students and help them learn more networking and collaborative skills for their profession.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/10-ways-that-professors-can-use-social-media/

BY MATTHEW LYNCH, Tech Edvocate

As the edtech industry grows, so should our curiosity to try new products. EdSurge, a website that matches teachers’ needs to Edtech product has over 2,000 Edtech products in its Product Index. This staggering number represents a fragment of the number of edtech products that are on offer to educators and administrations. So, if you are interested in incorporating a new product into the classroom or just curious about what is on the market; here are “9 Edtech Tools to Try.”

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/9-edtech-tools-to-try/

by Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Federal officials have completed amending a section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which could create new standards of compliance for colleges and universities in their website and IT management duties. The updates include new standards for access of telecommunications equipment, operating systems, screen and sound magnification and access points for websites. The new rules are scheduled to take effect in January 2018, but some observers question if the new administration will be active in forcing timely compliance.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/disability-compliance-may-emerge-as-key-issue-for-higher-ed/435454/

by Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Campus Technology released its annual earnings and job satisfaction survey of IT professionals at colleges and universities, revealing interesting trends about perceptions of job security and campus investment. The average annual IT salary was more than $77,800, but earnings among professionals at public institutions remained the same from the prior year, while private institution employee earnings increased by more than $8,000. An overwhelming majority of surveyed professionals reported satisfaction with their jobs and a positive outlook on the future of the industry, but 13% of professionals believe that IT is in slow decline at their institutions, and cite departmental budget constraints as the top area of dissatisfaction.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/the-state-of-the-campus-it-professional/435441/

By John LaMar, US News

In my experience, the online learning environment has allowed me to thrive in ways I was never able to in a traditional classroom. I will concede, however, that online learning is definitely quite a departure from the educational experience most students are used to. From my experience and the conversations I’ve had with others, here are three signs that online education might not be right for you. Those with poor time management skills might want to consider an on-campus program.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2017-02-03/3-signs-online-learning-isnt-right-for-you

By JOSEPH B. TREASTERFEB, NY Times

At Georgia State’s nursing school, the faculty used to believe that students who got a poor grade in “Conceptual Foundations of Nursing” probably wouldn’t go on to graduation. So they were surprised, after an analysis of student records stretching back a decade, to discover what really made a difference for nursing students: their performance in introductory math. “You could get a C or an A in that first nursing class and still be successful,” said Timothy M. Renick, the vice provost. “But if you got a low grade in your math courses, by the time you were in your junior and senior years, you were doing very poorly.” The analysis showed that fewer than 10 percent of nursing students with a C in math graduated, compared with about 80 percent of students with at least a B+. Algebra and statistics, it seems, were providing an essential foundation for later classes in biology, microbiology, physiology and pharmacology.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/education/edlife/will-you-graduate-ask-big-data.html

by Katherine Long, Seattle Times

Two University of Washington professors are taking aim at BS in a provocatively named new course they hope to teach this spring. The professors would like to push the course materials online — teaching it as a MOOC, for example, a freely available course taught over the web. When it came to picking a title for the course they will teach this spring, University of Washington professors Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West decided to abandon academic stodginess and get edgy. Their new course title? “Calling Bullshit in the Age of Big Data.” Bergstrom and West figured using a minor profanity was a surefire way to draw attention to the course. And sure enough — within hours of unveiling a wickedly funny webpage they created for the proposed class, and announcing it via Twitter, the BS course went viral. The webpage went live at midnight, and “we woke up the next morning and it was over the whole planet,” West said.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/uw-class-on-how-to-spot-fake-data-goes-viral-within-hours/

by eSchool News

Classes in a suburban Los Angeles elementary school were successfully taught by teacher robots during the 2015-2016 school year. Unbeknownst to parents, all first-grade classes in a suburban Los Angeles elementary school were successfully taught by teacher robots during the 2015-2016 school year. Only one parent was in on the secret. John Miller*, whose family moved to the area from Silicon Valley and whose son Jack enrolled as a new first-grade student last school year, first approached the district superintendent three years ago with a radical idea. “We’ve been working on some super cool artificial intelligence (AI), and in lab tests, the AI robots demonstrated instructional capability,” Miller said. “I wanted to see if they could teach real students, because we’ve seen robots help children with social-emotional learning.”

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/01/27/robots-teaching-children/

By Bradley Fuster, US News

It’s not difficult to imagine the many ways online students might cheat – and all the smart reasons not to do it. Without the watchful eye of a professor or proctor, many online students might be tempted to have a friend take their exam or write their paper, or quickly search the internet to plagiarize assignments. As more online programs employ technological countermeasures to curb and catch cheaters, the new black market of cheat-for-hire services has proliferated. These nefarious services offer to complete as little as one assignment and as much as an entire online course for a negotiated fee. Online cheat-for-hire companies openly advertise online, including sites such as Craigslist, and social media.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2017-01-27/4-dangers-of-cheating-services-for-online-courses

BY MERIS STANSBURY, eSchool News

It seems that we all have these alternative facts we tell ourselves instead of the truth, and education is no different. No matter how many times research reports, teacher testimonials, or student performance metrics reveal seemingly undeniable truths, antiquated practices or beliefs about how students should be taught are still used frequently thanks to the citation of these alternative facts. The editors at eSchool News quickly brainstormed what we believe are education’s most popular alternative facts that exist today, but we’d love to hear your suggestions! Make sure you leave your comments in the section below.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/01/27/5-educations-alternative-facts/

by Adam Marchick, Voice Labs

In 2016, Amazon Echo evolved from novelty to in-the-home powerhouse, with over seven million devices in households. Google Home launched in November, legitimizing a multi-platform ecosystem of voice-first devices. These two devices (Google Home, Amazon Echo) are simply the start of a much bigger future, where hundreds of millions of consumers will enjoy a more natural way of interacting with machines – conversational voice. Using only your voice, you can now seamlessly play music, turn on your lights, order a pizza and get breaking news. While early innovation is about taking phone and mobile app use cases and porting them to voice-first platforms, in 2017 we will see unique voice-first experiences that will take the world by storm. Get ready for always communicable family members, a personalized home assistant that makes life easier, and a conversational device that anticipates your needs.

http://voicelabs.co/2017/01/15/the-2017-voice-report/

By Marguerite McNeal, EdSurge

Even the most driven students are stuck if the classes they need aren’t available. At best they have to wait another semester to enroll. At worst they run out of financial aid and drop out of school before they have a chance to take the courses. To help students get the credits they need, some colleges are pooling resources on an unprecedented scale. To help students get the credits they need, some colleges are pooling resources on an unprecedented scale. California Community Colleges, the nation’s largest system with 113 institutions, just launched a course exchange so students at one campus can take classes online at another if those courses aren’t available on their home turf.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-10-23-california-launches-the-nation-s-largest-community-college-course-exchange

By Jeffrey R. Young & Sydney Johnson, EdSurge

Coursera is quietly testing elements of a new strategy, with the goal of moving from a platform for courses to a broader career-building service. It’s part of a continued evolution of MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses. Two Stanford University professors founded Coursera about five years ago, amid a wave of hype that free online courses could one day replace residential undergraduate colleges. That never happened, and since then companies like Coursera have been trying to find their niche—and a sustainable business model.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-01-26-coursera-s-new-strategy-takes-inspiration-from-netflix-and-linkedin