Techno-News Blog

by Pat Donachie, Education Dive

Some future teachers are using augmented and virtual reality programs to gain classroom experience before they ever lead an actual class, according to University Business. The programs, increasingly in use at institutions throughout the country, offer future teachers the opportunity to fail and learn from mistakes in a “low-stakes” setting, according to Penn State Ed Tech Services Director Kyle Bowen. The virtual classroom students have individualized personalities and react to the instruction of the student in the VR space, and supporters say programs say they can be amended to accommodate for changes in student age, background and subject matter.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/teacher-ed-programs-turn-to-virtual-reality/511608/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Is your teaching about to be disrupted? The answer is yes, it definitely is! But in a good way. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is transforming every aspect of education, from curriculum development all the way to assessment. Do you want to bring some of these cutting-edge advances to your own classroom, but you’re not sure how to do it? Linked below are eight AI tools and apps that are well worth the necessary learning curve.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/8-must-artificial-intelligence-apps-tools/

by Will Knight, MIT Technology Review

Researchers have built the most sophisticated quantum computer yet, signaling progress toward a powerful new way of processing information. IBM established a landmark in computing last month, announcing a quantum computer that handles 50 quantum bits, or qubits. The company is also making a 20-qubit system available through its cloud computing platform. IBM, Google, Intel, and a San Francisco startup called Rigetti are all currently racing to build useful quantum systems. These machines process information in a different way from traditional computers, using the counterintuitive nature of quantum physics. The announcement does not mean quantum computing is ready for common use.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/609451/ibm-raises-the-bar-with-a-50-qubit-quantum-computer/

BY RYAN EASH, eCampus News

The higher education landscape is shifting and institutions are facing a decline in overall enrollment. Rather than opting for a traditional classroom experience, students today have come to expect greater flexibility in deciding when, where and how to learn. In fact, it is predicted that by 2019 at least 50 percent of all classes will be delivered online and that percentage will only continue to increase. To adjust to student expectations and keep enrollment up, higher education institutions must offer online courses or blended classrooms to compete with other colleges that already have those options. Using technology in the classroom is beneficial as it can serve as a solution for meeting students’ expectations while also keeping enrollment up. For example, instructors can use technology to engage with students through visual communications and learning.

6 reasons why course visuals are a must for today’s college students

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News

A previous Barnes and Noble College study of nearly 800 non-traditional students as a whole revealed that nearly twice as many non-traditional students are at risk of dropping out when compared to traditional peers. The report notes that the number of non-traditional students is projected to increase more than twice as fast as traditional students from 2012 to 2022, according to the CLASP Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success. And because non-traditional students are among the fastest-growing student groups, this means schools face retention challenges. Only 37 percent of at-risk students said they feel confident they will accomplish their educational goals, and 33 percent of those at risk participate in extra-curricular activities, compared to 62 percent of non-traditional students who are not at risk of not graduating.

5 innovative strategies to support non-traditional students

by Mark Muro, Sifan Liu, Jacob Whiton, Siddharth Kulkarni, Brookings

In remaking the U.S. economy and the world of work. The “digitalization of everything” has at once increased the potential of individuals, firms, and society while also contributing to a series of troublesome impacts and inequalities, such as worker pay disparities across many demographics, and the divergence of metropolitan economic outcomes. In light of that, this report presents a detailed analysis of changes in the digital content of 545 occupations covering 90 percent of the U.S. workforce in all industries since 2001. The analysis categorizes U.S. occupations into jobs that require high, medium or low digital skills and tracks the impacts of rapid change.

https://www.brookings.edu/research/digitalization-and-the-american-workforce/