Techno-News Blog

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

In a survey of 1,500 students who are seriously considering, currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a fully online program, most (86 percent) considered the value of their degree equal to or greater than the cost they paid to take it. Among those who have attended face-to-face and online courses, the majority (85 percent) said that online learning is as good as or better than attending courses on campus. In fact, two-thirds of online college students (67 percent) reported that they’d achieved the original goal that motivated them to enroll in their program; graduate students were more likely than undergraduates to feel that way (76 percent vs. 62 percent). The survey was conducted by Learning House, a company that manages online programs for colleges and universities, and Aslanian Market Research, a research arm of EducationDynamics, which performs student prospecting and enrollment management.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/06/18/most-students-say-online-learning-is-as-good-or-better-than-face-to-face.aspx

by MARTHA DALTON, WABE

A lot of students find themselves in similar situations in the summer, says Lindsay Page, an education professor at the University of Pittsburgh who has researched summer melt. She says it can be easy for upcoming freshmen to feel lost in the summertime. A lot of students find themselves in similar situations in the summer, says Lindsay Page, an education professor at the University of Pittsburgh who has researched summer melt. She says it can be easy for upcoming freshmen to feel lost in the summertime.  Page teamed up with GSU to develop the program that helped Birchell and other students. It’s a chatbot called “Pounce” that can text back and forth with students. “The Pounce system would ask students, ‘What questions do you have? What can we help with?’” Page says.

https://www.wabe.org/georgia-state-uses-a-chatbot-to-attack-summer-melt/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Some psychologists have in fact made the case that technology companies are intentionally perverting what we know about how the brain works to get people addicted to their platforms. It seems that some people are better at overcoming the allure of technology, but, for many people, the pull is just as real and just as powerful as any other substance to which one might become addicted. Since tech companies want to turn a profit, it would not be surprising to learn that they use the best tools available, including what we know about how the brain works, to make that happen. But that is not a universal opinion. Other scholars claim that, while technology can certainly be appealing, framing it as an addiction is not only scientifically inaccurate but likely to lead to a sense of panic that is not helpful in teaching children to moderate their behavior. They claim that scientific evidence simply does not back up the claim that technology is addictive in the same way that, for example, nicotine is.

Tech Giants Accused of Addicting Kids to Technology: Is It True?

by Peter High , Forbes

Jeff Maggioncalda was recently named CEO of Coursera. I have interviewed both founders of the company, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, so I was curious about Maggioncalda’s perspective on the company, education technology and the massive open online courses more generally, and his own background as an entrepreneur. Regarding the last point, Maggioncalda was previously the founding CEO of Financial Engines Inc, a company that was founded by Nobel Prize winner William Sharpe and recently sold for $3 billion. During his 18 years as CEO of Financial Engines Inc, Maggioncalda had to pivot three times from his original idea before becoming a success. Financial Engines would go on to become the largest independent online retirement advice platform with more than $100 billion under management.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhigh/2018/06/18/from-founding-one-of-the-largest-fintechs-to-ceo-of-the-largest-edtech-coursera/

by Shalina Chatlani, Education Dive
The workplace of the future will be marked by unprecedentedly advanced technologies, as well as a focus on incorporating artificially intelligent algorithms of automation to drive higher levels of production with fewer resources. Employers and education stakeholders, noting the reality of this trend, question whether students will be workforce ready in the years to come. This has become a significant concern for higher education executives, finding that their business models could be disrupted as they fail to meet workforce demands. A 2018 Gallup and Northeastern University survey shows that of 3,297 U.S. citizens interviewed, only 22% of those with a bachelor’s degree said their education left them “well” or “very well prepared” to use AI in their jobs.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/is-ai-disrupting-higher-education/525130/

BY AARON NEAL, eCampus News
You don’t have to look far to understand that data is arguably an organization’s most valuable asset. The Economist declared that “The world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data,” while Facebook is being scrutinized over its handling of data and how it may have been used to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. However, many higher education institutions fail to recognize the value of the data they hold beyond their day-to-day operational needs. In 2015, Indiana University embarked on the Decision Support Initiative (DSI). Our goal was to improve decision making at all levels of the university by dramatically enhancing the availability of timely, relevant, and accurate information to support decision makers.

How we improved decision making at Indiana University

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal
An open immersive virtual reality interface for pre-university and first-year students allows them to explore engineering disciplines, such as structural or hydraulics, as part of engaging their interest in STEM careers. The VR program allows the user to navigate through a 3D model of a building and see the construction components that are “normally hidden” behind other layers, such as the plumbing, columns, slabs and beams. “Civil Virtual Reality Laboratory” is openly available online and can be tested using the HTC VIVE headset, the corresponding controller and a VR-ready computer.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/06/07/vr-interface-lets-students-explore-civil-engineering.aspx

BY THOMAS GOLDRICK, eCampus News
With a growing non-traditional student population, many colleges and universities are looking to blended learning technology and strategy to meet their pedagogical needs. But finding a combination of online and in-person components that match the expectations of both students and faculty can be daunting. Thankfully, higher ed’s collaborative culture makes networking and sharing expertise with other IT professionals easier. On March 1st, the higher ed IT Professional’s Meetup gathered at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., to discuss how attendees could find the right blend for their university’s blended learning offerings. A panel of industry experts came together: Eric Palson, director of academic technologies at Babson College; Kristen Palson, director for Simmons Online at Simmons College in Boston; and Gaurav Shah, director of academic technologies at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. Elmore Alexander, the dean of the Ricciardi College of Business at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Mass., moderated the discussion.

3 higher ed experts share their blended learning advice

By Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology
This spring, graduates of Southern New Hampshire University’s College for America are receiving their bachelor’s and associate degrees as both paper diplomas and Blockcerts, digital credentials based on blockchain technology. SNHU partnered with Learning Machine for its digital diploma project; the software company co-developed Blockcerts with the MIT Media Lab in 2016. Because Blockcert credentials can be linked to any blockchain (such as Bitcoin or Ethereum), they can be read and verified anywhere in the world without the need to check with the original issuer.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/06/11/southern-new-hampshire-u-issues-blockchain-credentials-to-college-for-america-grads.aspx

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
The share of online adults who say the internet has been good for society is on the decline. While 76 percent in 2014 said the internet has been “mostly” good, by 2018, the proportion sharing that sentiment had dropped to 70 percent. Among older adults, those 65 and older, the shift was starkest, dropping from 78 percent in 2014 to 64 percent this year. Young people — ages 18 to 29 — were slightly more upbeat; 79 percent said the internet has been mostly good for society in 2014 compared to 74 percent in 2018. These results came from a phone survey of 2,002 adults, 18 years or older, run by the Pew Research Center during January 2018.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/06/12/people-with-more-education-have-a-more-positive-view-of-the-internet.aspx

By Lindsay McKenzie, Inside Higher Ed

For a corporation routinely criticized for its low pay and anti-unionization efforts, announcing the new employee perk had the added benefit of making Walmart appear civic-minded by helping to educate a historically undereducated and low-skilled work force. Starting this fall, part-time and full-time employees who have worked at Walmart for at least 90 days will be eligible to study online and earn associate or bachelor’s degrees in business administration or supply chain management, with almost all learning costs covered by the company. The workers will be required to make a $365 annual contribution toward tuition, the equivalent of $1 per day. Walmart will pay for its employees to study at three nonprofit universities: Bellevue University, Brandman University and the University of Florida Online.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/06/12/guild-education-creates-business-broker-employer-financed-college-degrees

by Jessica Davis, Information Week

“Data scientist roles have grown over 650 percent since 2012, but currently 35,000 people in the US have data science skills, while hundreds of companies are hiring for those roles – even those you may not expect in sectors like retail and finance – supply of candidates for these roles cannot keep up with demand,” the report said. What’s more, the report cites the growth rate for machine learning engineer jobs to be higher than that of any other job over the last 5 years. With that in mind, InformationWeek has put together a short list of 5 free online Machine Learning courses created by some of the top schools in the country. These courses are not entry level. Even the one course that is listed as introductory has some prerequisites. Prerequisites for these courses overall tend to include computer programming and advanced mathematics. But if you are a professional looking to transition to one of the highly paid, in high demand positions of machine learning engineer, here’s a selection of online courses that can help you get the skills you need to make the move.

https://www.informationweek.com/big-data/ai-machine-learning/5-free-online-machine-learning-courses/d/d-id/1331950

By Mark Lieberman, Inside Higher Ed

Developers at Penn State believe their new tool will make creating online courses easier than ever, even for the non-tech savvy.  Creating an online course requires time, patience, ingenuity — and, often, technical expertise beyond the grasp of many instructors accustomed to teaching primarily face-to-face. Developers at Pennsylvania State University’s main campus have created a tool they think will address the latter hurdle. The Headless Authoring Experience (HAX) organizes in a single browser screen all the functions necessary to create an online course or an open educational resource. Its aim, according to Bryan Ollendyke, an instructional technology systems developer, is to make the creation of online courses possible even for instructors with limited technical capabilities. “HAX is basically a way to let people write really complex HTML without having any idea that that’s what they’re doing,” Ollendyke said.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2018/06/13/open-source-tool-aims-make-online-course-creation-accessible-all

by Dave Kovaleski, Homeland Preparedness News
The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Task Force has launched an online training course designed to educate social media companies about how terrorists may seek to exploit their platforms. The training course, called “Countering Terrorists Exploitation of Social Media and the Internet,” was presented to members of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) this week.

Homeland Security launches new training course to counter online terrorist activities

By Donald E. Bossi0, THE Journal

In the age of online learning, educators, parents and students around the world — especially including from diverse and rural populations — have more access than ever before to educational resources. The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education community, where innovation and hands-on learning experiences are critical, often finds itself at the exciting crossroads of traditional and online learning. The role we play in classrooms and communities across the country has taught us an important lesson: As online learning continues to change the face of education, those of us at this intersection have a tremendous opportunity to embrace digital advancements and, ultimately, enhance traditional classroom environments and hands-on programs for our students. After all, what is online learning but an incredible STEM innovation?

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/06/12/stem-at-the-crossroads-of-traditional-and-online-learning.aspx

By Kevin P. Chavous, THE Journal

Families are opting for online and blended education because the models allow for greater customization to meet the needs of each student in ways that many traditional schools cannot. Learning systems used in online and blended schools also empower teachers to more effectively personalize learning — measure progress, adjust pace, and provide extra support when needed for every learner — which is a major advantage for both struggling students as well as high-achievers. This level of personalization can be a challenge to achieve in a traditional classroom. Yet, while the report acknowledges the growing demand for virtual schools, it relies on inaccurate and unavailable data to evaluate the schools’ effectiveness. The report’s claim that virtual schools are less diverse, and serve a lower number of low-income and special needs students are inconsistent with data from K12-partner schools (which make up 39 percent of online schools).

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/06/13/as-demand-for-online-schools-grows-so-does-need-for-accurate-evaluation.aspx

By: Ashley Godwin, Four States

Crowder College administration is seeing a pattern of students balancing course work with other priorities, but they have found a way to help.  Through a Title 3 grant, Crowder is implementing a new style of higher educational learning called uConnect where students can still be considered a full-time student, but not take so many classes at once. “So for example when I take 15 credit hours a semester that’s usually 5 classes. The first 8 weeks I’ll do two of those classes and then the next 8 weeks I’ll do the other three classes, so I’m still getting my 15 hours a semester, but I’m only studying two or three subjects at a time,” says Cindy Brown. “You have time to breathe. You have a lot of time to breathe, and just take a step back, because you need that for your mental health,” says Amy Leyva. Crowder will start uConnect this fall. And with technology becoming more prevalent in education, as the program progresses, Crowder is looking to add online or partial online classes.

http://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/crowder-starts-new-program-to-lighten-the-load-on-students/1237539490

By Goldie Blumenstyk, Chronicle
Something rang both haphazard and familiar in the announcement Facebook made last week, promising to create as many as 15 partnerships with community colleges by the end of 2018.  The company is creating those partnerships alongside its larger “Community Boost” program, which is designed to train more than one million people in 50 cities in digital skills. Both moves come as Facebook faces increasing public criticism for how it has allowed members’ private data to be shared with outside companies and political operatives. In the past six weeks it has announced partnerships with Des Moines Area Community College, Central New Mexico Community College, and Greenville Technical College, in South Carolina; on Friday it unveiled two more, at Bunker Hill and Roxbury Community Colleges, both in Massachusetts. Exactly how those institutions were chosen — or how future ones will be — is unclear.

https://www.chronicle.com/article/Facebook-Plans-to-Team-Up-With/243641

by Lydia Belanger, Entrepreneur

“Companies are having trouble keeping up,” says Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of online learning platform Coursera, of the rapid rate of technological acceleration worldwide today. “Even large companies that have a dedicated learning and development function don’t have the resources and expertise to teach all of those new skills to people spread around the world.” For small companies, such resources are obviously even more limited. According to a Bank of America report, small-business owners listed training and developing existing staff as the number-one priority for using loan capital in 2015. But as Deloitte found in a 2017 survey, more than half of companies do not have learning programs focused on building skills for the future. But the tide could be changing.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/314943

By Shalina Chatlani, Education Dive
The workplace of the future will be marked by unprecedentedly advanced technologies, as well as a focus on incorporating artificial intelligence to drive higher levels of production with fewer resources. Employers and education stakeholders, noting the reality of this trend, are turning a reflective eye toward current students and questioning whether they will be workforce ready in the years to come. This has become a significant concern for higher education executives, who find their business models could be disrupted as they fail to meet workforce demands. A 2018 Gallup-Northeastern University survey shows that of 3,297 U.S. citizens interviewed, only 22% with a bachelor’s degree said their education left them “well” or “very well prepared” to use AI in their jobs.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/preparing-students-for-workplace-of-the-future/525536/

Shubashree Desikan, the Hindu
The annotated datas can be used by deep-learning frameworks employed in AI to learn the model accurately. Understanding user engagement in online interactions is important in many contexts, with online shopping, advertising, e-learning and healthcare being just a few sectors. Now, IIT Hyderabad has built DAiSEE (Dataset for Affective States in E-Environments), the first multilabel video-classification dataset for recognising boredom, confusion, frustration and engagement. The dataset comprises 9,068 video snippets captured from 112 individuals. For each of these affective states, there are further four levels of labels – very low, low, high and very high. These labels are provided by observing the viewer’s reactions.

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/iit-hyderabad-dataset-to-understand-online-user-engagement/article24180468.ece