Techno-News Blog

BY ELISA ESPOSITO, eCampus News

Interactive flat panel displays (IFPDs) have become increasingly common in educational environments, thanks in part to the technology’s flexibility and ongoing evolution. IFPDs let us easily share information with more devices in more ways seemingly every day. As a result, university users are making the most out of their IFPDs, from connecting to smartphones to help turn a lecture into a dialogue to syncing with a learning management system (LMS) to hash out a group project in real time, regardless of participants’ location.

3 ways technology has evolved the lecture

By Cait Etherington, eLearning Inside

In the week leading up to World Refugee Day, there have been dozens of high-profile reports about the ongoing plight of the world’s refugee and migrant populations. From the perilous journey of 650 migrants who were turned away from two countries before eventually being granted refuge in Spain to the situation facing detained parents and children at the U.S. border, we are currently living in a world deeply shaped by the daily struggles of people who have been forced to leave their homes due to war, poverty, and environmental destruction. Educating the estimated 65 million children, adolescents, and adults who are now part of the world’s refugee population is also an ongoing challenge. Millions of children and young adults who would otherwise be enrolled full-time in school are now unable to attend either because they are on the move or living in one the world’s many refugee camps. As adult refugees arrive in new countries, retraining is also essential. Since 2016, Coursera for Refugees has reached a small but significant portion of this population and has plans to continue supporting migrant learners over the coming years.

Coursera for Refugees: Marking Two Years of Impact

By Henry Kronk, eLearning Inside
For awhile in the late aughts and early ‘10s, public libraries looked like they were in trouble. Budgets were reduced year after year in regions throughout the U.S., leading to fewer resource acquisitions, cuts in staffing, and decreased hours. And, while libraries remained overly popular in the American public mood, in-person usage began to fluctuate. While 53% of Americans 16 and older visited a library sometime in 2012, by 2015, that figure had dropped to 44%. A reasonable person might have guessed that libraries would become obsolete in the digital age. Access to information, once available primarily at the public institutions, is now everywhere via computers and mobile devices. “The internet infiltrated our niche and filled it to bursting,” said Rachel Cobb, a furthering education librarian at the City of Wolverhampton College in the U.K. “We, as [librarians], are no longer extraordinary. As the internet rises, we shrink. We lose who we are.”

Public Libraries Have Grown Into eLearning Centers

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
In spite of the fact that nine in 10 people believe online and distance learning programs will grow in popularity over time, seven in 10 don’t think that students can a get a “true college experience” from an online-only program. That drops to five in 10 for those students who have attended a blended learning course. Those results surfaced in “Online Education Trendspots,” a survey intended to understand experiences and perceptions of online or distance education programs. The survey was produced by Verndale, a “customer experience” design agency. The company surveyed 320 people, ages 18 to 55, who have attended at least some level of college. Three-fifths of respondents said they had taken an online course.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/06/20/survey-7-in-10-people-dont-believe-online-classes-can-provide-a-true-college-experience.aspx

By Mark Lieberman, Inside Higher Ed

MOOC provider consulted some but not all partner institutions before introducing fees for online courses. Most institutions support the move, but some wonder if it will be effective. By and large, representatives of institutions said they have a rooting interest in keeping edX financially sustainable, and they aren’t surprised that edX needs more money from students to maintain the volume of its output. Most agreed that more changes from edX and its competitors are likely. Some, such as Rebecca Stein, executive director of the online learning initiative at the University of Pennsylvania, thinks edX might end up rethinking its current approach to support fees. Stein believes edX should either charge students significantly more than $9 — currently the smallest support fee edX plans to levy — or nothing at all. A small support fee might not do enough on its own to improve the company’s finances, she speculates.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2018/06/20/edx-institutions-believe-fees-online-courses-will-help-ensure

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

People who want to be inspired watch TED Talks, largely because of the stories they tell.  These stories spark imagination and motivate audiences to think in new ways. TED Talks redefine knowledge and point to potential. These five great TED Talks on the potential of artificial intelligence may be some of the most inspiring talks yet:

5 Great TED Talks on the Potential of Artificial Intelligence

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal
There’s a science to adolescent learning, which addresses how the many changes — physical, emotional, social, intellectual and psychological — teenagers experience impact how they learn and should impact how educators instruct. A new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education offered strategies for making sure that “critical education decisions are driven by science,” as author Bob Wise put it. The Alliance is non-profit that advocates for all students to excel in high school, ready for college, career and citizenship, especially those in under-performing or underserved environments. Science of learning draws from brain and cognitive research and the social sciences. Now the Alliance, known as All4Ed proposes setting itself up as a “broker” to make sure science of adolescent learning (SAL) “knowledge is adopted and implemented.” The report was published as part of a launch of a new initiative focused on bringing the science of adolescent learning into education policy and practice.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/06/21/report-adolescent-learning-requires-a-new-science-based-approach.aspx

By Rick Seltzer, Inside Higher Ed

Private college closures have risen to a rate of about 11 per year, and the rate at which campuses are shut down is expected to increase in the future, according to a new report published by Moody’s Investors Service Tuesday. The report comes a few years after a notorious prediction the ratings agency made in September 2015 — that closure activity would as much as triple and mergers would double by 2017. As of the prediction, private nonprofit closures were averaging five per year, meaning as many as 15 institutions could have been ending operations annually by 2017. Although the headline-grabbing tripling of closures has yet to come to fruition, a significant uptick has indeed taken place. And Moody’s is still projecting a future increase in closures toward the range of 15 per year.

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/07/25/moodys-private-college-closures-11-year

BY CNN WIRE

There’s going to be a new way for workers to advance their careers in California. Lawmakers included $100 million in this year’s state budget to create an online community college that will offer certificate and credentialing programs. It will get another $20 million annually. The plan was proposed by Governor Jerry Brown and backed by California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. The mission is to retrain workers with skills needed in high-demand jobs. There are 2.5 million Californians between the ages of 25 and 34 who are in the workforce but never completed a college degree.

California Lawmakers Include $100 Million in State Budget to Create an Online Community College

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Audiobooks are fantastic ways to bring stories to life in your classroom and keep students engaged. Reading Rockets explains, “Audiobooks have traditionally been used in schools by teachers of second-language learners, learning-disabled students, and struggling readers or nonreaders. In many cases, audiobooks have proven successful in providing a way for these students to access literature and enjoy books.” However, educators have found that audiobooks benefit all students! For instance, the widely popular Audible site for downloadable audiobooks is a subscription-based service, but it only allows you to choose one book per month. Instead, take advantage of the wealth of free audiobooks available for teachers and students.

Where Can Teachers Find Free Audiobooks for Their Students