Techno-News Blog

Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed
Unmet financial need, meaning the gap between the cost of college and all student resources that do not need to be repaid, grew by 23 percent between 2012 and 2016, according to an analysis of federal data that the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) released today. Nearly three in four college students in the U.S. experience unmet need. At community colleges, 71 percent of students have some unmet need, with an average amount of $4,920. Unmet need is higher at four-year institutions, the group found, with students of color and low-income students more likely to have it — at significantly higher amounts.

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/12/11/unmet-financial-need-rising

by Edwige Simon, EDUCAUSE Review

For many of today’s students and more than a few educators, effective participation in online discussions in postsecondary education may not be second nature. In particular, graduate-level discussions present challenges quite different from their undergraduate counterparts, as master’s degree candidates tend to be highly motivated. This may mean that they frequently exceed the minimum number of required posts and write longer entries. The recommendations below are based on my own experience teaching fully online graduate courses with fifteen to twenty students, although many of these points would benefit those teaching at the undergraduate level as well.

https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2018/11/10-tips-for-effective-online-discussions

by Amanda McAndrew, EDUCAUSE Review

Is an open pedagogy an inclusive pedagogy? Is an inclusive pedagogy an open pedagogy? Given so many pedagogies, is there a common thread? On the surface, we tend to think of both of these pedagogies in support of increased access to content. So where does accessibility fit in? People often think of accessibility when they hear the term “inclusive pedagogy.” After all, making content materials accessible for anyone with a physical or learning disability is clearly an inclusive practice. And when folks hear the term “open pedagogy,” an obvious connection is made to open educational resources (OER) and efforts to make content available to more people at a lower cost. This is also an inclusive practice.

https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2018/11/inclusive-and-open-pedagogies

By Alicia Geigel, ULoop
With the fall semester coming to an end and the spring semester approaching quickly, you probably are trying to decide what classes to take for the next semester. Usually around this time of year, students look through a course list and try to put together a class schedule that reflects both their interests and includes the necessary course fulfillments. Trying to blend all of these interests while also trying to figure out major obligations, especially on a deadline, can be a breeze for some and a nightmare for others. Piecing together a schedule of courses all while taking into consideration day of the week, time, location, etc. makes choosing courses even more of a hassle. However, one convenient option when choosing courses is opting for online courses, which not only eliminates the stress of putting together a schedule that doesn’t overlap, but it also gives you better control over how you spend your time.

https://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/270766/5-Myths-About-Online-Courses-Debunked

Purdue University

The Purdue University Board of Trustees voted Dec. 7 to establish Purdue Online, a new organizational unit that will systematically develop a coordinated, unified system-wide portfolio of online course and degree offerings for students of all types. “The launch of Purdue University Global provided a transformational opportunity to re-examine at a fundamental level how Purdue delivers online education to all of its students, both residential and non-residential,” said Gerry McCartney, executive vice president for Purdue Online. “The creation of Purdue Online is a tremendous giant leap forward for the university in fulfilling our land-grant mission in the modern era.”

https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q4/trustees-ok-new-unit-for-system-wide-online-education.html

by Daniel Seaton, Inside Higher Ed

At a time when many institutions are re-evaluating their approach to open online learning, how would the perceived value of being an edX consortium member change if any instructor or student could readily use edX videos, problems and pages for residential teaching and learning? For example, within the edX consortium, more than 130 institutions have created over 2,200 open online courses, making up approximately 500,000 individual problems, videos and HTML pages. The growing body of content represents a budding collaboration economy — an economic system based on sharing underutilized assets or services directly among peers or organizations.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/views/2018/12/05/how-mooc-collaboration-could-aid-campus-teaching-and-learning

Joe McKendrick, Forbes

Now, artificial intelligence (AI) may have an answer for that, bringing learning and feedback in a very personal way to students. That’s the approach adopted by Derek Haoyang Li, founder and CEO of Squirrel AI, who has assembled a smarter alternative to existing online learning environments such as MOOCs. Li has building an AI-driven online educational platform in partnership with a global network of educators and participating institutions, including the National University of Ireland, Stanford University, UCLA, UC Irvine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Remin University of China. The company employs an AI adaptive learning engine with advanced algorithms, providing students one-to-one educational programs. The goal is to take adaptive learning, which is the employment of personalized learning based on individual progress, into the AI era, says Li, a featured speaker at the AI Summit being held in New York on December 5th and 6th. (Forbes is a media partner to the event.) “If you do not use AI for the base model of adaptive learning, you will fail,” he warns.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2018/12/04/now-ai-makes-online-courses-even-smarter/

Phys.org

Université de Montréal, in collaboration with the Fonds de recherche du Québec, today unveiled the Montréal Declaration for Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence. This set of ethical guidelines for the development of artificial intelligence is the culmination of more than a year of work, research and consultations with citizens, experts, public policymakers and industry stakeholders, civil society organizations, and professional orders.  Artificial intelligence (AI) is a major form of scientific and technological progress that can generate considerable social benefits. The development of AI, however, poses ethical challenges and social risks. It is incumbent on the various public and private stakeholders and policymakers, at the local, national and international levels, to ensure that the development and deployment of AI are compatible with the protection and fulfilment of fundamental human capacities and goals.

https://phys.org/news/2018-12-ai-responsible.html

Hallie Busta, Education Dive
Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, is adding a think tank to explore blockchain and other technology research interests such as the Internet of Things, and virtual and augmented reality, according to Cleveland.com. The Cleveland Blockchain and Digital Futures Hub will bring the private research university together with local business, government, technology and academic groups. It is part of the “Blockland” initiative, which strives to make northeast Ohio a center for research and development for the digital ledger technology. A permanent location, funding and administrative team have not yet been identified for the Hub, and Cleveland.com reports the group has only met in person a handful of times.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/case-western-reserve-to-launch-blockchain-think-tank/543640/

EAB
Tech careers are among the hottest jobs of 2018, and it’s not hard to see why. The jobs consistently receive high ratings for salary, growth, worker satisfaction, and work-life balance. So how can students secure a job in this booming industry? Contrary to popular belief, technical skills—such as a knowledge of multiple coding languages or mastery of data analysis—aren’t the only skills tech employers are looking for. Rather, tech employers continue to look for candidates with soft skills—such as communication and customer service experience—according to a ZipRecruiter evaluation of tech job openings.

https://www.eab.com/daily-briefing/2018/12/04/the-top-5-skills-your-students-need-to-snag-a-job-at-the-next-amazon

By Alex Brown, Inside Indiana Business

A prison coding program that was introduced to Indiana earlier this year is getting a boost. Google.org has announced a $2 million grant to California-based nonprofit The Last Mile, which provides technology and business skills training for inmates. The funding will support, in part, the launch of Indiana’s first coding program for incarcerated juveniles at the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility. The Indiana juvenile program is The Last Mile’s first youth program outside of California. In an interview with Inside Indiana Business, The Last Mile co-founder Chris Redlitz says it is important to serve all populations, including men, women and young people.

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/story/39585615/google-gives-big-boost-to-prison-coding-program

By Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed

The Minerva Project’s big contribution to higher education might not be its vision of an elite, global university, but the groundbreaking curriculum it hopes to export to universities around the world. Much of the attention the Minerva Project received around its much-watched launch in 2012 focused on the start-up’s lofty goal of creating an elite “Ivy League 2.0” university, with top traditional-age students doing immersive stints at campus locations around the world while also taking online courses. But Minerva’s biggest success so far is its curriculum, which the university describes as a systematic rethinking of the liberal arts. The nonbuzzy approach hearkens back to higher education’s roots with a focus on practical, vocational knowledge, and is drawing attention from both traditional academics and would-be disrupters. “They’re focused on the learning outcomes that we feel are most critical,” said Lynn Pasquerella, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2018/12/05/minerva-project-draws-notice-its-practical-rigorous-curriculum

ALEXANDRA VILLARREAL, the Ladders

Brace yourself: The future of workplace training is coming, and it looks like there will be many mobile apps, social media tools and games involved. For its 2018 EdTrends Report for Businesses, game-based learning platform Kahoot! surveyed nearly 400 of its business users to see how trainers are prepping for an influx of millions of Generation-Z workers, most of whom grew up in front of a screen and are used to the digital space. But the report also shows how technology-friendly the general workforce is becoming, with one in four workers wanting to be trained via virtual or augmented reality and another quarter hoping to get training remotely via apps.

https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/are-virtual-reality-and-mobile-apps-the-future-of-job-training

Shelley Osborne, HR Drive

The future workplace will involve a new relationship between people and machines. In fact, according to Accenture, intelligent automation thrives when paired with people to drive better outcomes. “Far from killing jobs and creating a dehumanized future, pioneering companies are using intelligent automation to drive a new—and much more productive—relationship between people and machines,” says Accenture.  Customer service firm 24/7.AI reinvented itself from a call center to an AI-driven customer support experience. But as its AI technology took over simple customer requests, the company trained its human workforce in critical emotional intelligence skills to handle more complex customer calls.

https://www.hrdive.com/news/the-top-learning-trends-for-2019-towards-a-digital-human-workforce/543298/

Patrick Atack, PIE News

FutureLearn, the online delivery subsidiary of The Open University, has expanded both its global reach and its partnership network by launching a course on the Google Digital Garage. The British distance learning institution said partnering with the global technology company was a “high-quality endorsement” to help promote the courses offered by the OU and delivered online, either via FutureLearn or Google. We are committed to ensuring that employees are equipped with soft skills” The first course is described as “bite-sized” by FutureLearn, and is an introduction to online learning for career professionals, called “Effective networking”. It is a soft-skills focused module, reflecting the Garage’s aims to connect those already in business with education that may help them grow. The ‘Garage’ is part of the ‘Grow with Google’ plan, which claims to have 7.5 million used in Europe, the Middle East and Africa since 2015. It’s now available in 64 nations.

https://thepienews.com/news/futurelearn-partner-with-google-on-delivery/

By IBL News

This new reality goes against that dream. edX, like Coursera, Udacity, and FutureLearn, needs to be either financially sustainable or profitable. Therefore, revenue-generating solutions are required. A successfully emerged idea is MOOC-based degrees, developed in partnerships between universities and the aforementioned platforms. The problem is how to split the revenues. Coursera and edX require a 50 percent split, because of the technology and marketing costs. Not all of the institutions are ready to take this deal. They believe that their brands, along with low prices, are powerful enough to make their online degrees successful. Regarding the technology, there are several solutions, including Open edX, which is a community-based, open source software (edX.org uses this code, plus an additional 10% of proprietary software).

https://iblnews.org/2018/12/03/moocs-are-dead-welcome-mooc-based-degrees/

Times of Malta

The most significant advantage that advances in technology have brought about is the promotion of independent learning in students. The internet has changed the way students access information necessary for their education. With proper training to identify the more reliable sources of information, most students will no longer depend on often outdated textbooks to glean the information they need. Online learning does have its disadvantages. While offering opportunities to students who cannot afford full-time training, distance learning deprives trainees of personal interaction with fellow students and educators. Educational research shows that those who enrol in online courses have higher chances of failing and dropping out of classes. One big advantage of exposing students to technology in the early years of schooling is that most jobs in the future will be digital and the sooner young people master digital skills, the easier it will be for them to secure meaningful jobs.

https://www.timesofmalta.com/mobile/articles/view/20181203/business-news/technology-in-the-classroom.695780

JAY MILLER, Crains Cleveland Business

A study released in July 2017 by the Regional Information Technology Engagement (RITE) Board, a nonprofit based at Lorain County Community College that works to reduce the gap between supply and demand for information workers in Northeast Ohio, reported that the region needed to expand the pipeline of trained IT workers to meet demand forecasts, even before Moreno set his workforce goal. According the report, “The findings of this research suggest that we may be falling farther behind changes in demand for IT professionals to fill entry-level positions” with “dramatic gaps” between numbers of potential hires employers pursue and the number of people completing postsecondary school programs. “Employers, across the board with the exception of (Hyland Software Inc.) and the ones with great brand recognition, are seeing an insufficient flow,” said Courtney DeOreo, director of the RITE Board, in an email. “There remain significant concerns about skills, as (employers) say they want well-rounded candidates.”

https://www.crainscleveland.com/technology/wanted-1000-blockchain-professionals-working-cleveland-end-2019

Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

Press reports indicate that Knoxville College is attempting a rebirth. The school’s website indicates that it is open for enrollment. The college will start with online classes and is hoping to transition to a residential institution once again. In watching the videos and reading the stories that I could find on Knoxville College, I kept thinking that this is an institution that we should all be supporting. The stories contain many examples of alumni talking about how important the institution has been in providing a foundation for success.  Can we call on edtech companies to offer their platforms and expertise to Knoxville College?  Are there any higher ed consulting companies willing to partner with the College?

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/abandoned-campuses-and-online-learning

Christine Shakespeare and James Curry, Evolllution

What possibilities could we imagine if HEIs committed to putting data on a distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform? Can we imagine a distributed ledger across the HEI enterprise to include the registrar, bursar, provost, human resources, purchasing and continuing education divisions (just to name a few) who can all share in the stewardship of a student’s blockchain? Some intermediary progress toward leveraging DLT would enable registrar-like offices to be the stewards of that portion of the chain, with distribution of credentials in ways universities never could have imagined. It remains to be seen what type of Trusted Third Party (TTP) providers may become “owners” or clearinghouse providers so that access is permitted to construct and distribute in whole or segments, or even provide access to employers, graduate schools, professional certifying bodies, etc.

https://evolllution.com/technology/tech-tools-and-resources/the-catalyzing-impact-of-blockchain-technology-on-higher-education-student-centricity-at-every-level/

Darryn Pollock – Forbes

Ethereum and smart contracts have taken blockchain technology to a second generation where many different sectors are in the sights of its potential disruption. Even a third generation is being bandied about, with regards to Directed Acylic Graphs, but the fourth generation – which will be an essential part of the fourth industrial revolution – will need the help of some similar revolutionary technology.  Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been cutting a distinct but similar path through the nascent stage of technology development. Its uses and adoption have been growing, and its implementation has reached a critical point.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrynpollock/2018/11/30/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-built-on-blockchain-and-advanced-with-ai/#49eceacd4242