Techno-News Blog

MIT Technology Review

According to a report in the Financial Times, a team of researchers from Google led by John Martinis have demonstrated quantum supremacy for the first time. This is the point at which a quantum computer is shown to be capable of performing a task that’s beyond the reach of even the most powerful conventional supercomputer. According to the Financial Times report, the paper said that Google’s quantum processor was able to perform a calculation in three minutes and 20 seconds that would take today’s most advanced supercomputer, known as Summit, around 10,000 years.

https://www.technologyreview.com/f/614416/google-researchers-have-reportedly-achieved-quantum-supremacy/

Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Artificial intelligence is having a huge impact on education, transforming the sector in many positive ways and its impact is growing. In fact, the artificial intelligence sector in the U.S. education market is expected to grow 47.5% between 2017 and 2021 according to the latest market research report by Technavio. Artificial intelligence is changing how teachers are doing their jobs and how students are learning and studying. AI makes personalized learning possible, can assist teachers with curriculum adaptationand streamline administrative tasks. Now, scientists are trying to find out if the technology can be leveraged to measure student engagement.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/can-artificial-intelligence-predict-student-engagement/

Institute for College Access and Success

Student Debt and the Class of 2018 is TICAS’ fourteenth annual report on the student loan debt of recent graduates from four-year colleges, documenting changes and variation in student debt across states and colleges. Unless otherwise noted, the figures in this report are only for public and nonprofit colleges because virtually no for-profit colleges report what their graduates owe. Nationally, about two in three (65%) college seniors who graduated from public and private nonprofit colleges in 2018 had student loan debt, the same share as the Class of 2017. Borrowers from the Class of 2018 owed an average of $29,200, a 2 percent increase from the average of $28,650 in 2017.

https://ticas.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/classof2018.pdf

Natalie Schwartz, Education Dive
A new study from InsideTrack reveals the outreach strategies several big online players in higher education use to recruit prospective students to their programs.  Colleges reached out to prospective students an average of 16 times, according to an analysis of 20 institutions. Most sent emails and made phone calls, while only four schools sent text messages.  Eleven schools touted the “flexibility of their online programs” during their first “meeting” with prospects, while eight spoke of their “high level of support” and seven of their accelerated schedule options.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/report-probes-colleges-online-recruitment-strategies/563320/

Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

The term ‘chatbot’ may not be a universally recognized term yet, but that has not stopped chatbots from embedding themselves in our digital worlds. Anyone who has a digital voice assistant in their home or classroom has a chatbot, and many of the websites we access regularly use text-based chatbots for at least part of the interaction. In the classroom, chatbots can be used for simple tasks like checking the weather or playing background music. As artificial intelligence continues to make inroads in education, the potential uses for chatbots in education grow.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/how-can-we-use-chatbots-in-education/

By Elin Johnson, Inside Higher Ed

Last year’s bachelor’s degree graduates had $29,200 in cumulative student debt, 2 percent more than their peers the year before. That represents a slight slowing in the rate of borrowing, as the average debt level for borrowers rose at a steady average of 4 percent a year between 1996 and 2012 and slowed after that between 2012 and 2016 before reaching the 2 percent it rests at now.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/09/20/report-shows-growth-student-debt-slowing

IBL News

Arizona State University (ASU) announced last week that it has developed the world’s first adaptive-learning biology degree, adjusting to its students’ needs in real-time. “We are moving away from mass production to mass personalization,” said Dale Johnson, director of adaptive-learning initiatives with EdPlus at ASU. “We used to teach everyone the same thing at the same time. Now, we’re connecting the right student to the right lesson. We are changing the structure of higher education from static to dynamic,” he added.

https://iblnews.org/asu-transforms-undergraduate-science-education-developing-the-first-adaptive-learning-degree/

MIT Technology Review
BM’s new computer, due to launch next month, will boast 53 quantum bits, or qubits, the elements that are the secret to quantum machines’ power (see our explainer for a description of qubits and the phenomena that make quantum computers so powerful). Google has a 72-qubit device, but it hasn’t let outsiders run programs on it; IBM’s machine, on the other hand, will be accessible via the cloud. Behind the scenes, there’s a race on to demonstrate quantum supremacy. That’s the point at which a quantum computer can perform a task beyond the reach of even the most powerful conventional supercomputer. Google is rumored to be the closest to achieving this milestone—but hitting it won’t mean the machines will be ready for mainstream use. The task is likely to be a very narrow one, and plenty more work will be needed to create quantum computers capable of tackling a wide range of problems.

https://www.technologyreview.com/f/614346/ibms-new-53-qubit-quantum-computer-is-the-most-powerful-machine-you-can-use/

Chloe Albanesius Icon, PC Mag
The US government now has the authority to unleash on its enemies some of the most powerful cyber weapons at its disposal. But what do our adversaries have planned for us? Financial organizations are a top target of ransomware campaigns; of those networks hit by ransomware file encryption in North America between January and June 2019, 38 percent were in the finance and insurance sector, followed by education at 37 percent, according to security firm Vectra. Government systems were third at 9 percent; NotPetya ransomware, for example, is thought to be the work of Russia, which wanted to disrupt Ukrainian industries and government sectors but eventually hit industries around the world, resulting in US sanctions.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/370753/cyberwar-is-here-are-you-ready

Campus Technology

Students are back in class, but colleges and universities face another challenge: how to get faculty to come back to class – as students. The faculty development unit of Penn State World Campus was created in 2008 with the goal of getting faculty members to take the one and only course we offered at the time: Essentials of Online Teaching, or OL 2000. But as Penn State’s online offerings have expanded over the years, our faculty development goals have also evolved – from a “one-and-done” approach to a new mission of career-long professional development.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2019/09/18/online-professional-development-3-ways-to-keep-faculty-coming-back-for-more.aspx

Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Over the last several years, the number of universities, educational platforms and other institutions who have gotten into digital credentialing has grown. Digital credentialing may appear to be confusing at first glance. What is a digital badge? Is it different from a digital credential? How do institutions issue digital credentials? Let ́s first take a look at some of the basic terms related to digital credentialing. Digital credentials include digital badges and digital certificates. In general, a digital badge represents an accomplishment that is less demanding in nature than a digital certificate, which is often used to indicate the completion of a course or an exam. An example of a digital badge might be the completion of an informal assessment or watching a video. Here are some of the important steps involved in getting into digital credentialing.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/a-guide-to-digital-credentialing/

Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Research shows that teachers can integrate technology to help students grasp mathematical procedures and develop advanced mathematical proficiencies. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) added that technological tools are necessary for engaging students. What types of technology can be implemented into mathematics classrooms? The following section offers several ideas that can help when teaching math to kids.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/teaching-math-with-technology-8-virtual-resources/

By Hallie Busta, Education Dive
As fintech expands, institutions are adding classes in cryptocurrency and digital ledgers to equip students with practical skills. To tap into emerging industries, colleges often have to break through the walls that separate academic disciplines. One of the latest barriers they’re addressing stands between their business and technology programs. The emergence of artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain and cryptocurrency is changing how money moves between people and organizations. That’s created a new industry — financial technology, or fintech — around which colleges are being asked to create new curriculum as employers seek hires with these specific skill sets.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/to-keep-up-with-blockchain-colleges-look-across-disciplines/563031/