Techno-News Blog

Claire Warner, Daily Emerald

University of Oregon Senior Instructor of Biology Alan Kelly first learned that students were using Chegg, an education technology company, to cheat on exams from a colleague at the University of Maryland in November. After their conversation, Kelly pulled up the company’s website and copied his test questions into the search bar. The results showed almost every question had been posted and solutions provided.  Chegg’s honor code policy states it does not tolerate use of its services “for any sort of cheating or fraud,” while several UO chemistry and biology professors have told the Daily Emerald that some students are accessing solutions to exam questions through Chegg’s subscription-based service, Chegg Study.

https://www.dailyemerald.com/news/students-cheat-with-online-learning-service-professors-hope-to-identify-users/article_552d56f4-5a31-11eb-98ae-879264ec0299.html

Fred Cutler, Inside Higher Ed

Institutions should be embarrassed by the standard transcripts they have been issuing, unchanged for a century, and students should demand better, argues Fred Cutler. The University of British Columbia has worked to develop for its graduates a supplementary “rich transcript” that includes:

The student’s courses’ full titles; A word cloud built from the instructors’ detailed course descriptions for their courses (not the generic calendar descriptions); Aggregated statistics for each student on the number of writing assignments, pages written, peer reviews, oral presentations, hours of group work, research designs, primary research, internships and service learning; and A list of 23 skills showing in how many of the student’s courses each skill was a key learning outcome.

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/01/20/students-should-demand-better-college-transcripts-opinion

Danny Palmer, ZDNet

Some organisations that fall victim to ransomware attacks are paying ransoms to cyber-criminal gangs despite being able to restore their own networks from backups, in order to prevent hackers publishing stolen data. Over the course of the past year, many of the most successful ransomware gangs have added an additional technique in an effort to coerce victims into paying ransoms after compromising their networks – publishing stolen data if a payment isn’t received. As 2020 started, only the Maze ransomware gang was using this tactic. But as it ended, an additional 17 ransomware crews had taken to publishing stolen data of victims if they didn’t receive payment.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-victims-that-have-backups-are-paying-ransoms-to-stop-hackers-leaking-their-stolen-data/

BY ALEXANDRA KUBRAK, eCampus News

Our survey found that college students struggled with classes during the Fall 2020 semester. The majority of students, 85.4 percent, saw a negative impact on their academic performance. Only 5.5 percent of students say that the learning changes this year benefitted their academic performance.  Student responses were fairly consistent across surveyed freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Slightly more sophomores reported negative outcomes at a rate that was about four percentage points higher than students in other years. OneClass polled 14,712 college students to ask about the Fall 2020 semester during the coronavirus pandemic. Students surveyed include current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/01/19/did-college-students-perform-worse-during-covid-19/

Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

Just one of the five chapters of Galloway’s Post Corona is devoted to higher education.  First, the good news. Too few books about the future include chapters on higher education. Our ecosystem (Galloway insists we are a business) is usually absent from discussions in which other industries (media, transportation, retail, etc.) figure prominently. This is too bad, as we can better think of new ideas about the future of higher education if we understand our industry through nonacademic lenses. Like every other professor, Galloway was forced to convert his course to remote in 2020. He bases much of his thinking and recommendations about the future of higher education on his teaching experience during the pandemic.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/learning-innovation/scott-galloway%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98post-corona%E2%80%99-vision-higher-ed

Kery Murakami, Inside Higher Ed
President-elect Joe Biden on Friday nominated Eric Lander to be his science adviser and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy — and also elevated the role of science adviser so that it will have cabinet rank. Lander is president and founding director of the Broad Institute at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In a speech introducing Lander, Biden outlined five priorities for science in his administration.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/01/18/biden-elevates-head-science-office-cabinet-level

Coastline College

The irony is that the world interacts so virtually and digitally now that online learning is probably closer to real life than in-person education is. Learning online has come a long way quickly, with accreditation as well as intensive, cost-effective, and modern coursework that all seeks to elevate students. These types of learning platforms and models are here to stay. I’m all for it and you should be too.

https://patch.com/california/fountainvalley/coastline-college-blog-why-students-should-love-online-learning-when-it-s

Basia Spalek, University World News

The mental well-being of students has become a key priority within university settings. Student counselling and well-being services have expanded across many universities in the United Kingdom and internationally, and there is now much greater awareness of the mental well-being needs of students across university institutions. The psychological well-being of university staff, in contrast, has traditionally been a marginalised issue.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210111140929866

Jerry Jackson, PC Magazine

Wi-Fi 6E adds support for 6GHz wireless spectrum, for faster wireless speeds and lower latencies than previous generations, but you’ll need a new router and Wi-Fi 6E-compatible devices to take advantage of those new airwaves. Should you upgrade now? The Wi-Fi Alliance, a group of Wi-Fi platform vendors that work with the FCC and electronics manufacturers to set standards for Wi-Fi technology, announced the Wi-Fi 6E designation in 2020 for any IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) products that support 6GHz wireless spectrum. Essentially, this means Wi-Fi 6E enables faster speeds and lower latencies than Wi-Fi 6 and earlier iterations.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/what-is-wi-fi-6e

Amy Meuers and Shira Woolf Cohen, Youth Today

Educators across the country are using service learning to address problems in their community that have been exacerbated by the pandemic such as hunger, homelessness, mental health and education equity. In a recent survey conducted by the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC), educators shared how they are using service learning during distance and hybrid learning to engage youth and build a sense of community and belonging.

https://youthtoday.org/2021/01/service-learning-makes-online-learning-meaningful-and-engaging/

Rajesh Nagarathnam, Faculty Focus

In the current scenario, I am trying my best to make online teaching more dynamic. The bottom line is, “I am teaching—are they listening?” Two weeks into the fall semester, we had a Student-Faculty Class committee (SFC) meeting and it was noteworthy to hear that students found my approach to be genial and interactive. I realized that standing and delivering lectures enhanced a connection with my students. Although I am on a virtual microphone, I found that my students were more receptive to the lectures. Fine-tuning my teaching strategy certainly created a positive impact in virtual learning.

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-course-delivery-and-instruction/behind-the-mic-during-a-pandemic-making-virtual-instruction-more-engaging-for-students/

Reuters

During the pandemic, online learning company Udacity saw demand for its virtual courses surge, Udacity Executive Chairman Sebastian Thrun said. Its enrollment more than doubled. Its engagement with companies “massively” increased. “Is online going to replace universities? It’s never going to happen,” he said.  “Can we reach people that are currently not being reached? And there, the answer is a resounding yes.” Both Thrun and Richardson said the divide between those who have digital connectivity and those who lack it continues to make education a mark of privilege even amid efforts to level the playing field.

https://www.reuters.com/article/education-future/reuters-next-covid-19-fuelling-educations-tech-disruption-deepening-digital-divide-idUSL1N2JP36Y

Chandra Steele, PC Mag

COVID-19 means many of us are (still) working from home and swapping in-person meetings for video chats on Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet. Everybody was supposed to be famous for 15 minutes in the future, but now you’re appearing on video 15 times a day and you want some anonymity. That’s not going to be the case for a while as social distancing continues, so you might as well make the best of your time in front of the camera. Whether you’re in Zoom meetings with colleagues or having virtual cocktail parties with friends, follow these steps so you can spend more time focusing on others and not anxiously checking how you look in the corner of the screen.

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-look-good-on-video-calls

Science Daily

The study, conducted by researchers from Purdue University, Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the first to analyze the water and land footprints associated with internet infrastructure in addition to carbon footprints. Just one hour of videoconferencing or streaming, for example, emits 150-1,000 grams of carbon dioxide (a gallon of gasoline burned from a car emits about 8,887 grams), requires 2-12 liters of water and demands a land area adding up to about the size of an iPad Mini. But leaving your camera off during a web call can reduce these footprints by 96%.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134033.htm

Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology
National University in California has partnered with GreenLight Credentials to create blockchain-secured digital student transcripts that can be shared with other educational institutions or prospective employers. The pilot program will provide 300 students with free access to a digital locker for their academic records, that can be accessed at any time and on any device.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/01/11/national-university-blockchain-initiative-pilots-digital-transcripts.aspx

Kristen E. Broady, et al; Brookings Institution

Online learning can offer flexibility and accessibility, but it also can present challenges to learning outcomes. In particular, there are some groups of students for whom online education works poorly. Anticipating these challenges and more, 55 percent of students not returning for fall 2020 cited changes in class format. In a case study, The Public Policy Institute of California found that students of color and nontraditional students are more likely to have challenges that put them at risk of lowered performance in an online setting, widening existing achievement gaps. Some challenges they are more likely to face include trying to study in a stressful home environment or an inability to access reliable internet.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2021/01/11/1342345/

JOHN SCOTT, eCampus News

Last spring, you made a heroic effort to rapidly transition your course to online delivery in response to a campus closure. It’s important now to take a moment to consider how your students adapted then and this fall, and how you can design inclusive learning approaches after considering the equity and access issues resulting from this change in delivery. For students learning remotely at home, these challenges may include limited access to computers, high-speed internet, campus support services, and a lack of social connection with peers and instructors.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2021/01/12/3-ways-to-stay-connected-when-going-remote-copy/

Lauren Tucker, Faculty Focus

UDL focuses on proactively embedding multiple opportunities for students to learn material, engage with the course, and express their learning (CAST 2020). Keeping UDL at the forefront of my course design during the pandemic has provided much needed stability and consistency within my courses. I keep the following three guidelines in my course planning, and I have seen significant benefits within my courses.

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-course-design-and-preparation/universally-designing-in-universal-chaos/

South Florida Caribbean News

If you plan on studying online, there are lots of benefits to look forward to. Even though it seems like an intimidating idea, it works for millions of students all over the world. Here are a few benefits of online learning.  Whether you are trying to earn a degree or simply improve your skills, there are plenty of options for you. Some of the benefits you can enjoy include flexibility, an opportunity for career advancement, convenience, and lower overall costs. There are plenty of programs to suit different needs. You can always find an appropriate option.

https://sflcn.com/understanding-the-benefits-of-online-learning/

NICOLE YEATMAN, Big Think
For centuries, universities have advanced humanity toward truth. Professor Jonathan Haidt speaks to why college campuses are suddenly heading in the opposite direction. In a lecture at UCCS, NYU professor Jonathan Haidt considers the ‘telos’ or purpose of universities: To discover truth.  Universities that prioritize the emotional comfort of students over the pursuit of truth fail to deliver on that purpose, at a great societal cost. To make that point, Haidt quotes CNN contributor Van Jones: “I don’t want you to be safe ideologically. I don’t want you to be safe emotionally. I want you to be strong—that’s different.”

https://bigthink.com/institute-for-humane-studies/jonathan-haidt-campus

Natalie Schwartz, HigherEd Dive

A new small study suggests reopening college campuses led to local coronavirus outbreaks, which schools were largely able to manage while their home counties were less successful. The researchers, which examined 30 universities, found cases spiked in the first two weeks of classes at 14 campuses. More than half of the colleges studied saw new cases peak between mid-August and mid-October, when new infections in the U.S. were subsiding, suggesting campus reopenings drove the spread.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/another-study-links-college-campus-reopenings-and-local-coronavirus-outbrea/593251/