Educational Technology

BY SCOTT MCLEOD, Dangerously Irrelevant

Got 13 minutes? Watch this video from Michael Pershan. Plain and simple, American math teachers teach differently than Japanese (and other international) math teachers. What would Khan Academy look like if it came from Japan?

http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2012/09/a-japanese-approach-to-khan-academy.html

By Converge

The U.S. Department of Education launched the School Turnaround Learning Community (STLC) — an enhanced version of its online learning community for school turnaround — on Aug. 20. The site now features improved search and chat functions and a user-friendly reorganization of STLC resources and materials. Other improvements made to the STLC include opening the site to the public by eliminating required registration, and enhanced discussion and chat areas including a new “Ask the Expert” feature. First launched in July 2011, the site offers resources, training, and discussion tools enabling users to share and comment on school turnaround practices and lessons learned.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/policy/Feds-Launch-Enhanced-Online-Learning-Community.html

By Encarnacion Pyle, The Columbus Dispatch

A push by Ohio State University to enhance traditional classroom material with digital elements will benefit the general public as well.For example, OSU students — or anyone for that matter — soon will be able to watch short videos on climate change on an iPad and then use an app to manipulate 3-D molecules to see why some are greenhouse gases and others are not. OSU officials think that more than 90 percent of students own a laptop, smartphone or tablet — with many having all three. “They already have the tools, so why not use them to fully immerse the students in their studies in ways we’ve never done before?” said Michael Hofherr, OSU’s senior director for learning technology.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/09/03/digital-courses-net-rave-reviews.html

by NAPSI, Yuma News Now

Here’s news many parents may care to keep an eye on: At schools around the country, teachers are increasingly incorporating 3-D imaging, digital devices and the latest computer applications into their teaching tools. Unfortunately, prolonged use of these technologies can cause eyestrain, headaches, fatigue, burning or tired eyes, loss of focus, blurred vision, double vision or head and neck pain. The AOA calls this condition computer vision syndrome (CVS). Parents and teachers can help students avoid CVS by encouraging them to follow the 20-20-20 rule. When using technology or doing near work, take a 20-second break every 20 minutes and view something 20 feet away. Studies show that people need to rest their eyes to keep them moist. Plus, staring off into the distance helps the eyes from locking into a close-up position.

http://www.yumanewsnow.com/index.php/news/health/1036-small-adjustments-can-make-a-big-difference

By Chris Gaylord, Christian Sciencde Monitor

As the school year revs up, Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Anant Agarwal looks forward to teaching his most popular class. Last semester, Circuits and Electronics welcomed in 154,000 students – 35 times as many as the entire undergraduate enrollment at MIT. The class kicked off MIT’s new push into online learning. It was the inaugural course of edX, a collaboration with Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley, to offer top-notch education free of charge to anyone with Internet access. “If you took the online class, the material would be identical” to the on-campus version, says Mr. Agarwal, president of edX and director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. “It was the same level of difficulty. They took the same exams.” Students even received grades, just not academic credit.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Pioneers/2012/0903/Ivy-walls-lower-with-free-online-classes-from-Coursera-and-edX

by The Week Menatal Floss

Elite universities are throwing open their classrooms’ doors to anyone with an Internet connection—for free.Why are colleges offering free classes? They don’t want to be left behind in the digital revolution that has already transformed the way we consume news, music, and books. Stanford, Duke, Princeton, and Johns Hopkins are among the 16 universities that have partnered with a newly launched company called Coursera to offer more than 100 free online courses this academic year; MIT, Harvard, and the University of California, Berkeley, are following suit through a nonprofit venture called edX.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/140441

By Jay Bullock, Bay View Compass

A “flipped” class is upside-down: Traditional homework activities are done in class with teacher support, while lecture- or demonstration-style teaching is done online, where students watch at home, or individually in class. Flipping lets students, who are working at home, take as much time as they need to understand a lesson—rewinding and re-watching videos as often as necessary. Likewise, they receive as much help as they need to complete the homework while they are physically in their classroom, since the teacher is right there with them. Perhaps the most famous flipping is done with help from Khan Academy. Former Wall Streeter Salman ‘Sal’ Khan started making web videos to tutor his cousins in math in 2006. Since then his work has exploded; he has received funding from the Gates Foundation and Google. A number of schools, mostly in California, are using his videos to teach math. Khan, via YouTube, does the teaching; teachers coach one-on-one as students work on practice problems.

http://bayviewcompass.com/archives/12220

by University Professional and Continuing Education Association

Your humble editor is chairing a seminar on the management of online programs November 6, 7 and 8 in New Orleans. We have a wonderful line-up of dozens of top-notch presenters from the major online programs across the country who will address the important current and emerging issues and opportunities in online learning. Join us if you can.

http://conferences.upcea.edu/online/

by Abby Clobridge, InfoToday

Although universities are usually slow to change, several high-profile institutions in recent months have begun to experiment with offering courses to unprecedented numbers of simultaneous learners anywhere in the world for free. These initiatives, often referred to as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), have the following potential avenues: to expand access to learning opportunities, eliminate many geographic and economic barriers to education, create more diverse learning communities, transform lifelong learning, and augment face-to-face and traditional education in new ways. While MOOCs have the potential to expand access to education around the world and create new types of learning opportunities, they are still highly experimental in nature and are still in beta in terms of development.

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/MOOCs-and-the-Changing-Face-of-Higher-Education-84681.asp

by Alan Henry, LifeHacker

Your education doesn’t have to stop once you leave school—freedom from the classroom just means you have more control over what you learn and when you learn it. We’ve put together a curriculum of some of the best free online classes available on the web this fall for our third term of Lifehacker U, our regularly-updating guide to improving your life with free, online college-level classes. Let’s get started.

http://lifehacker.com/5938782/plan-your-free-online-education-at-lifehacker-u-fall-semester-2012

By Jack Cobourn, University of Delaware Review

Instead of shooting the familiar scenes of The Green, students in the university’s first online photography class captured moments during their travels overseas this summer. Art professor Jonathan Cox, who taught the course, said students in most photography classes take pictures of the same scenes around campus such as Main Street and other landmarks around Newark, but the online aspect allowed for a wide array of photos. Cox said he utilized other types of internet technology to communicate with students, including Skype. He also allowed students to text and call him with questions or concerns, which senior Madeleine Clos-Versailles said she thought was unusual.“I just emailed, but I was surprised on the syllabus where it said, ‘Feel free to text me,’” Clos-Versailles said.

http://www.udreview.com/ud-offers-first-online-photography-course-1.2888925

By Leon Lin, MIT

The first seven courses to be offered under edX — set to open to at various dates in September and October — will probably reach thousands of students around the globe. But both MIT and UC Berkeley, who joined the online learning initiative in July, say they also plan to use the edX platform to enhance education for their own students. How are the edX schools progressing towards this goal? EdX president Anant Agarwal hopes that edX will eventually be able to “influence all of MIT’s on-campus education,” across all its disciplines, he told The Tech last week. So far, however, the course offering is limited. Five of the seven courses to be offered this fall are in the fields of computer science or electrical engineering.

http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N33/edX.html

by JIMMY DALY, EDTECH Focus on Higher Education

Keep your finger on the pulse of all things tech on Twitter. Twitter is easily the best way to stay on top of news on the web. These higher education experts will keep you informed and entertained. To read their blogs, check out these 50 must-read higher education technology blogs.

http://www.edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2012/08/44-higher-education-experts-follow-twitter

By Matthew Martin, Purdue Exponent

Cheating in online courses can be a pain for students and faculty. “The headaches that come from cheating are much worse than time spent in learning the material properly to begin with,” said Ellen Gundlach, a professor in the College of Science. Jeffery Stefancic, an associate dean in the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, said online courses have the same problem as written courses: Students cheat. “Plagiarism tends to be the most common incident occurring, with students either copying information directly from Internet sources without providing citations or students using papers that had been previously submitted by other students,” Stefancic said.

http://www.purdueexponent.org/campus/article_9e848220-f209-5241-9c71-a5656c73786b.html

By Christopher Seward, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A student working in a university’s IT department may not be the best combination if you consider a case out of Dougherty County in South Georgia. Derrick Davis recently admitted to accessing Albany State University’s computer system to change his grades in four classes. In addition to being a student, Davis was an employee in the university’s Information Technology Department. He told a Dougherty County Superior Court on Monday that he was able to exploit the instructor password routine to gain access to the online grade system. Davis, who was expelled, pleaded guilty to four counts of computer trespass. He was sentenced to 24 months’ probation and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/student-admits-hacking-university-computer-to-chan/nRNjf/

BY EMMA COURT, Cornell Daily Sun

Over the summer, Deborah Estrin, a computer science professor at UCLA, was named the first professor of Cornell’s NYC tech campus. The Sun interviewed Estrin about her role in developing the tech campus’ curriculum, how CornellNYC will influence technological innovation and the experience of being a woman in a notoriously male-dominated field.

http://www.cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2012/08/30/professor-%E2%80%98inspired%E2%80%99-cornell%E2%80%99s-vision

by Patti Zarling, Green Bay Gazette

Holly Blocker’s geometry students at Northeastern Wisconsin Lutheran High School bring to class compasses, rulers and protractors. This year, they’re also carrying iPads. The school, like several others in the area, launched a one-to-one program this year, and is providing tablet computers to each of its 125 students to use both in the classroom and at home. Educators say the devices enhance classroom learning and also encourage students to become familiar with technology they will use later in life. N.E.W. Lutheran High School has been in session for about a week and the iPads are in full use. Blocker said she’s taught her students a number of applications they can use on the iPad — such as a math glossary and math reference site. She teachers math to all four high school grades.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20120830/GPG0101/308300247/New-approach-geometry-takes-shape-iPads-schools

by: Bianca Da Silva, College Classes

In an effort to allow more students the opportunity to be able to access and understand the courses available through Coursera and the Khan Academy, these two organizations are now partnering with Amara, which is a crowd source subtitling platform which works with volunteers from all over the world who translate content from one language to another. While universities are offering their courses to platforms such as Coursera, these are often in English and this means that only a limited number of students can benefit from them; with the assistance of translators, however, there is no telling how many will be able to take advantage of these online offerings.

http://www.collegeclasses.com/khan-academy-coursera-partner-crowdsource-subtitling-platform-amara/

by Open Colleges
There are some major advancements in earning analytics. It is increasingly becoming one of the most popular new developments in education at all levels.

http://newsroom.opencolleges.edu.au/learning-analytics-infographic/

by Kentucky Forward

The Kentucky Department of Education is moving from serving as a provider of online courses offered through the Kentucky Virtual High School to a partner in assisting schools in learning about full- and part-time online learning options available through multiple statewide providers. An initiative of the Kentucky Department of Education and the Council on Postsecondary Education called the Kentucky Virtual Campus for K-12 provides easy access to the state providers and their courses. the Kentucky Virtual Campus’s website will provide expanded e-learning opportunities for Kentucky students.

http://www.kyforward.com/our-schools/2012/08/28/kentucky-department-of-education-revamps-virtual-learning-system-expands-options/

BY SARAH GONZALEZ, State Impact

High school senior Vanessa Richter has taken PE online for the past two summers. She says the online course is not as easy as you might expect. You know that Florida’s fastest growing public school district is… online. About 148,000 students sucessfully completed 303,000 half-credit Florida Virtual School courses this past school year. And PE — as in physical education — is a popular class, according to students. So how do you take PE virtually? There are two half-credit courses: Personal Fitness and Fitness Lifestyle and Design. “They make you run, they make you do reps of crunches and you’re supposed to record it,” says student Vanessa Richter, a senior at Terra Environmental Research Institute in Miami.

http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2012/08/28/how-students-take-physical-education-online/