Educational Technology

By KATIE WISE, The Parthenon

The closing of the 2012 fall semester marks the first time Marshall University has dispersed online course evaluations during a regular academic school year period. provost Gayle Ormiston said efficiency, less time restriction and cost cutting due to using less paper for written evaluations are a few factors, which lead administrators to switch to online evaluations. “Online course evaluations makes it more accessible to students for a longer period of time,” Ormiston said. “Generally, students fill out evaluations in a particular amount of time within the class, this way students have a little bit longer time to fill them out.”

http://www.marshallparthenon.com/marshall-university-course-evaluations-go-paperless-1.2801028#.UMFOquTaI44

BY MELANIE LAWDER, Marquette Tribune

Every semester, course evaluations give students the chance to weigh in and tell their professors what they thought of class and instruction. All of the responses are anonymous – the instructors cannot see individual responses and cannot see who responded to the surveys. Instructors only see the response rate, a composite score of all the feedback and any additional comments students wish to provide. The dean of the instructor’s college and the instructor’s department chair will also be privy to the content of these evaluations. The response rate for these course evaluations is not as high as instructors would like them to be.

http://marquettetribune.org/2012/12/06/news/course-evaluations-marquette-seeks-improvement-in-online-evaluation-participation-sh1-cb2-mt3/

By Tiffany Do, the Setonian

Due to a lack of classroom space, the University has recently been advocating for students to take online courses, according to the Provost Office. A survey was sent out by the Provost Office asking students how interested they were in taking some classes online. This interest in offering online courses has been spurred by the limited number of classrooms, a factor that also goes into planning class schedules and finals, according to the associate. “Classroom space is at a premium and if some classes are offered online, the challenge of limited classroom space eases a bit,” said Kirk Rawn, associate provost for international programs and academic support services. According to Rawn, online graduate programs are also being considered.

http://www.thesetonian.com/news/online-classes-possible-solution-to-lack-of-space-1.2966004#.UMFM2-TaI44

BY COURTENAY EDELHART, The Californian

Corn syrup is added to test tubes during this science lab project on alternative energy at Fairfax Middle School. But it’s not the teacher who is guiding the experiments. It’s a step-by-step video on a computer at a cubicle. Pairs of lab partners watch educational videos and play related video games, then engage in hands-on activities before rotating to the next station. Each station — or module — has a theme such as physics or astronomy, and students spend about two weeks at each one conducting experiments to reinforce what they’ve learned. At the food science module, they beat egg whites mixed with sugar. At the solar power module, they use solar to cook hot dogs. At the rocket science module, they build rockets out of tubes and plastic bottles.

http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x59956807/High-tech-labs-help-students-learn-science-at-their-own-pace

By KATHY PRETZ, IEEE Institute

More and more research universities are opening up their computer science, math, electronics, and engineering courses to anyone from around the world. Princeton is the latest to get involved in the MOOC movement, according to a New York Times article published on 19 November. Others include the California Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, MIT, the University of London, and the University of Toronto, to name just a few. These schools are offering their courses through the websites edX, Udacity, and Coursera.

http://theinstitute.ieee.org/ieee-roundup/opinions/ieee-roundup/free-online-courses-could-change-engineering-education

By PAUL MCFEDRIES, IEEE Spectrum

You might think that MOOCs would cover only esoteric subjects offered by obscure schools, but that’s not the case. Such august institutions as MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Caltech have offered online courses recently. These are not off-curriculum pet projects but rather actual degree courses offered simultaneously to a few tuition-paying students on campus and to thousands of would-be learners auditing online. They are “open” in the sense that they’re shared freely online, although they tend, at least at the MOOCs run by those big-time institutions, to have fairly rigid frameworks in which the materials themselves are defined in advance and are unchanged as the course progresses. However, other MOOCs—particularly those run by private companies such as Udacity—tend to incorporate open design principles that enable participants to control what they learn, how they learn it, and whom they interact with during the course. In this way, the MOOC becomes a kind of network of learners who spontaneously form new connections and even help direct the course and its objectives.


http://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/education/im-in-the-mood-for-moocs

By Sean Scarpiello, Straube Foundation

A couple weeks ago, I was emailed a link to an article entitled “Facilitating Collaborative Learning: 20 Things You Need to Know from the Pros,”and I was intrigued. As education progresses, we can expect to see more technology becoming integrated into the learning process, but less personal interaction. Essentially, this means that education could be done cheaply and effectively using technology, but without collaboration among students in the learning process. However, as we move forward, we can see that this should not be the case. One of the main purposes of receiving a quality education is to obtain a good job.Among the 20 ideas, there was much overlap; however, the majority of the ideas could be lumped into three main goals when implementing collaborative learning. These three goals include staying motivated, incorporating diversity, and keeping the group challenged. In the real world, each of these aspects are plentiful in effective teams of workers.

http://straube.blogspot.com/2012/11/preserving-collaborative-learning-in.html

by Dave Cieslewicz, Isthmus

What if autumn came to Madison not with the rush of confusion and excitement of 6,000 18-year-olds out on their own for the first time but with the yawn of an extended summer? What if autumn in Madison came silently? Almost overnight, higher education is transforming itself into a brave new virtual reality. Online education, much like online news was a decade ago, is all the rage. Yet some of the smartest people on the planet are rushing forward with little idea of what the future holds and without a business plan. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is not one of them. Campus leaders here have taken a thoughtful, go-slow approach, but there are also risks in waiting too long. If the UW is not part of the march, will it be left in the dust or will it watch as the others walk off a cliff?

http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=38407

By Tom Simonite, Technology Review

Adding hands-on interactivity to any surface in a home or office could expand the way computers are used. Desk toy: A computer with a camera and projector fits into a light bulb socket, and can make any surface interactive. Powerful computers are becoming small and cheap enough to cram into all sorts of everyday objects. Natan Linder, a student at MIT’s Media Lab, thinks that fitting one inside a light bulb socket, together with a camera and projector, could provide a revolutionary new kind of interface—by turning any table or desk into a simple touch screen.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/507836/augmented-light-bulb-turns-a-desk-into-a-touch-screen/

by Rob Zdrojewski, Edudemic

Today’s students are surrounded by technology. From laptops to smartphones to tablets, students use devices and apps for personal entertainment, communicating with friends and family, and even for education. Not only is technology easy for them to use, giving them a central place where everything important is located, they also enjoy using these devices. That’s why when it comes to education, teachers need to listen to students. 

http://edudemic.com/2012/12/students-run-professional-development/

by Adam Webster, Edudemic

It has taken months of preparation and a ridiculously steep learning curb, but last week I finally got a class set of 30 iPads up and running. In just 3 teaching days I have learnt a huge amount about what works, what doesn’t and what the future of education might be. As a brief prelude to this, it is worth explaining that I have been teaching with an iPad since the beginning of term. I have an Apple TV connected to my projector and this in itself has been fairly revolutionary. As an English teacher, being able to launch iBooks on a huge screen and allow students to see my annotations and highlighting has been really interesting. On a more simple level, students that struggle to keep up are able now to see exactly where we are in our book, as we go along.

http://edudemic.com/2012/11/my-first-3-days-with-a-11-ipad-classroom/

by Edudemic

At the beginning of my edtech adventure, technology integration sounded like something I would have to go to my administration and beg for tens of thousands of dollars to get anything done. (Don’t get me wrong, I still want and mobile device carts!) But as I did further research, I found out new ways of integrating technology and 21st century skills with the resources that I already had. Which meant that I did not have to beg for money! I did however have to ask for time, support and an opportunity to move the school closer to the digital age than the year before. We built a Windows computer lab about 4 years ago. That was an expensive project and the administrators felt that this was a huge step into digital times.

http://edudemic.com/2012/11/how-i-integrated-classroom-technology-with-no-money/

By JUSTIN POPE , AP

In 15 years of teaching, University of Pennsylvania classicist Peter Struck has guided perhaps a few hundred students annually in his classes on Greek and Roman mythology through the works of Homer, Sophocles, Aeschylus and others — “the oldest strands of our cultural DNA.” But if you gathered all of those tuition-paying, in-person students together, the group would pale in size compared with the 54,000 from around the world who, this fall alone, are taking his class online for free — a “Massive Open Online Course,” or MOOC, offered through a company called Coursera.Last Tuesday, Coursera, which offers classes from 34 universities, announced the American Council on Education would begin evaluating a handful of Coursera courses and could recommend other universities accept them for credit (individual colleges ultimately decide what credits to accept). Antioch University, Excelsior College and the University of Texas system are already planning to award credit for some MOOCs.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/article/new-frontier-for-scaling-up-online-classes-credit/2299993/

by Edudemic

You love to learn. Your students, colleagues, and parents love to learn. But what kind of styles of learning are most effective for each party? Surely there is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning. After all, we’re seeing a dramatic increase in the number of learning tools made available and they cover an array of learning styles. Read through the following infographic to get a detailed look at the 7 styles of learning. Which is the most effective style for you? What about what works for your students or peers? It might be time to consider that the learning style that works for you may not be the best style for others! http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/7-styles-of-learning.jpg

http://edudemic.com/2012/11/styles-of-learning/

by Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

The new, flexible online program coming next fall should boost educational attainment in the state. It may be a first in the nation: Come next fall, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the two-year UW Colleges will offer a 100% competency-based online degree program for working adults. We think it could be a watershed moment in higher education for the state and a model for others to follow. At a time when the importance of postsecondary education has never been greater, the UW System plan announced last week offers the promise of a college degree to thousands of Wisconsin residents who haven’t been able to fit higher education into their busy lives.

Perhaps even Gov. Scott Walker.

Walker, who dropped out of Marquette University, told the Journal Sentinel’s Karen Herzog he might finish his degree using the Flexible Option degree program, provided an economics program is offered.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/uw-finds-creative-way-to-get-workers-back-to-class-6f7rthg-181625181.html

By Nancy Thomason, Charlotte Observer

PE has taken a page from the school’s academic classes and now embraces technology as a tool to optimize physical training and encourage lifelong fitness. Kristie Oglesby, PE teacher and Health Department chairwoman, said the Providence Day Wellness and Athletic Intensity programs began a pilot program in 2011 to align themselves with the school’s technology goals. The programs are utilizing heart-rate monitors, computer software and smartphone applications to provide students a method of measuring wellness-based training. The program is meant to provide students optimal tools to continue with a lifetime of exercise, fitness and wellness. “The ultimate goal of this method of instruction is to increase the level of fitness in every student in the school,” Oglesby said.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/11/30/3693085/technology-propels-pe-into-new.html

by WSAU

Northcentral Technical College and four area high schools are using computer technology to assess student learning. Six federal grants were awarded in different fields, and NTC is focusing on the field of manufacturing. The application works on an I-Pad, and helps teachers in high school evaluate student knowledge and monitor their progress with understanding and applying new skills. Bob Marlowe from NTC says the application is working and helps determine what skills people excel at and what skills are needed more training. Marlowe says they have worked with businesses and educators to develop a core list of twelve skills people need in the manufacturing workplace, and this tool helps track students as they identify and improve upon each skill.

http://wsau.com/news/articles/2012/nov/30/ntc-tablet-app-evaluates-student-learning-skills/

By KRISTINA SCHNACK KOTLUS, Potomac Local

Elementary and high school students in Prince William County took a step toward “bridging the gap” in technology access through an innovative program that began locally.vSixty-two families gathered Thursday might at Forest Park High School in Woodbridge to receive their own computers from through the Virginia Student Training and Refurbishment, or Virginia STAR program.vThe program took its roots in 2001 when Forest Park High School opened and students began refurbishing computers as part of the school’s specialty program requirements. IT Coordinator Chuck Drake saw an opportunity to help students who wouldn’t otherwise have a computer.

http://potomaclocal.com/2012/11/30/refurbished-computers-benefit-families-highlight-students/

by Logote

Before, only users with computers and laptops were able to watch these videos. Now, in an effort to reach as many student as possible, Khan Academy has come up with an app optimized for iOS users. Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch users can access over 3600 Khan’s lectures by downloading the Khan Academy app. Download Khan Academy app.  The app is more like the web version of Khan Academy. Everything is similar to what the website offers, but it is much more cleaner and organized. You can log in, then search, browse, and watch videos. There’s no playback syncing yet — suppose you have watched a video on the website, then you can’t just launch the iOS app and resume the video where you stopped. Probably we can expect such features in the next update.

http://blogote.com/apple/access-educational-videos-of-khan-academy-on-ios-devices/27904/

By Dan Friedell, ESPN

“If I’m down three with 30 seconds left, is it better to take the three or easier to take the two and attempt to foul a bad free-throw shooter and get another possession?” This is just one of eight questions LeBron James asks of Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, a nonprofit online education resource. The former hedge fund analyst was inspired to create Khan Academy after leading countless math-tutoring sessions with his many young cousins. As Khan’s tutoring began to take over his life, he began posting his explanations of common math and science ideas on YouTube.

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/trending/post/_/id/11408/lebron-takes-you-to-school

by RIP EMPSON, Tech Crunch

One of the most popular topics in education technology these days is the subject of MOOCs, otherwise known as “Massive Open Online Courses.” Thanks to the buzz around MOOC platforms like Coursera, Udacity and edX, there are few universities and colleges that aren’t currently struggling with whether or not they should hop on the bandwagon. Whether or not you’re long or short on MOOCs, it’s clear that, in the near term at least, they’re here to stay. However, as colleges, universities and more begin toying with open online courses and an increasing number of students and learners take to their virtual lecture halls, the signal-to-noise ratio has the potential to get pretty unfavorable. It’s for this very reason that Jesse Spaulding decided to launch CourseTalk.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/29/coursetalk-launches-a-yelp-for-open-online-courses-and-what-this-means-for-higher-education/