Educational Technology

By James Kendrick, ZDNet

The reviews of these hybrids are mixed but many agree that using them as a tablet is not very pleasant. Too heavy, too bulky, and in some cases with strange compromises like having the laptop keys exposed on the back of the tablet. It brings the question what purpose these hybrid serve for most consumers? Having used tablets for over a decade I can confidently state that comfort is a big factor in determining if a given model is good or not. It wasn’t until the iPad came along, very thin and light, that tablets became acceptable to use by the masses. The comfort level, or lack thereof, is the biggest problem with these new hybrids. They are too big and bulky to be comfortable to use in the hands as tablets.

http://www.zdnet.com/the-problem-with-hybrids-its-the-tablet-7000009828/

By Tanya Roscorla, Center for Digital Ed

No data science degree exists in the U.S. And that’s a problem, because huge amounts of real-time data in all sectors need to be analyzed and acted on. But this process currently passes through five people with specialized skill sets in different departments. And it takes weeks, if not months to do. Oftentimes, the market has changed by then, so the data’s not even relevant. However, in the long term, universities need to produce graduates who can fill these positions, said Jennifer Lewis Priestley, an associate professor of statistics and director of the Center for Statistics and Analytical Services at Kennesaw State University. She recommends three key ingredients to a data science degree and shares the reasons why no one’s put them together.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/3-Key-Ingredients-to-a-Data-Science-Degree.html

By Tanya Roscorla, Center for Digital Ed

The 80/20 principle that Google practices has trickled down to students in classrooms across North America. For at least 20 percent of their week, students work on projects that interest them. Whether educators call it 20 percent time or genius hour, the concept is the same, said Gallit Zvi, a teacher at Georges Vanier Elementary in British Columbia’s Surrey School District 36. “The goal as I see it is to give students time to explore what they wonder about or what their passions are,” Zvi said. “They’re in charge of their learning rather than me being the curriculum deliverer standing up in front of the class saying, ‘This is what we need to learn.” This process helps students understand that learning is a life-long goal, said Hugh McD

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/Googles-8020-Principle-Students.html

by the Center for Digital Ed

A shortlist of 12 emerging technologies reveals a few different options than the last number of years. The NMC Horizon Project has narrowed these technologies down over the past year and will announce in February its final cut of six technologies that could become mainstream in higher education.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/The-Higher-Education-Short-List-of-Emerging-Technology.html

By Jake New, Chronicle of Higher Ed

The new vending machine in Drexel University’s main library doesn’t dispense soda or study-time snacks. In fact, those snacks should be kept away from what this machine delivers, to keep crumbs from getting in the keyboards. This kiosk lends out 15-inch MacBooks free, with the swipe of a Drexel ID card. When the library started staying open 24 hours a day during midterms, in 2012, a student-government representative noticed a potential problem. “From a safety standpoint, students carrying expensive laptops, especially at night, is not a good idea,” said the student leader, Omer I. Hashmi. The library has long lent laptops at a desk the old-fashioned way—having people sign them in and out. But staff members were not always available to check the equipment out during the late shift. So Mr. Hashmi, who has since graduated, approached the library last year with his safety concerns.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/drexel-u-library-adds-vending-machine-to-dispense-laptops/41575

By Alexandra Tilsley, Chronicle of Higher Ed

When the Commission on Presidential Debates selected Lynn University as the site for the third presidential debate, it probably didn’t realize that hosting the debate would force Lynn to upgrade its wireless infrastructure to accommodate the thousands of reporters who would swarm the campus – and that those upgrades would be significantly discounted because of the debate. This turned out to be just the push the university needed to launch a program it had been discussing for a while: moving its new core curriculum to the iPad. “We thought we were a few years out, but realized after the debate that we could throw that switch. We’re set up now for a mobile environment in a way we never were before,” said Lynn President Kevin Ross.

Inside Higher Ed http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/01/15/lynn-university-require-all-new-students-buy-ipads

By Alicia Brazington, Campus Technology

Leaders at the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) are so confident in the benefits and cost savings of cloud-based resources that they are making it possible for more than 1,700 schools to take advantage of CampusCloud by CampusEAI Consortium. Seven hundred of these schools are part of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), which represents 15 western states.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2013/01/09/contracting-for-cloud-services-on-a-massive-scale.aspx

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

A group of education students at the University of Texas at Austin will be experimenting with the use of Android tablets and pen technology to use in their pre-service literacy instruction in the classrooms where they student-teach. The experiment will outfit future teachers at the university’s College of Education in order to help them develop personalized instruction and interventions for their students. N-trig is donating a set of Duosense Active Pens to the project, and the college’s Learning Technology Center is distributing a fleet of pen-enabled tablets. The pen enables users to write and annotate directly on-screen as they would on a textbook or piece of paper. The pre-service teachers will use the duo to maintain digital recordings of their handwritten notes during writing conferences with students.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2013/01/07/u-texas-ed-students-apply-tablets-and-pen-technology-to-literacy.aspx

By Ruth Reynard, Campus Technology

Blogging or “Web-logging” has been used in instruction for years now and with it have emerged new and exciting possibilities for instruction, such as benefiting students in various academic disciplines and providing instructors with various added perspectives by including students’ personal voices in the learning process. More recently, however, attention has been on another form, called “micro-blogging,” which uses platforms such as Twitter, FriendFeed, or Floss.pro. The distinctions between the two kinds of platforms create unique opportunities for instruction and student engagement.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2013/01/10/micro-and-macro-blogging-3-major-differences-and-their-benefits-to-instruction.aspx

by Felecia Young, Edudemic

I am so excited to incorporate writing in my math class during the new semester. My goal is to have students use blogging as an instructional tool to write and express their mathematical ideas. I hope to provide them with an opportunity to reflect on their understanding of mathematics. Blogging and technology are two tools that go hand-hand. Blogging makes integrating technology in the classroom easy. I researched and wanted to find the easiest blogging site for me to use with my students.

http://edudemic.com/2013/01/how-to-integrate-blogging-into-math-classes/

by Brian Jensen, Edudemic

As Technology advances, schools are becoming a playground for electronic devices. The use of tablets, smartphones, iPads, laptops, Kindles, Nooks, gaming laptops and everything in between has become a part of the educational world. Many schools provide these devices to students and many other schools are allowing students to use their personal devices for academic purposes. Incorporating these devices into classroom learning takes a large amount of preparation. The school must do some preparation work to ensure Internet access, technical support, IT support and Internet safety. As these devices become a popular educational tool make sure your school is prepared to handle it.

http://edudemic.com/2013/01/5-things-to-know-before-deploying-education-technology/

by Jeff Dunn, Edudemic

Being a connected educator may be one of the newest but most important things a teacher should know about. From growing your PLN on Twitter to finding a job on LinkedIn to engaging your class using mobile devices, it’s a great time to be a teacher. But what does the average (if there is such a thing!) day look like for a connected educator? A fabulous infographic from the folks at Powerful Learning Practice sheds some light on the day-to-day happenings. From leveraging web tools to using social media in your classroom … it’s all here. I personally think this is one of the best infographics I’ve seen in the past few months. Thanks PLPNetwork for creating!

http://edudemic.com/2013/01/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-connected-educator/

by Open Culture

January — it’s a time for New Year’s resolutions and for university courses to get started again. It’s happening on campuses. And it’s happening online. Right now, the biggest batch of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are getting underway: 65 courses in total, across seven different online platforms. Below, we’ve highlighted a sampling of courses, but you can scan through the complete list of January courses right here, and keep tabs on all future MOOCs here. Please keep in mind that many MOOCs offer “Certificates” or “Statements of Accomplishment.” The key on this page indicates the kind of credential offered by each course. It goes without saying that these courses are free.

http://www.openculture.com/2013/01/65_moocs_certificate_courses_getting_started_in_january.html

by Lauren Landry, Bostinno

Northeastern’s recent national Innovation in Higher Education opinion poll revealed what academia has known, yet feared, for years: the higher education system needs to change, and it needs to change now. In overwhelming numbers, [respondents] are telling us that the system of today will not meet the challenges of tomorrow. These findings are a wake-up call for those of us in higher education to renew the social compact we have always had with Americans by innovating across multiple dimensions. Yet, what changes does Northeastern think need to be made? The University created an infographic highlighting the “5 Things People Want from Higher Education.” Several suggestions sound similar to the New Year’s resolutions we wish every college would make in 2013, like provide more real-world skills and incorporate some level of online learning.

http://bostinno.com/2013/01/06/5-things-people-want-from-higher-education/

by Deon Brown, The Jamaica Gleaner

The course, ‘Bob Marley & Post-Colonial Music’, is being taught by Vivien Goldman, known in NYU circles as the ‘punk professor’ for her initial offering of a course on punk and other pop music phenomena. British-born Goldman, an author and former journalist, comes to the subject of Marley with an inside knowledge, having worked closely with him for many years and was there when reggae was but a quaint novelty known only overseas to West Indians and hipsters. As a young university student in Britain, Goldman was attracted to the activism spirit of reggae, and after graduating took a job in the early 1970s at Island Records where she had responsibility for promotions and pushed to get a then unknown Marley and other reggae artists to mainstream audiences.

http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/new-york-university-teach-bob-marley-course

by TERRY MORAN, ABC News

Online learning on steroids, Khan Academy is a one-world schoolhouse that teaches thousands of free lessons on everything from algebra to medieval history to the fiscal cliff through YouTube. It is skyrocketing in popularity, sparking controversy and fundamentally challenging the very notion of education in the 21st century. “What we’re tackling right now is the learning side,” said founder Sal Khan. “How can we democratize the knowledge so that anyone can get to the level they want to.”

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/khan-academy-taking-learning-pace-fits-classroom/story?id=18123195

By Charlie Osborne, Smart Planet

Contact North Research Associate and online learning specialist, Dr. Tony Bates, has released his fourth annual predictions for how online learning will change in 2013 based on the Canadian education industry. According to Bates, online learning will experience a shift and move into mainstream programs as the growth of hybrid learning — to accommodate new technologies — takes root in the education industry. Due to this, it is possible that academic institutions will give distance-based online learning methods more of a priority within their long-term strategies. “In online learning, the only thing you can really be certain of is uncertainty,” says Bates. “A major multinational player like Apple, Google or Facebook could jump into the online learning market and, in partnership with some elite universities, take a major share of the for-credit online market.” All in all, the researcher believes that 2013 will prove to be a “transformative” year for online learning worldwide; but what are his predictions?

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/top-ten-predictions-for-online-learning-in-2013/9709

by PBS News Hour

As tuition costs continue to rise, it seems counterintuitive that professors at top universities would give away their courses for free. But that’s exactly what they’re doing, on web-based platforms known as “Massive Open Online Courses.” Spencer Michels reports on how a boom in online learning could change higher education.

http://youtu.be/YJ8vBNQbem0

by eLearning Industry

A lot of students. Taking the classes are free. No attendance necessary. MOOCs emphasize key features of a class. Would you be interested to review The Rise and History of MOOCs? I encourage you to see the following infographic! At the end you will find a Prezi presentation of The History of MOOCs by Alyssa Martin.

http://elearningindustry.com/subjects/general/item/438-the-rise-and-history-of-moocs-infographic-prezi-presentation

by Denise Smith Amos, Cincinnati.com

“I describe it as Facebook meets the classroom,” said Spangler, who teaches 26 students from around the country online. “A very key cog in the whole process is collaboration among the students online … I don’t think it replaces face-to-face classes, but I know this online stuff is here and is only getting bigger.” North College Hill, a district of mostly low-income students, is wading into a national educational trend called blended learning, which marries traditional classroom instruction with online learning and assignments. And it is spreading to all kinds of schools – public and private, higher education and K-12 grades – as educators face societal and governmental pressure to increase the use of technology while getting students ready for college or a career.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130110/NEWS0102/301100169/-Facebook-meets-classroom-?nclick_check=1

by Sunanda Creagh, Phys Org

“This new option, called Signature Track, is available on a course-by-course basis and aims to verify the identity of the students doing the work. Though it does not include credit toward a degree program, Signature Track provides students with a more meaningful certificate that proves their success in a rigorous online university course,” the firm said. Verifying student identity aims to stop cheating by ensuring that the person doing a test behind a computer is who they say they are. Coursera said five courses will be part of the pilot, in which students will verify their identity by: Taking two photographs with their web cam: one of themselves and another of an acceptable photo ID document. Creating a biometric profile of their unique typing patterns by typing a short phrase.

http://phys.org/news/2013-01-online-host-coursera-id-students.html