Educational Technology

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Now that the University of Arizona has launched an online campus, UA Online, the institution is ready to start up its first “General Education Academy” to help students prepare for their virtual education. UA Online is intended to be a distinct division with 21 undergraduate degree programs, 18 graduate programs and 23 graduate certificate programs. In an effort to compete for students living outside of Arizona, the school has set tuition rates for online courses the same for out-of-state and in-state students. The university announced the academy last year with several goals: to help the institution “manage the quality of its online general education offerings,” “create a community for online instructors,” and help develop “cutting-edge resources for online students and teachers.” The initial emphasis will be on helping non-typical online students — first-year and early-transfer undergraduates — succeed in their online programs.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/16/u-arizona-girds-for-online-undergrads.aspx

By Jeannie Tucker, Edudemic

In the age of information ubiquity and rapidly evolving media delivery formats, today’s librarians have learned how to evolve along with the technology. In addition, librarians actively seek out new means for creative expression and intellectual growth for student library users, and frequently volunteer as early adopters of these exciting resources. In turn, librarians partner with users in navigating a complex information landscape and in engaging them in enrichment programming. Check out 5 ways librarians are molding their libraries into community spaces for students.

http://www.edudemic.com/help-students-make-local-libraries/

By Olimar Maisonet-Guzman, Devex

Every year, the international community comes together to commemorate the International Girls in ICT Day to raise awareness about the gender gap in the technology sector. Nonetheless, every year we continue to hear the same statistics: Women are 14 percent less likely than men to own a mobile phone. Moreover, 25 percent fewer women and girls are online than men and boys; this gap grows over 40 percent in sub-Saharan Africa. That begs the question: What does the international community still needs to do to solve the gender gap in the access and use of technology? Closing the usage gap between girls and boys is important for the promotion of the information society. As interactions between governments and society continue to rely more on information and communication technologies, it becomes crucial that the voices of women and girls continue to be represented in the digital world.

https://www.devex.com/news/3-ways-to-solve-technology-access-barriers-for-girls-85929

By Joshua Bolkan, Campus Technology

The global decline of PC shipments continued in the first quarter of 2015, totaling 71 million units, according to a new report from Gartner. That total represents a 5.2 percent drop compared to the first quarter of 2014. “The PC industry received a boost in 2014 as many companies replaced their PCs due to the end of Windows XP support, but that replacement cycle faded in the first quarter of 2015,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, in a prepared statement. “However, this decline is not necessarily a sign of sluggish overall PC sales long term. Mobile PCs, including notebooks, hybrid and Windows tablets, grew compared with a year ago. The first quarter results support our projection of a moderate decline of PC shipments in 2015, which will lead to a slow, consistent growth stage for the next five years.”

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/15/pc-market-continues-decline-despite-growth-in-mobile-pc-segment.aspx

By Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

The volume of data captured by the Internet of Things (IoT) will exceed 1.6 zettabytes by 2020, according to a recent forecast from ABI Research. That’s a seven-fold increase from last year’s 200 exabytes of data collected by IoT devices. Still, only a small portion of that data has been accessible for analytics. “The data originating from connected products and processes follows a certain journey of magnitudes,” explained Principal Analyst Aapo Markkanen in a press release. “The yearly volumes that are generated within endpoints are counted in yottabytes, but only a tiny fraction of this vast data mass is actually being captured for storage or further analysis. And of the captured volume, on average over 90 percent is stored or processed locally without a cloud element, even though this ratio can vary greatly by application segment. So far, the locally dealt data has typically been largely inaccessible for analytics, but that is now starting to change.”

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/15/internet-of-things-data-to-top-1-6-zettabytes-by-2020.aspx

by Computerworld Australia

Analyst firms like IDC, Forrester and Gartner are all in agreement that organisations of every ilk are being disrupted by the forces of digital technology: mobile, cloud, social and data analytics. Education, of course is not exempt, and according to Gartner vice president and distinguished analyst, Jan-Martin Lowendahl, traditional educational business models are being fundamentally challenged by digitalisation. “Social and economic pressures are forcing senior education leaders to rethink business models and consider a range of new technologies to bring down the cost of administering education institutions and scale the business,” Lowendahl says. “An increasing number of technical innovations and technology trends are emerging from within the industry, but most will emerge outside the industry, driven by major forces such as digital business and the consumerisation and industrialisation of IT.”

http://www.computerworld.com.au/mediareleases/22106/digital-disruption-meets-education/

By David Raths, Campus Technology

While most agree that the flipped classroom model benefits learning, researchers are delving into the details and exploring the many facets of a flip. In general, research has shown that the flipped classroom model has a positive impact on student outcomes. Last year, a University of Washington “meta-analysis” of 225 studies compared student performance in undergraduate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses under traditional lecturing vs. active learning: “The results indicate that average examination scores improved by about 6 percent in active learning sections, and that students in classes with traditional lecturing were 1.5 times more likely to fail than were students in classes with active learning,” the study noted in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/15/where-flipped-learning-research-is-going.aspx

By Sarah Muthler, Edudemic

Teachers might see the Internet as the enemy of old-fashioned books, but the two entities can actually compliment each other nicely. Websites devoted to reading and literacy help children connect with other readers, delve deeper into what they are reading, and discover new books of interest. And they provide teachers with ideas for the classroom. Your students could start an online book group, write reviews on a website, or use Internet tools to research a favorite author. We’ve gathered ten of the best free, reading-related websites to inspire you and your young readers.

http://www.edudemic.com/books-web-tools/

By Kristen Hicks, Edudemic

The horror stories of young people not grasping the reach and influence of the content they put online are familiar to all of us. From the loss of job opportunities due to unprofessional pictures or comments on social media, to the more serious threats of abduction, and even the self-harm inspired by cyber bullying, the stakes are high. Digital literacy is something educators can’t afford to ignore. All of the concern over what kids can get into online has pushed schools to start teaching students about digital citizenship – the concept that we’re all interconnected through the Internet and therefore need to understand the responsibilities and risks that come with life online.

http://www.edudemic.com/teachers-guide-digital-citizenship/

By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times

California education poll reveals that core subjects might trump technology access. Providing computers to public school students is important to California voters, but not as crucial as other factors affecting education, including a more intense focus on math, science and the arts, according to a new poll. In the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times survey, voters were given a list of options and asked to select the top two that would have the most positive impact on improving public education in California. Nearly half, 49 percent, picked “increasing funding for math, science and technology instruction,” according to the poll. Nearly a third said funding should be increased for subject like art and music education.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/04/14/science-technology-poll-893/

By Olivia Alveshere, ABC Newspapers

Spring Lake Park High School will hold its first ever electronic learning day when juniors take the ACT April 28. Freshmen, sophomores and seniors will use their iPads or other electronic devices to complete 20- to 30-minute activities for each class online at home that day. Spring Lake Park High School will hold its first ever electronic learning day when juniors take the ACT April 28. Freshmen, sophomores and seniors will use their iPads or other electronic devices to complete 20- to 30-minute activities for each class online at home that day. High school juniors across Minnesota will take the ACT on that date, and to carry out the testing, many high schools are keeping freshmen, sophomores and seniors at home. Spring Lake Park is in that camp, busing only juniors to the high school, but the rest of the student body won’t have a day off: Students will complete 20- to 30-minute exercises online for each of their courses. “This is very common amongst metro districts,” according to Hope Rahn, data and continuous improvement coordinator for Spring Lake Park Schools.

http://abcnewspapers.com/2015/04/14/district-16-plans-first-electronic-learning-day/

By Zen Vuong, Pasadena Star-News

The Huntington and San Marino Unified School District have partnered to offer an online “blended” course to high school students starting in the fall. This is the first time The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens has collaborated with a school to provide a hybrid online course. It includes once-a-week class time in both San Marino High School and a 207-acre research facility. Catherine Allgor, the Huntington’s director of education, said the beta program was Superintendent Alex Cherniss’ brainchild. Cherniss became head of California’s premier school district — according to the Academic Performance Index benchmark — in July. “He wanted to strengthen the humanities at San Marino High School,” Allgor said. “They’re really strong in math and science things, but when you have something like The Huntington in your backyard — which is a leader in the humanities — you certainly want to take advantage of that.”

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/social-affairs/20150413/the-huntington-offers-blended-online-course-to-san-marino-high-school-students

by Kim Wilcox and Edward J. Ray, EDCUAUSE Review

On college and university campuses across the United States, we’re surrounded by a resource that leads to discovery, innovation, and growth—yet we don’t embrace it at the leadership level. That resource? Failure. Failure is happening every day in our labs and classrooms and is essential to the learning and discovery process in both settings. As our research scientists attempt to make breakthrough discoveries, they run through repeated trials that fail to deliver the hoped-for results, but each failure provides another clue pointing in the direction of a solution. In classrooms, we encourage students in every discipline to question and analyze the information we put before them. Have we ever criticized them for being “wrong”? Not at all. We congratulate them on having the courage to ask new questions, and we encourage them to keep going.

http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/embracing-failure-spur-success-new-collaborative-innovation-model

By Leila Meyer, Campus Technology

As more and more instructors flip their classrooms or teach online courses, it’s become increasingly important to create videos that can hold students’ attention. Some instructors have experimented with new ways to make videos more interactive and engaging; for instance, including themselves in the picture along with their teaching materials. “Putting our face on the presentation allows us to offer nuances and to communicate with more richness and immediacy,” said John Lammers, professor of communication and director of the Health Communication program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Here are five ways to take lecture videos up a notch and better engage students.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/08/5-lecture-capture-hacks-for-more-engaging-videos.aspx?admgarea=News

by eSchoolNews

Digital learning system helps schools integrate game-based learning applications. RGS, a business unit of Avnet, Inc., has introduced the RGS Classroom Game Server (CGS), a new high-performance digital learning system designed to enable school districts to affordably integrate game-based learning (GBL) applications into their digital lesson plans for grades K-12. The unit is optimized for MinecraftEdu from TeacherGaming LLC. Each unit can support up to 35 players concurrently, in a variety of network environments including existing Ethernet or Wi-Fi LAN. For classrooms with no network access, the server can broadcast its own LAN, reducing the load on the school network infrastructure. In addition, offline mode allows for play without any Internet connection.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/04/13/game-based-integration-094/

by News Medical

People with learning (intellectual) disabilities have historically been marginalised from mainstream society, and have had limited choice and control over their lives. While movements to achieve greater equality have had success, the rapid advancement of modern technology risks creating a new form of digital exclusion. For people with learning disabilities there may be a delicate balance between becoming a victim or perpetrator of crime while online. There are potential challenges that health professionals have to overcome when promoting safe and inclusive internet access. People with a learning disability walk a thin line between becoming a victim or perpetrator of online crime, according to authors writing in the journal Learning Disability Practice.

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150413/People-with-learning-disabilities-may-become-victim-or-perpetrator-of-crime-while-online.aspx

By Pamela DeLoatch, Edudemic

Do you use Twitter in your classroom as part of your lesson plans? If not, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Although 80% of K-12 teachers do have Twitter accounts for personal or professional use, most of them don’t integrate tweets into classroom lessons. And at first glance, it might be difficult to understand why you would, especially when Twitter is best known for getting updates on the oft mundane activities friends, family and celebrity crushes. But with 288 million active users worldwide, educational experts, like those at the National Education Association, say that Twitter can be a welcome tool for teachers who want to increase information, communication, and collaboration, both inside and outside the classroom.

http://www.edudemic.com/the-30-newest-ways-to-use-twitter-in-the-classroom/

By Rebecca Lundberg, eSchool News

A snapshot of classroom-ready 3D printers available for eductors. These days, 3D printing is becoming a staple of the modern classroom, from K-12 to college and university campuses as well. Even as prices dip for some models, educational institutions and districts are also gaining financial support from outside sources for ventures into 3D printing. In fact, from 2011 to 2015, government business intelligence company Onvia awarded $1,809,298 in 3D printer and supply contracts to 44 primary, secondary and higher education institutions and school districts across the United States. David D. Thornburg, co-author of “The Invent to Learn Guide to 3D Printing in the Classroom,” said he would not recommend one specific 3D printer for classroom use because the constant advancement in the 3D printing industry can make choosing the best models a “moving target.”

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/04/13/3d-printers-classroom-539/

By Joshua Bolkan, THE Journal

A new study from Wainhouse Research finds that a large minority, 39 percent, of education stakeholders say their schools should be doing a better job of preparing students for the workforce. Among more than 1,000 administrators, teachers, students and parents surveyed from North America and the United Kingdom, “many” said they “believe that schools are doing a decent job focusing on the 3 R’s: reading, writing and mathematics, but are not doing as good a job focusing on other aspects of education essential to preparing learners for entering the workforce,” according to the report. Sixty percent of those surveyed said too little emphasis is placed on collaborations with other learners outside the classroom, while 46 and 40 percent, respectively, said there should be more emphasis on group achievement and working in teams.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/04/09/report-schools-should-focus-more-on-soft-skills.aspx

By Karen Gifford, eSchool News

How technology can help you apply Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in your schools. In Arizona, I’ve helped create an event called the Behavior, Education, Technology Conference (BET-C), which explores how technology can help with PBIS. We just held the fourth annual BET-C in early March. Based on the sessions from this year’s conference, here are three ways technology can support the implementation of PBIS in schools.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/04/10/technology-behavior-054/

by the Sentinel

Michael Sim, EPAMS principal, said being selected for this grant represents a validation of the work the school’s planning team has done for the last nine months. “Our team has dedicated many hours to researching, discussing, and thinking to craft our innovative, new design for our students,” he said. East Pennsboro’s design is based on leveraging technology and innovative instruction strategies to create individually-tailored learning in order to prepare students for college- and career-readiness, the release states. The components of the personalized learning model will guarantee student access to multiple instructional modes each school day.

http://cumberlink.com/news/local/education/east-pennsboro-area-middle-school-to-receive-k-blended-learning/article_751d5bd3-11e3-5188-bc9c-4d49fc1e8f4d.html