October 10, 2015
By Ron Bethke, eCampus News
According to ed-tech experts, responding as flexibly as possible to often unpredictable trends and new technologies is critical for maximizing their potential positive impact on learning. “Black Swans” was the latest webinar hosted by The New Media Consortium in their Beyond the Horizon series, and featured a panel of five experts led and moderated by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, founder of the Hippasus educational consulting firm.
http://www.ecampusnews.com/technologies/ed-tech-future-101/
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by Associated Press
University students have saved $8 million over the last three years by opting into a digital learning program that uses electronic textbooks, school officials said. “Students have been complaining for a long time about the high cost of textbooks,” Anastasia Morrone, associate vice president for learning technologies at IU, told The Indianapolis Star. “Really, it does give you pause why a book has to cost $300.”
http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/electronic-textbooks-indiana-984/
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by Sabrina Salvatore, the Orion
The course requires students to watch videos and lectures online prior to class, Wasinger said. During class, students are divided into groups where they do different activities to recycle the material. The online videos include step-by-step visual demonstrations of course material, as well as audio explaining the content which is accessed via Blackboard Learn. This semester is the first this teaching technique is being implemented and will continue for at least four semesters, Wasinger said. The chemistry department hopes that after this trial run there will be proof that this interactive learning approach helps improve students’ grades. If the results are positive, then it will be made a permanent part of this course and possibly implemented in other departments. “As a way to hold the students accountable for actually watching the online lectures outside of class, there are random quizzes attached to the end of a video that count for credit toward their grade in the course,” he said.
http://theorion.com/blog/2015/10/04/interactive-learning-environment-aims-to-improve-student-success/
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October 9, 2015
By Joe Chapman, US News
Year after year, one of the most common pieces of feedback I receive from students who are new to our online degree program is that they are surprised by the amount of time it takes to succeed in their online courses. Common misconceptions of online degree programs are that they are easy to complete or take less time than traditional college classes. However, I’m here to tell you that is not the case. Though Arizona State University’s online programs, called ASU Online, our undergrad and graduate courses are structured in seven and a half week sessions rather than 14-week semesters. For one session, a student should expect to spend six hours a week on course work for every course credit.
http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/2015/10/02/discover-the-weekly-number-of-hours-online-students-study
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by Robert Talbert, Chronicle of Higher Ed
There was no way we could simply replicate in the online course the presentations that happen in the face-to-face version of the course. But we could use the online setting to do certain things that are uniquely suited to the online environment. So instead of having students present their solutions to problems in class, students presented their solutions to online homework questions by filming themselves and then posting the videos to YouTube.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/how-student-video-presentations-can-build-community-in-an-online-course/57435
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By Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows explosive growth in the number of statistics grads since the 1990s, but experts still don’t think the increase will meet the demand in the economy in coming years. Colleges and universities are launching new programs and expanding statistics offerings, including Brigham Young University, as well as the Universities of Michigan and California-Irvine, both of which have new data science degree programs. According to eCampus News, statisticians don’t always get along with those in other fields who work on big data, and few even agree on what data science encompasses, but the ASA has called for collaboration to meet the national demand.
http://www.educationdive.com/news/statistics-grads-still-on-the-rise-but-not-quickly-enough/406665/
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October 8, 2015
By Bridget McCrea, eSchool News
The online education movement has pushed K-12 schools and districts to rethink the way they develop and deliver content. No longer relegated to using textbooks as their core instructional materials, teachers look to their institutions for help selecting, aggregating, and then delivering relevant content to their pupils. Districts, in turn, must decide whether to build out their own online content platforms, farm it out to a learning platform.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/09/30/build-lms-605/
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by Daniel Morgan, Daily Reporter
As local schools gear up for the possibility of snow days this winter, two local districts are eyeing options that would allow teachers to conduct class even when bad weather keeps students home. Southern Hancock School Corp. was the first district in the county to make use of the Indiana Department of Education’s virtual-learning program, in which students log on to school-issued computers from home to complete assignments during days classes are canceled. Now the school district is prepared to repeat the program this school year, and Mt. Vernon School Corp. is hoping to take advantage of the opportunity, too. Officials from Southern Hancock say the program went well last year, and the district used the virtual lesson plans during all three days of its weather-related cancellations, sparing staff and students from making up that time later in the year.
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/local_story/Snow-days-no-match-for-e-class_1443655429
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by Kelly Wynne, College of DuPage Courier
Online learning allows me to take my education into my own hands. I know that if I don’t understand the material I cannot blame it on a teacher. I have to blame it on my own lack of attention and lack of care. Because of this, I have been nothing but successful in an online classroom. I don’t think there is an accurate way to measure the effectiveness of an online class, simply because every person learns differently. For someone like me who pays more attention when I am in control, these classes give me a true sense of freedom and responsibility. Someone who learns better in a classroom setting may find himself or herself failing to stay on top of assignments without constant reminders and a physical representation of a teacher who can answer questions on the spot. The only way to accurately measure your ability to flourish in an online learning environment is to try it for yourself.
http://codcourier.org/3012/opinion/point-counterpoint-online-classes-are-perfect-for-independent-students/
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October 7, 2015
By Sarah Muthler, Edudemic
Your students are probably Internet authorities. When it comes to Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, they might know far more than you. All of that time spent tweeting and chatting doesn’t necessarily translate to deep learning though. As students progress through school, online research skills become more important — for good reason. Both college professors and employers will expect young people to know their way around the academic side of the Internet; a skill that for many students, needs to be taught. In a Pew survey, a majority of teachers said that their students lacked patience and determination when doing difficult research. A majority of teachers also said that their students didn’t know how to use multiple sources to support an argument.
http://www.edudemic.com/students-better-online-researchers/
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By Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive
Badges and other micro-credentials are offering adults an alternative to years-long degree programs and giving employers detailed information about the skills students master. University Business reports that the University of Alaska has offered faculty members professional development badges, giving them first-hand experience with a model their students may seek out. Oregon State University now offers roughly 40 digital credentials, which people share on social media, effectively giving the university free advertising.
http://www.educationdive.com/news/micro-credentials-open-higher-ed-to-those-looking-to-broaden-skills/406469/
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by Heather Wolpert-Gawron, Edutopia
Times of flux should signal the A-OK for some experimentation in schools. Based on curriculum I developed for my new STEM-focused PBL book, I’m guiding students toward an Invention Convention, and I invited any interested teacher to participate. As a result, I now have approximately 500 students from every subject area ready to begin moving through this unit. But with such an enthusiastic response to the offer comes a happy problem to solve. How do I individualize each student’s learning process and pacing? I began thinking, therefore, about how gamification could potentially solve this challenge. I did my research and settled on a company called Rezzly (previously known as 3DGameLabs). It’s currently in beta mode and specializes in gamifying higher education and individualized teacher PD. I’m using it, however, to implement the lessons through my middle school PBL unit.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/project-based-learning-gamification-go-great-together-heather-wolpert-gawron
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October 6, 2015
By Charles McIntyre, EdTech
Two billion students will be learning English over the next decade, 80% of global companies say English is needed to succeed in their business and 55% of all websites are written in English. The English language is pervasive and the teaching of English is big business. Expenditure on English language learning is growing at twice the rate of spend on education more generally and by 2018 we expect global expenditure on English language learning to exceed $80bn, almost 4x more than the total spend on all the other languages put together. The challenge is how to deliver English language learning in an effective way. Language learning is a sophisticated skill that requires high levels of engagement and ideally a fully immersive experience. For example, it is not easy to replicate the outside world of multiple accents, different speeds of delivery and a wide range of vocabulary in a classroom.
http://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/can-online-learning-rise-to-the-challenge
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By Sharon Florentine, CIO
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer an incredible value for enterprises looking to increase skills and knowledge within their workforce. What began in the realm of academia has evolved into a powerful platform for enterprise training, continuing education and professional development. The IT industry evolves at a break-neck pace, and organizations that aren’t committed to ongoing learning and education are at a distinct competitive disadvantage. But spending thousands — even millions – to send IT workers to lengthy training classes or even back to college for additional degrees just isn’t cost-effective or practical. “MOOCs and online learning are addressing three of the biggest obstacles to learning in the enterprise: the cost, inevitable technology obsolescence and accessibility,” says Ryan Corey, co-founder of online enterprise learning platform Cybrary.
http://www.cio.com/article/2986306/it-skills-training/4-ways-moocs-are-changing-professional-development.html
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by Elena Sanina Freddy Esparza, Mark Montero, EdSurge
“Quantity of devices and well-developed adaptive software is the key to a successful blended learning implementation,” said no one ever! What is key? Teacher appetite and readiness to rethink what is possible. Over the last four years, Aspire Public Schools has rolled out blended learning classrooms in 23 of its 38 schools in California and Tennessee. Along the way, we’ve learned some hard lessons about converting whole schools to station rotation blended learning models in short periods of time.
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-09-28-how-to-kick-off-blended-learning-hint-it-s-not-just-about-tech
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October 5, 2015
By Amelia Pak-Harvey, the Sun
For the Crompton siblings, school begins in the comfort of own living room, after they eat breakfast and do their morning chores. By 9 a.m., the two sets of twins meet their mother, Linda, for a Bible reading and prayer time. Then they’re back on their own, reviewing their tasks in the assignment book she creates for them. Correct pages 178 and 180 in grammar. Study Lesson 14 for vocabulary. Move on to the next section in math drills. The Cromptons are among 37 families in Lowell who have opted to home-school their children, a minority group of 56 children in a low-income district of roughly 14,000 students.
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/ci_28882620/class-time-at-kitchen-table-lowell-students
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by Nichole Osinski, The Spectrum & Daily News
Technology is becoming a normal part of education and it may be the key to defining the success of students’ futures. Incorporating blended learning in classrooms leads to an increase of graduation rates among other positive benefits, according to a recent case study from the Evergreen Group and the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. The study looked at 12 school districts in the U.S. that use blended learning within their curriculum.
http://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2015/09/26/success-blended-learning/72880952/
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By KURT HAUGLIE, Mining Gazette
When online learning was created, it was meant as an augmentation to actual classroom teaching, and according to Kipp Beaudoin, it was welcomed by many educators. “It was embraced,” said Beaudoin, who is principal at Hancock Middle School and Hancock Central High School. However, Beaudoin said he’s concerned online learning, such as the Michigan Virtual School, which is used in HCHS, may soon supplant rather than augment in-class instruction, which is not what it was intended to do.
http://www.mininggazette.com/page/content.detail/id/547835/Online-learning-becoming-more-than-an-alternative.html?nav=5006
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October 4, 2015
by Alex Hernandez, EdSurge
My 9-year-old twins recently completed a five-week MOOC (massive open online course). I thought I’d be a proud, high-fiving dad, but MOOC completion rates hover around 6%, so when they completed the MOOC, I was mostly puzzled. Something went terribly… right. Brain Chase is an online learning experience geared for 2nd to 8th graders designed to cure summer learning loss and provide afterschool enrichment. Each week, children work on a variety of online programs such as Khan Academy, myOn and Rosetta Stone, submit a piece of writing and read–a substantial investment of 5 hours a week during the summer. Brain Chase takes a standard set of online learning programs like Khan Academy and Rosetta Stone and layers a Hollywood-like treasure hunt–reminiscent of the National Treasure or Indiana Jones movies–over the top. Once kids meet their weekly goals, a video is unlocked which reveals clues to find a buried treasure.
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-09-21-why-my-kids-finished-their-mooc-when-most-adults-don-t
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By Deangelo McDaniel, Decatur Daily
Fewer than 90 students have enrolled in virtual classes through Morgan County’s two city school systems, but school leaders in Decatur and Hartselle expect the number to rise as they reach out beyond the Tennessee Valley. Hartselle, which has 37 students taking virtual classes, is opening its virtual doors to students from anywhere in the state, said Dee Dee Jones, director of teaching and learning.Decatur City Schools has 46 students in its virtual program and is looking to expand through more class offerings, said Tommy Davis, director of secondary curriculum/career tech. “We’re very pleased with our first-year numbers, but we see an opportunity to grow through what we are offering,” he said. Davis said 20 of the virtual program students are full time and nine are out-of-district students who paid $500 to be considered Decatur City Schools students.
http://www.decaturdaily.com/news/local/decatur-hartselle-planning-different-ways-to-grow-virtual-programs/article_50c6c3ba-2f29-54b4-b92e-ed80c639ea4f.html
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by Joshua Grondin, THE VARSITY
In an age of technology and readily available information, course instructors are experimenting with the inverted classroom teaching format. Gaining popularity among academic institutions around the world, the inverted classroom model requires students to cover lecture material at home through online lecture videos, learning modules, and supplementary readings. During scheduled class hours, students then have the opportunity to actively engage with their professor to gain further understanding of the material. The purpose of this alternative approach is to give students the opportunity to improve their skills in a more interactive environment.
http://thevarsity.ca/2015/09/21/u-of-t-courses-adopt-the-inverted-classroom/
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