Educational Technology

by Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

The University of Maryland University College is the largest institution in the country to go “commando” on textbooks. As of this academic year undergraduates don’t have to lug them around or spend a dime on them — and the benefits don’t end there. Here’s how UMUC achieved an amazing goal. If you’re waiting for the day when open educational resources (OER) have truly arrived on campus in a big way, you’re late to class. As of fall 2015, the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) no longer expects any undergraduate to spend money on textbooks. By next fall, the same will be true for its graduate students. The conservative estimate of savings for the university’s 84,000 students is somewhere north of $10 million per year. And more importantly, the university has reason to believe that student learning is improving under the new strategy.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/03/09/textbook-free.aspx

By Joshua Bolkan, Campus Technology

Detachable tablets will nearly quadruple, as a share of the tablet market, from 8 percent to 30 percent in 2020, according to a new forecast from International Data Corp. (IDC). Overall, tablet shipments will drop 5.9 percent from 2015 to 2016, falling to 195 million sales this year, according to the company, but IDC expects the segment to rebound to positive, single-digit growth, largely on the strength of detachable devices, which it predicts will grow from 16.6 million shipments in 2015 to 63.8 million in 2020. “Beyond the growing demand for detachable devices, we’re also witnessing an increase in competition within this segment that will help drive design, innovation, and a decline in average prices,” said Jean Philippe Bouchard, research director for tablets at IDC, in a prepared statement.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/03/10/report-detachable-devices-to-drive-tablet-growth-through-2020.aspx

By Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

In the past few years, the thinking around 3D printing has shifted, as the technology has become more or less intertwined with the idea of makerspaces and the maker movement. The “stuff” that students create in makerspaces, via 3D printing or other technologies, is now less important than the overall “maker” experience — interdisciplinary collaboration, hands-on problem-solving, digital literacy, entrepreneurship and more. As the 2016 NMC Horizon Report noted, “Regardless of what they encompass, the general purpose of makerspaces is to provide a place for users to engage in self-directed activities that spark their curiosity, help them identify passions, and build a habit of lifelong learning. By participating in hands-on design and construction in makerspaces, students engage in creative problem-solving and higher-order thinking.”

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/03/10/its-not-about-making-stuff.aspx

by Emerging Strategy

The global education sector is experiencing a shift in learning models. Fueled by the exploding demand for mobile devices and digital education across the world, mobile learning has become the mainstream and completely changed the way in which traditional educational business models are perceived. With an already well-established foothold in the West and exploding growth figures in emerging markets, the rise of mobile learning is leading to a need for both companies and education institutions alike to integrate its use into their business and learning models, respectively. In this article, we discuss the current penetration of mobile learning across key markets, the challenges brought to both traditional businesses and the education sector, and also look into its application and prospects for future development.

http://www.emerging-strategy.com/article/learning-on-the-go-the-rise-of-mobile-learning-across-the-globe/

By Samiha Uddin, Daily Illini

Technology is constantly moving forward — from hoverboards to virtual reality. Ten years from now, will campus look the same? Brian Quick, University communication professor since 2007, said students’ communication techniques will continue to change. “Students have generally remained the same since 2007,” Quick said. “We attract strong students here at the University. However, in regards to technology, how students communicate continues to evolve as technology rapidly changes.” Along with the technological changes, Quick sees a bigger emphasis on online education. “The other large change I would say is the immense amount of online education. For the past several years I have taught an online health campaign class,” Quick said. “As instructors, I remember back in the day when we entered grades in paper grade books. Today, we enjoy sites such as Compass, Blackboard and Moodle to assist with course management.” Quick has a specific image that he envisions for the future of the University — one that includes experiencing campus culture no matter the format.

http://www.dailyillini.com/article/2016/03/what-will-campus-be-like-in-2026

By Sabah Karimi, US News

Whether you want to excel at work or just adopt a new hobby, you’ll need to learn some new skills to reach your goals. Learning new skills can keep your mind sharp as you age and open you up to a whole new world of possibilities. The good news: You don’t have to spend a lot of money for a teacher or coach to learn that new skill set – you’ll find several free resources online to support your new endeavor.

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/articles/2016-03-09/7-great-ways-to-learn-new-skills-for-free

by Liam Tung, ZD Net

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer no longer thinks Linux is a “malignant cancer”. With Azure moving up the food chain in Redmond, Microsoft has since 2012 softened its stance on open-source software, capped off by this week’s move to port SQL Server to Linux. Eleven years before that, shortly after taking the helm at Microsoft, Ballmer said, “Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches.” The other c-word he used for Linux was communism, accusing the Linux community of diluting Microsoft’s R&D spend by infringing on its intellectual property.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/ballmer-i-may-have-called-linux-a-cancer-but-now-i-love-it/?tag=nl.e539&s_cid=e539&ttag=e539&ftag=TRE17cfd61

By Charles Swenson, Coastal Observer

Students at Waccamaw High have started signing up for online classes less than a week after the virtual curriculum was approved by the Georgetown County Board of Education. But although there is interest in the expanded list of AP and technology classes, school officials said students and parents need to be cautious. “You have to decide, subject by subject, does it meet your child’s needs,” WHS principal David Hammel said at an orientation program this week.

http://www.coastalobserver.com/articles/2016/031016/3.html

by Josh Constine, TechCrunch

“This is so fast it feels like cheating” students tell Volley. The education startup’s app lets students point their phone’s camera at a textbook page or piece of homework, and instantly see resources about key facts and tricky parts, prerequisites, and links to snippets of online classes or study guides that could help. But rather than manually cobble this info together, Volley uses cutting edge machine learning and natural language processing to do it all automatically.

http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/10/volley/

by Bryan Sinclair and Glenn Gunhouse, EDUCAUSE Review

Virtual reality teeters on the edge of becoming mainstream, with software development outstripping the hardware and memory storage needed. In this article, a librarian and an art historian discuss the many ways that VR may transform learning and student experiences.

http://er.educause.edu/articles/2016/3/the-promise-of-virtual-reality-in-higher-education

by Brian Basgen and Peter A. Testori, EDUCAUSE Review

Various instructional models for online learning focus on efficiencies of time and space, from flipped classrooms to competency-based education, MOOCs, and online learning environments that rely on reading, writing, and discussion. The model proposed here for online education focuses on social learning and student engagement, training faculty and designing online courses to make interaction the driving factor in creating a highly personalized experience for students. The model’s five-point framework highlights best practices to create a high level of student engagement, with guidance on reading and writing instruction, peer group work, discussion, experiential learning, and assessment.

http://er.educause.edu/articles/2016/3/socially-engaged-learning

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

More teachers said that technology has changed how they approach time management (93 percent) than how they approach instructional delivery (88 percent). It has also transformed how they handle parent communication. A solid 7 in 10 reported that they now use tech to do that. On the instructional front, most teachers apply tech to classroom lecture time (84 percent) and differentiated instruction (74 percent). Those results came out of a survey of nearly 1,000 American teachers who were contacted in January and February 2016 by TES Global, a company with a teacher community and marketplace. The findings were shared during a panel at SXSWedu taking place this week in Austin, TX.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/03/09/teachers-report-oer-in-textbooks-out.aspx

By JULIA E. DEBENEDICTIS, Harvard Crimson

Connecting students around the world through high-tech monitors, the HBX Live studio has begun operating, and administrators are eager to support further development of the online service. As part of HBX—the Business School’s online learning platform—HBX Live was added to the school’s digital learning repertoire in August with the goal of replicating the typical classroom experience. HBX Live is housed in the WGBH public broadcast studio in Brighton. The space is custom designed with a high-resolution video wall that mimics the amphitheater seating style of a traditional Business School classroom. So far, school affiliates have only used the HBX Live studio for “sessions,” including test runs with alumni, according to Michael P. Soulios, the senior production engineer and operations manager for HBX.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/3/9/hbx-live-new-initiative/

by Western Slope Now

Mesa County Library offering free class to navigate hazards of the internet. The internet is a valuable resource but it comes with many potential threats. The Mesa County Library is now offering a free class to keep you safe online.Organizers say Wednesday’s class will help you guard your computer and yourself against internet threats such as malware, hacking and phishing. Special emphasis will be given to identity theft, account hacking, and social media. The class will also cover how to spot common types of online scams. It happens on Wednesday morning from 9:30 until 11:00 at the main branch of the library at 5th Street and Grand Avenue.

http://www.westernslopenow.com/news/local-news/learning-to-surf-the-internet-safely

by Mike O’Brien, ClickZ

Virtual reality is the next big thing. Perhaps you’ve heard? Here are four of our favorite examples of branded VR content. Virtual reality (VR) was the star of the show, both in Las Vegas in January and again at Mobile World Congress two weeks ago. But while “the next big thing” often takes a while to come to fruition, VR is already here. Headsets like Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear became available to the public fairly recently, but brands have been on board for quite a while. One such brand is Lowe’s, which stands out in the VR space for the Holoroom experience that allows consumers to build their dream kitchens and then see them before committing to thousands of dollars worth of renovations.

https://www.clickz.com/2016/03/07/four-brands-with-awesome-virtual-reality-experiences

By David Nagel, Campus Technology

Shipments of Apple tablets, including iPad and iPad Pro, dropped nearly 25 percent in the last quarter of 2015, leading an overall decline in the tablet market. Meanwhile shipments of detachable tablets — devices that include removable keyboards — actually doubled in the same period. Overall, the fourth quarter of 2015 saw a decline of 13.7 percent in tablet shipments, according to preliminary data released by market research firm IDC. That represented 65.9 million units in the three-month period ended Dec. 31. Pure slate tablets (like the iPad) fared worse than the category as a whole, down 21.1 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. Overall tablet shipments for the year came in at 206.8 million, off 10.1 percent compared with the previous year. However, detachable tablets doubled in shipments to an all-time high of 8.1 million units.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/02/09/ipad-shipments-plummet-as-detachable-tablets-double.aspx

By Leila Meyer, Campus Technology

A team of computer scientists and electrical engineers at the University of Washington has developed a passive Wi-Fi system that can generate 802.11b Wi-Fi signals using 10,000 times less power than present-day Wi-Fi and 1,000 times less power than Bluetooth Low Energy and ZigBee, according to a news release on UW’s site. Traditional Wi-Fi technology uses both digital and analog components. While the digital components are highly energy efficient, the analog ones are not. Passive Wi-Fi solves this problem by decoupling the digital and analog components of Wi-Fi transmissions, assigning the power-intensive analog functions to a single networked device that is plugged into a wall outlet. An array of sensors produces the information packets for transmission by reflecting and absorbing the signal with a digital switch, according to a news release from UW. The sensors are capable of communicating with any Wi-Fi enabled device.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/03/01/u-washington-researchers-develop-energy-efficient-wifi.aspx

By Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

According to initial results from recent pilot, digital game-based learning improved student engagement and self-efficacy in writing courses at 14 colleges and universities. Over the fall 2015 semester, a group of faculty piloted Toolwire’s Writing Games with more than 1,000 students, primarily in developmental and introductory composition courses. The resulting research report documents “faculty and student reactions based on over 530,000 minutes of student usage” of the technology. Participating institutions include several campuses in the Maricopa, Lone Star, and Colorado Community College systems, as well as the California State University and City University of New York systems. The study was authored by Douglas Beckwith, Toolwire’s senior fellow and a professor of practice at Arizona State University.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/03/03/report-game-based-learning-helps-students-develop-writing-skills.aspx

By Leila Meyer, THE Journal

Mobile apps, online platforms and other technologies are transforming world language education programs by “creating more dynamic, interactive experiences that expose students to the nuances of languages and cultures,” according to a new report from the New Media Consortium (NMC). The role of technology in innovating language education is being driven by pedagogical trends and challenges. The report, “Innovating Language Education: An NMC Horizon Project Strategic Brief,” was commissioned by the Language Flagship Technology Innovation Center (LFTIC) at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/02/29/report-innovating-world-language-education-through-technology.aspx

By Mike Tomei, Campus Technology

Understanding project stakeholders and processes is key to better management of AV installations on campus. There are plenty of resources out there informing readers about what projector they should buy or how to create huddle spaces — but when I was a higher ed tech manager, I was always looking for advice on successful project management. I will cover the different types of AV installation projects, the roles of all the stakeholders involved with classroom AV design and install, and the various phases of construction projects and how they pertain to AV, and I’ll dive deeper into each phase to highlight the major deliverables.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/02/24/the-who-and-what-of-classroom-av-design.aspx

By David Nagel, Campus Technology

Wearables are not just for gadget enthusiasts and early adopters anymore. They’ve gone mass-market. More than 71 million wearables were shipped in the last year, according to a new report from market research firm IDC. According to information released in IDC’s latest Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, 78.1 million wearables shipped in 2015, with more than a third — 27.4 million — shipping in the fourth quarter alone. Fourth quarter 2015’s shipments represented a 127 percent increase over shipments in the same period the previous year.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/03/07/wearables-see-record-growth.aspx