Educational Technology

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eSchool News

Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all education. Today, forward-thinking school leaders know that leveraging powerful learning technology can help all students excel and learn to work collaboratively with peers–even if that student is homebound due to chronic illness. In Maryland’s Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS), a team of educators worked to secure telepresence robots for sick and homebound students after seeing the robots demonstrated at a conference. By turning to virtual inclusion, they hoped homebound students would feel more engaged in both their learning and their social relationships at school.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/03/03/virtual-inclusion-students/

by Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

A 2+2-2 model for early college programs in New Jersey is creating a pathway to help students earn master’s degrees in the same amount of time it would normally take to obtain a bachelor’s degree. The articulation agreement between St. John Vianney High School, Brookdale Community College, and Georgian Court University awards an associate degrees to high school graduates through dual enrollment programs, after which they enroll in the community college for two years to complete their bachelor’s degree, before moving on to the university to complete their master’s degree. Proponents of the model say that this allows for students to reduce tuition costs by two years or more, provides high level credentials in less time, and addresses any concerns that students graduating from college two years early might not be socially or emotionally ready to enter the workforce.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/222-articulation-programs-offer-new-model-for-higher-ed-access/437366/

by Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

NBA owner Mark Cuban says that finance is one of several industries that will soon fall victim to automation, and students seeking lucrative careers of the future should look to the liberal arts for professional training. The tech magnate says that machines will soon replace workers in the processing of data and information, and that professionals who excel in communication, language and innovation will be in high-demand. Cuban has long warned against the looming burst of the higher education bubble due to costs and industrial demand.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/mark-cuban-champions-liberal-arts-as-future-of-the-workforce/437375/

by Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

The Flipped Learning Global Initiative (FLGI), an international coalition of educators, researchers, technologists, professional development providers and education leaders, has declared a new era in flipped learning, designated “Flipped Learning 3.0.” The findings, which came out of a 12-month project analyzing the state of flipped learning around the globe, identify five factors that, according to the organization, signify a paradigm shift.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/03/02/researchers-point-to-paradigm-shift-in-flipped-learning.aspx

By Sri Ravipati, Campus Technology

Fifteen coding bootcamps, or accelerated computer programming programs, have formed a new coalition and announced their commitment to publish student graduation and job placement data in a single, standardized framework. In a move to be fully transparent, the 17-member Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR) is also mandating truth in advertising disclosures on all outcomes data promoted in marketing and admissions materials. CIRR members will release graduation and job placement data on a semi-annual basis. The first round of results from 2016 will be published on March 29, in accordance with CIRR definitions, documentation and validation requirements. The reporting will be publically available on the individual members’ websites.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/03/02/largest-coalition-of-coding-bootcamps-to-publish-data-on-job-outcomes.aspx

BY MATTHEW LYNCH, Tech Edvocate

According to the STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math) Coalition, there are 26 million STEM jobs in the U.S., comprising 20 percent of all jobs. By 2020, there will be 9.2 million STEM jobs in the U.S. Despite the need for these workers, only 45 percent and 30 percent of high school seniors are prepared for college-level math and science courses, respectively. As the American K-12 system continues to look for ways to increase student interest and aptitude in STEM learning, technology is playing an increasingly pivotal role. Children who come to classrooms today have an inherent aptitude for technology and educators should encourage that skill set with resources that integrate STEM learning.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/3-technologies-bolstering-stem-learning/

BY ALEX GONZALEZ, eSchool News

Learning how to effectively use and implement new classroom edtech requires educators to spend their most valuable currency: time. Time spent troubleshooting technology in the classroom is wasted, and it can make educators skeptical of new technology. Regardless of teaching philosophy, you must discover which edtech resources will provide an authentic learning experience for your students and make the most effective use of teachers’ time. The following is a three-step technology integration approach that you can follow to ensure you are prepared to discover and deploy new technology.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/03/01/tips-teacher-helpful-edtech/

by Malcolm Brown and Veronica Diaz, EDUCAUSE Review

This article highlights the results of two EDUCAUSE community surveys—from the IT and the teaching and learning communities—and shows their complementary priorities, intersections, and synergies. As this year’s EDUCAUSE Top 10 IT Issues list makes clear, student success has become a strategic focal point for many higher education institutions. The concept of student success is itself multidimensional: it includes success not only in academic coursework but also in degree planning, constructing next-generation digital learning environments and resources, and supporting a range of what the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) calls high-impact practices. Increasing student success requires institutional attention to all of these areas. Although challenging, improvements made in these areas, if done in tandem, can result in academic transformation: innovation and change that is multidimensional and strategic and that addresses campus culture.

http://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/1/teaching-learning-and-it-issues-priorities-and-intersections

By Liam Tung, ZD Net

Chinese smartphone maker claims breakthrough in charge times with new Super mCharge tech. Chinese smartphone maker Meizu has shown off its new Super mCharge tech fully charging a 3,000mAh battery in 20 minutes. Meizu unveiled the new battery tech on Tuesday at Mobile World Congress, offering a peek at the next generation of its mCharge quick-charging technology for lithium-ion batteries. That performance compares with Qualcomm’s recently announced Quick Charge 4.0 tech in the new Snapdragon 835 processor, which in tests with a 2 750mAh battery delivered a 50 percent charge in 15 minutes, or an estimated five-hour charge in five minutes.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/phone-battery-quick-charge-breakthrough-meizu-says-its-zero-to-full-in-20-minutes/

By Sri Ravipati, Campus Technology

The company last month issued a profit warning announcing it would not reach its goals for 2018, prompting plans to sell major assets. Now, according to its 2016 earnings report released Friday, the British-owned publishing company has reported a pre-tax loss of nearly £2.6 billion ($3.2 billion) — the biggest loss in its almost 30-year history. The company’s United States business accounts for two-thirds of its revenue and profits, and that segment has been taking a massive hit with students opting to rent textbooks instead of buying them. According to the earnings report, net revenues declined an unprecedented 18 percent during the year. Total college enrollments for courseware dropped 1.4 percent, with combined two-year and four-year for-profit enrollments falling 5 percent.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/02/27/pearson-3-2-billion-in-the-hole-looks-to-digital-transformation.aspx

by WP Explorer

Fortunately, the WordPress community is thriving, and there are many people out there willing to help you learn the ropes. A quick Google search reveals thousands of articles and tutorials, along with dedicated YouTube channels such as WPCrafter, Tyler Moore, and WPBeginner. These resources are fantastic, but often you’ll find the best way to make progress is to take part in a more structured course. That’s why we’re going to recommend five excellent online courses for WordPress in this article. Each is designed with beginners in mind, and will arm you with the knowledge you need to start creating your own websites.

http://www.wpexplorer.com/online-courses-wordpress-beginners/

By Mark Zeni, Daily Blog Tips

We have selected the most popular and effective online courses for web designers and developers. In addition to being absolutely free for the public access, all courses are intended for web design beginners who are eager to get new knowledge on how to build sites, personalize their layouts, expand functionality with extensions, choose a CMS on their own, and so on and so forth.

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/top-5-free-online-courses-to-learn-web-design/

by Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

A survey of more than 2 million college students worldwide reveals that a majority of learners are more comfortable studying on their own, and they’re not using mobile technology to access materials or lessons outside of the classroom. The survey revealed that the United States offered the most online learning tools and modules, but students in Brazil were mostly likely to use online tools to learn collaboratively, and Colombia was the world’s most active nation in content creation for academic sharing. English is the world’s most popular online subject outside of the United States, followed by S.T.E.M. subjects.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/report-collaborative-learning-mobile-access-not-major-part-of-college-stu/436850/

by United National Population Fund

An online course for humanitarians is raising new awareness about women’s needs and vulnerabilities in emergency-affected communities around the world. “It acted as an eye opener, and it made me realize that gender-based violence can happen to anybody,” said Rebecca Oketch of Fortress of Hope, a girls’ rights organization in Kenya. “Now I treat survivors with dignity and respect rather than victim-blaming.” The free UNFPA course, Managing Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies, helps humanitarian workers understand the risks women and girls face in crisis settings. It also encourages better support for survivors of violence and helps to prevent violence from happening in the first place.

http://www.unfpa.org/news/online-course-helps-aid-workers-help-women-and-girls

by Matthew Lynch, Edvocate

The idea of leadership development doesn’t often bring a sense of excitement. Most educators expect training and development activities to remain in the old paradigm with an instructor standing in front of a classroom. Overall, it isn’t a very inspiring image. But, what if there was a better way to get the same information across while keeping everyone engaged in the process? In fact, there is. And it’s called gamification.

http://www.theedadvocate.org/using-gamification-in-education-leadership-development/#mce_temp_url#

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Kessler International queried 300 students who attend college in person and online and found that nine in 10 (86 percent) admitted to cheating in some way in school. More than half (54 percent) thought cheating was OK, and some suggested that it was even necessary to stay competitive. Among those who acknowledged cheating, nearly all (97 percent) said they’d gotten away with it. What forms of cheating are popular? Three-quarters of respondents (76 percent) said they’d copied text from somebody else’s assignments. Slightly more (79 percent) admitted to plagiarism from internet sources. Nearly as many (72 percent) said they’d used their mobile devices to cheat during class. A smaller number (42 percent) said they’d purchased custom term papers or essays online. And 28 percent said they’d had a “service” take their online classes for them.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/02/23/9-in-10-students-admit-to-cheating-in-college-suspect-faculty-do-the-same.aspx

by Chris Young, The Canadian Press

Class will soon be in session for Frank Gehry, and the celebrated Canadian-born architect will be leading the lessons. The California-based Gehry will be teaching what is being billed as his first-ever online class this spring. The Gehry-led course on design and architecture will be hosted by online education service Masterclass. The architect will be offering more than a dozen video lessons where he will teach “his unconventional philosophy on architecture, design, and art.” He will also be drawing on case studies, sketches and his “never-before-seen” model archive.

http://www.insidetoronto.com/community-story/7155150-frank-gehry-to-teach-online-architecture-course/

By Charlie Osborne, ZDNet

A hacker has compromised at least 60 universities and US government organizations, utilzing SQL injections as his weapon of choice. Rasputin, believed to be a Russian hacker, is most well-known for the December 2016 attack against the US Electoral Assistance Commission through an unpatched SQL injection (SQLi) vulnerability. At the time, the hacker offered to sell access to the system to a Middle Eastern broker, and according to researchers, the hacker is also attempting to sell access to systems he has compromised in his latest round of attacks. Universities are a top target, with Cornell University, New York University (NYU), Purdue University, Michigan State University, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the University of Washington among those affected in the US.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/lone-hacker-breaches-60-universities-federal-agencies/

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

“Education has not yet fully become an evidence-based sector.” So declared Aimee Rogstad Guidera, the founder, president and CEO of the Data Quality Campaign, in the introduction to a report that examined how the use of data has evolved in K-12 over the last 10 years. For all the progress made in the last decade in the K-12 sector, the report observed, education “has only just begun its journey to develop a culture that values and uses data. Building the infrastructure was the easy part. The more difficult part remains–truly making data work for students.”

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/02/23/report-data-should-be-used-to-drive-improvement-in-schools-not-punish-failure.aspx

BY PETER WEST, eSchool News

Just because the traditional classroom “works” doesn’t mean that it has reached a peak or an optimal level of effectiveness. The traditional classroom works, so why change it? This is something anyone involved in leading educational change hears at some stage. The traditional classroom, where direct instruction is the primary method of teaching, does work. It has worked for decades. It has educated people who have then changed civilization in all areas; the sciences, politics, health, industry…everywhere. However, to imply that it should not change assumes that we have reached the peak of educational techniques; that no major improvements are possible. Just because the traditional classroom “works” doesn’t mean that it has reached a peak or an optimal level of effectiveness.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/02/23/classroom-works-change/

by Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Michigan State University, Cornell University and Virginia Tech are among a list of 25 colleges victimized by international cyberattacker “Rasputin,” who recently hacked 60 domestic institutions and government agencies. According to Recorded Future, the Russian-speaking hacker infiltrated and sold SQL access to the institutions’ organizational network and files. “Rasputin” has also been identified as an agent responsible for hacking the U.S. elections in November.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/hacker-tied-to-us-election-controversy-infiltrates-25-colleges/436749/