Educational Technology

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

In today’s’ technology-driven world, it’s important now more than ever to prepare students for the future. Teaching robotics to young students throughout their schooling can increase their ability to be creative and innovative thinkers and more productive members of society. By teaching our students the basics of robotics, we can open a whole new world to them and exciting opportunities that they wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Industries such as the drone industry have grown dramatically and rapidly in the last couple of years. The Economist has reported that more than 15,000 drones are being sold in the US every month. Growing industries such as these are going to need people who can come up with new and innovative ideas, and be equipped with the knowledge to design and create the technology needed.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/using-robotics-prepare-students-future/

by Quentin Vicens*, Tomorrow’s Teaching and Learning

‘Flipping the classroom’ has become a popular endeavour among faculty and instructors¹, ²– it’s a refreshing and most welcome way to change the way we teach. In the process of flipping a class, especially for the first time, ‘clicker’-based peer instruction represents a powerful solution to engaging students in order to promote learning. Why does flipping a class make sense? In a nutshell: students don’t need an instructor to access content and ‘go through the book chapters’, especially when the internet is available 24/7 – but they do need an instructor to help them digest, process, criticize, and know how to apply that information. From a ‘sage on the stage’ in the traditional lecture, the instructor turns into a ‘guide on the side’, whose job is not merely to deliver complicated matter but to promote learning and ensure mastery of key concepts.

https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1557

BY JOHN B. HORRIGAN, Pew Charitable Trust

In this report, we use newly released Pew Research Center survey findings to address a related issue: digital readiness. The new analysis explores the attitudes and behaviors that underpin people’s preparedness and comfort in using digital tools for learning as we measured it in a survey about people’s activities for personal learning. Specifically, we assess American adults according to five main factors: their confidence in using computers, their facility with getting new technology to work, their use of digital tools for learning, their ability to determine the trustworthiness of online information, and their familiarity with contemporary “education tech” terms. It is important to note that the findings here just cover people’s learning activities in digital spaces and do not address the full range of important things that people can do online or their “readiness” to perform them.

http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/09/20/digital-readiness-gaps/

by Autumn A. Arnett, Education Dive

universities to offer their same lower-cost certification programs through institutions with stronger reputations, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. For the bootcamp companies, which became the targets of employer skepticism recently, partnering with traditional universities offers more “legitimacy” and the benefit of a bigger, more trusted brand. For the institutions, the pairing increases capacity to train students in marketable skills, thus boosting alumni’s chances of finding employment after graduation.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/05/kevin-mccarthy-wants-va-provide-free-high-tech-courses-vets/100096868/

by Roger Riddell, Education Dive

Bay Path University Associate Professor of Biology Thomas Mennella writes for Campus Technology that current approaches to active learning must be rethought to avoid instructor burnout. Mennella began using a flipped classroom approach around four years ago, shortly after his institution began providing all incoming freshmen with an iPad — and while he praises the amount of professional development instructors received, he says adopting a flipped approach has greatly increased the amount of assignments he must grade, as well as the number of hours he spends interacting with students. Though Mennella notes that no one is forcing him to use a flipped approach, a dynamic and active learning experience is something that students have come to expect, and he feels the days of the “sage on the stage” are over.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/instructor-burnout-flipped-teaching-models-Mennella/439915/

by Roger Riddell, Education Dive

Higher ed institutions are behind in ensuring accessibility for all students with digital material and platforms, as detailed by a new 3PlayMedia whitepaper. According to eCampus News, 11% of students have disabilities, but the shift to digital has left them in a particular bind as multimedia materials have expanded faster than accessibility initiatives designed to comply with federal and state laws. When working to establish accessibility for all students, institutions should consider compliance across hardware, software, digital text documents, web design, audio and video, and course design.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/higher-education-digital-accessibility-special-needs-disabilities/439847/

by Matthew Lynch

Virtual reality sounds like a far-off futuristic concept. When we hear the words “virtual reality” we may think of people wearing big helmets that transport them to another location from the comfort of their home (or classroom). However, virtual reality is slowly becoming a reality in the classroom. It doesn’t look quite like what you might imagine, but it is improving all the time. The potential benefits of virtual reality in the classroom are endless. Students from schools all over the world could have access to the same resources and experiences through virtual reality, creating an even playing field like we’ve never seen before in education. Students could use virtual reality to travel back in time and see history come to life, or to take field trips to far-off locations that would cost hundreds to travel to in real life.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/state-virtual-reality-classroom/

by Daniel Surmacz, ClickZ

AI has forever changed digital advertising. As marketers, it already allows us to decide how to best engage potential customers and markets like never before. But there’s room to grow. Deep learning tools are the next major area of AI-based research, and it will spark a wave of future innovation in every industry – bringing a new era of marketing which both advertisers and end-users will benefit from. Our interfaces have already adapted to fit a user’s interests on a personal level, matching industry insights and behaviours with display advertising – or personalization. But deep learning algorithms will achieve even more.

https://www.clickz.com/how-deep-learning-is-changing-the-game-for-both-advertisers-and-consumers/110486/

by Julie Wurth, News-Gazette

A pilot program that allowed students to take courses during winter break for the past three years will now be part of the permanent schedule at the University of Illinois. A winter class session will be added to the academic calendar starting in 2017-18, following the campus Academic Senate’s approval of the change Monday. The UI has had summer-session and “intersession” classes — between summer classes and the spring or fall semesters — for many years. In 2014-15, the UI experimented with a new winter session: online courses offered by UI faculty during the four-week break between the fall and spring semesters, from Dec. 22, 2014, through Jan. 16, 2015.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-04-04/ui-makes-winter-session-classes-permanent.html

by Ryan Quinn, Gazette-Mail

The House Education Committee on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow West Virginia county school systems to offer full-time K-12 virtual education and “an online pathway for earning a high school diploma,” while also receiving the full per-pupil state school aid formula funding for each student who participates. Kanawha County Schools Superintendent Ron Duerring spoke to delegates Tuesday in favor of the bill (SB 630). He said the bill also would allow participating students, including home-schoolers, to participate in sports and other public school-related activities.

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-education/20170404/wv-house-ed-passes-bill-to-expand-online-classes-allow-online-diplomas

by MEREDITH KOLODNER, Hechinger Report

There’s at least one issue that Americans aren’t divided on – going to college has become both more necessary and less affordable for most students over the last several years. And cost is one of the major reasons that only 41 percent of students actually earn a four-year degree within four years. But finishing in four years matters, because research shows that the longer it takes, the less likely a student is to make it to graduation. A quarter of students drop out after four years, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Here are the six roadblocks most cited, and ways to tackle the problems.

http://hechingerreport.org/six-reasons-may-not-graduate-time/

by Autumn A. Arnett, Education Dive

A recent EWA blog post details the success of USC Hybrid High College Prep, a non-selective charter high school run by the storied institution, which aims to guarantee 100% college admission for all of its graduating seniors every year. School officials credit individualized attention from teachers, weekly office hours, and daily advisory periods for the students’ success, in addition to a rigorous curriculum and a focus on self-guided thesis study, bringing a higher ed model into the high school classroom. The dean of USC’s Rossier School of Education also serves as head of Ednovate, Inc., the parent nonprofit group responsible for USC Hybrid High, ensuring close collaboration between the two schools.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/examining-the-possibilities-of-university-run-community-schools/439459/

by Joanna Kristine Ninal, Cougar’s Byte

Sometimes, life can get in the way of people pursuing their education. It can be personal, family related or work related, but it still prevents them from getting a degree. Kean Online is the perfect way for students to find an internet connection and complete their coursework. There are a few degrees offered at Kean Online, so it might work for any prospective student who needs to take classes virtually. “Kean Online was created with the community college graduate in mind, making it easy for students and graduates from community colleges in New Jersey to apply,” excerpted from Kean Online.

http://www.cougarsbyte.com/article/2017/03/taking-classes-online

By Wilton Bulletin

As part of the district’s initiative to personalize learning and utilize blended learning platforms to create virtual learning experiences for its students, Wilton High School Associate Principal Donald Schels has proposed a new course for next school year called Virtual High School. The Virtual High School is a nonprofit entity that provides rigorous online instruction delivered by certified teachers that allows students to engage with coursework at times most convenient to them. One current Wilton High School teacher would instruct a Virtual High School course part-time, according to the course proposal presented at the Board of Education’s March 23 meeting. In return, the high school would get 50 seats in the Virtual High School at a discounted rate, allowing up to 50 students to take an online course.

http://www.wiltonbulletin.com/97573/virtual-course-proposed-for-wilton-high-school/

by Melissa Woo, EDUCAUSE Review

As IT professionals, what should we do when we encounter potentially murky situations? Sometimes existing laws or institutional policy will guide ethical behavior; sometimes they won’t. What many people often do not understand is that what is legal is not always ethical. I believe it is our responsibility as IT professionals to act in an ethical manner in the performance of our work duties. To inadvertently do otherwise risks losing the trust of our students, faculty, staff, communities, and the general public. Without such trust I have difficulty imagining how IT professionals can continue to perform their duties effectively.

http://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/3/ethics-and-the-it-professional

By Jen Curtis, EdSurge

While many of the present educators seemed to embrace blended learning as not only inevitable but necessary, an anxiety around technology—and a nagging suspicion that something is missing from the conversation—made itself known. For many in attendance, social-emotional learning (SEL), or students ability to recognize and manage emotions and build healthy relationships, seemed to be that missing piece. Throughout the conference, panelists and attendants spoke of the importance of “whole child” education and the need for schools to prioritize developing SEL skills. But while SEL skills were touted as critical to student success, the focus on academics—and quality digital resources—remained central. It raised the question: how exactly should schools balance blended and social-emotional learning in the 21st century classroom?

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-03-30-how-can-educators-strike-a-balance-between-blended-and-social-emotional-learning

Indiana lawmakers OK ALEC-inspired online course bill

by Journal-Gazette

Schools will be required to contract out instruction at a parent’s or student’s request. There was no cost estimate for the bill, but the fiscal impact statement noted an individual online course can cost from $300 to $550. Indiana State Teachers Association describes the legislation as a “course-by-course voucher program.” A summary on the ALEC website describes the Course Choice Program Act as allowing “a portion of that student’s funding to flow to the course provider” and notes individual states can tailor funding and student eligibility “based on the climate in each state.” A member of ALEC’s private enterprise advisory council is an executive with K12, a for-profit education company that sells online curriculum to state and local governments.

http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/20170429/lawmakers-ok-alec-inspired-online-course-bill

Autumn A. Arnett, Education Dive

A new report from PwC is encouraging higher education to “build capacity and attract more students to” data science and analytics coursework, saying “every major industry” needs these capabilities to thrive. The report says hiring needs will shift to include a focus on these soft skills, such as data-driven decision-making, functional analysis, data engineering and data analysis. The report lays out four things higher education needs to do to meet this demand: leverage data analysis to create multidisciplinary hubs vs. discipline silos; promote data literacy for all students in all disciplines; strengthen ties with professional societies; and design courses and curricula to expand pathways for “a diverse analytical workforce.”

http://www.educationdive.com/news/report-data-science-and-analytics-skills-critical-for-todays-workforce/439444/

By Zack Whittaker

The bug affects all supported versions of Microsoft Word, but will be fixed this week. Attackers are exploiting a previously undisclosed vulnerability in Microsoft Word, which security researchers say can be used to quietly install different kinds of malware — even on fully-patched computers. Unlike most document-related vulnerabilities, this zero-day bug that has yet to be patched doesn’t rely on macros — in which Office typically warns users of risks when opening macro-enabled files. Instead, the vulnerability is triggered when a victim opens a trick Word document, which downloads a malicious HTML application from a server, disguised to look like a Rich Text document file as a decoy. The HTML application meanwhile downloads and runs a malicious script that can be used to stealthily install malware.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/hackers-are-attacking-word-users-with-new-microsoft-office-zero-day-vulnerability/

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

In 2015, less than 1 percent of all U.S. engineering bachelor’s degrees went to African-American women. Of the 106,658 engineering bachelor’s degrees awarded that year, 937 went to African-American women, just a third of the number that were achieved by African-American men. That gap, among others, represents “ignored potential,” according to a new paper put out by Purdue University, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Society of Women Engineers and the Women in Engineering ProActive Network. As the report noted, STEM jobs are expected to increase by 10 percent by 2020.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/03/30/african-american-women-in-engineering-ignored-potential.aspx

BY RUSSELL D. SHILLING, eSchool News

Engaging young children in STEM is critical for creating a lifelong love of learning and for developing critical thinking skills which will serve them well across all academic disciplines and prepare them for the 21st Century workforce. The recently released report, STEM Starts Early: Grounding Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education in Early Childhood by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and New America is a summary of current research and makes critical recommendations for both STEM communication to parents and future research in early childhood STEM. The appropriate use of innovative education technologies will be an essential component to bringing STEM to children wherever they live as part of a well-balanced set of active learning experiences with educators and parents.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/03/31/stem-education-makeover-soon/