American Marketing Association
But marketers will need to learn to “dance with the robots” in a world increasingly relying on AI and machine learning, and in a marketplace teeming with digital consumers. That puts a real burden on marketers — and business leaders — to invest, as soon as possible, to gain the right skills and tools to lay the groundwork for AI’s future in marketing… which is the future of marketing.
Share on FacebookKalev Leetaru, Forbes
As powerful and capable as current deep learning systems are, they are still only rote pattern extractors. A computer vision system can take a pile of cat photographs and “learn” to recognize cats. Transfer learning can be used to teach it to recognize dogs with a much smaller pile of training images. However, the underlying algorithm is not reasoning about what it is seeing, it is merely breaking the image into distinct colors, patterns and shapes and associating specific visual cues with a textual label. It cannot generalize from what it sees to autonomously expand its vocabulary to new mammals or understand the concept of “fur” or “paws” even as it associates a particular covering texture and four rectangularly distributed shapes with the images it has seen.
Share on FacebookEvan Kohn, Forbes
What frustrates users today? The exercise of defining three or four personas — giving them names and demographics so they are believable and mapping out what each of them might say, think, feel or do within your existing communication channels — can uncover pain points that conversational AI can solve. A user persona of a single mother named Sylvia who, at 2 a.m., has a newborn baby in one arm and a smartphone in the other, may suggest a design that requires limited typing and more of a guided journey with option buttons, list pickers and carousels to navigate with the tap of a finger. It may combine a friendly tone of voice with messages that get right to the point.
Share on FacebookJenny Abamu, WAMU
In a school district that has struggled with attendance, the top public school bucking the trend doesn’t actually require kids to come to class. Friendship Public Charter School Online is the only K-8 tuition-free virtual school in Washington, D.C., and it reported the highest attendance rates in the city for the 2017-2018 school year — 99.8 percent. They also reported no truant students. But these rates may not be what they seem. In D.C., there are no attendance policies that specifically address virtual school programs, which gives these school officials the flexibility to report and interpret numbers as they see fit.
BY KYLE LAHUCIK, Columbia Missourian
The University of Missouri System hopes for a 25,000-student enrollment surge over the next five years thanks to an online learning revamp it began planning this fall. That would put total enrollment at 100,000 students in 2023. The e-learning program will enhance current system capabilities to tap into an underserved population in Missouri and surrounding states, leaders briefed the UM System Board of Curators on Thursday in St. Louis.
By Mark Lieberman, Inside Higher Ed
Most students enrolled in nondegree online programs already have degrees, and a minority actually want a credential, new data show. Alternative credentials pose an increasing threat to the supremacy of the traditional degree as the key that unlocks a career path. But available options and student preferences haven’t solidified, and they’re evolving so quickly that it can be difficult to keep track of the increasingly convoluted market. A new report published last month by two researchers from Columbia University’s Teachers College aims to ground discussions of the nondegree landscape in some numbers rather than the speculation and hyperbole that often surrounds it.
Share on FacebookKerri Anne Renzulli, CNBC
Taking time at work to focus on mastering a new skill, learning a new software program or tool, or even just reading widely about your industry can do wonders for you mentally — as well as professionally. New research conducted by LinkedIn found that the best way to ensure that you’re happy at your job is to spend more time learning. Among the professionals surveyed, those who were “heavy” learners — devoting more than five hours a week to things like reading, taking classes and watching online courses — reported being happier, less stressed, more productive and more confident than those who spent less time learning.
by ATD
Gamification is more than a buzzword; it is a trend that is shaping how content providers connect with users and keep them engaged in the long-term. In the world of e-learning, people use game mechanics and game design elements to create a new learning experience adapted to the expectations of today’s learners. These game mechanics are typically found in video games to make the whole process fun, engaging, and social. Game-based learning is often confused with gamification. Game-based learning is about acquiring new knowledge and applying new concepts by playing games. Some companies develop mobile or desktop-based games for training purposes. These games are typically simulations of situations learners will encounter in the workplace. For instance, a game that requires learners to play through scenarios where they have to choose from different dialogue options to achieve a desired outcome can improve customer relations skills.
https://www.td.org/professional-partner-content/gamification-vs-game-based-learning
Share on Facebookby Hallie Busta Alex Hickey, Education Dive
In a move to democratize artificial intelligence (AI), Coursera co-founder and AI expert Andrew Ng announced an “AI for Everyone” program for nontechnical business leaders, coming to the online learning platform in early 2019. Engineers and data scientists might handle the technical details of AI, but business leaders also need to understand application opportunities for machine learning and deep learning in their organizations, as well as what the technology can’t do, Ng wrote in the announcement. The course will help nontechnical leaders build “a sustainable AI strategy” and serve as a resource for technical employees to suggest to managers to promote understanding of the technology. Domain experts and engineers are critical to harnessing the potential of AI. But the industry also needs millions of business leaders, managers, sales and marketing professionals, financiers and designers that can apply AI in their communities and businesses, Ng said.
Share on FacebookBy Mark Lieberman
North Dakota students saved more than $1 million on textbooks after the state invested just $110,000 to help instructors use open educational resources. Audit identifies successes and ongoing challenges. As of last fall, at least 650 courses across the system exclusively use OER, affecting at least 15,000 students. Auditors estimate that students saved between $1.1 million and $2.4 million in textbook costs during the first two years of the initiative. That savings number reflects only a portion of the courses that included OER: the actual figure is likely much higher. The audit also excluded summer sessions from its calculations due to lower enrollment numbers.
Share on Facebookby Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate
Imagine not being able to hear at a crowded networking event, a loud social; or not being let in beyond the velvet rope to a party. For you, it may only be a burden in the moment, but for many who require accommodations or additional accessibility, this remains a part of their everyday life. For example, wheelchair users are unable to enter many shops, malls, restaurants; public places that don’t have wheelchair access or ramps. A lack of accessibility can’t be excused at schools, campuses or student facilities. When it comes to education, a lack of accommodation can hinder students from engaging in class, and being present in the way necessary to succeed or be their best. Accessibility in education plays a vital role in providing accommodating learning environments. Below are five education design ideas to assist and enhance the capabilities of students who need learning accommodations.
Share on Facebookby Jason Hiner, ZDNet
If you want to understand what’s driving data center automation, here are the two acronyms to start with:
The move toward the Software-Defined Data Center is using virtualization, containers, DevOps, and other advances to give IT a lot more flexibility and control over the backend systems that power the organization. Because software is some much faster and easier to adapt than hardware, this gives IT a lot more levels to pull.
Data Center Infrastructure Management software provides insights on servers, building facilities, and operational status to help optimize for radical efficiency in utilization, energy use, connectivity, and other resources that were previously split across multiple departments. Better managing and automating these resources allows IT to focus on adding more value with SDDC.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/data-center-automation-2-acronyms-you-should-know/
Share on Facebookby ANNA JOHANSSON, The Next Web
“If you look at how many people rely on their phone or Siri to set up a calendar, or call someone, or book an appointment, there is a level of trust on technology that indicates that AI and technology is becoming more reliable,” he said. As the head of a context-as-a-service company that’s all about AI, Rahnama believes that humans will learn to trust automated assistants more as they become more helpful. Salesforce recently found that 61 percent of people worldwide believe that AI offers positive opportunities to society. That still leaves 39 percent of people unconvinced that the robots are here to do good — and not all opportunities are created equal, either. Take self-driving cars, for instance. Only 46 percent of customers report liking or loving the idea of AI taking over that activity. When asked about email spam filters and credit card fraud detection, however, the positive customer sentiment was above 80 percent.
https://thenextweb.com/contributors/2018/11/11/ai-will-only-succeed-when-people-learn-to-trust-it/
Share on FacebookJean-Marc Tassetto, ET
Sapiens author Yuval Harari has written that the kinds of skills we need in the workplace are radically shifting, with Artificial Intelligence (AI), bioengineering and other emerging technologies making both our lives and what we do between 9 to 5 look very different.In his latest book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Harari is also now warning us that the future of education is going to be as equally disrupted, given how young people already have far too much information, and that what’s needed instead is to coach people in “the ability to make sense of information, to tell the difference between what is important and what is unimportant, and above all to combine many bits of information into a broad picture of the world.”
https://edtechnology.co.uk/Blog/improving-workplace-e-learning-for-employees/
Share on Facebookby Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate
Students who suffer from aphasia have a significantly impaired ability to understand or communicate with those around them. This can make the classroom setting more difficult for both the student and the teacher. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools available to help make learning and communicating easier for everyone. Assistive technology can create a more productive learning environment. Teachers and parents who work with these students will want to know what types of assistive technology could be available. These top tools could be just the thing you’ve been looking for to improve daily life.
Share on FacebookBy Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
South Carolina has introduced free coding education for all of its residents through an agreement between the state’s Department of Commerce Office of Innovation and Build Carolina, a nonprofit that generates internships, apprenticeships and other education endeavors in innovative fields. “SC Codes,” as the program is called, currently provides basic online courses for JavaScript, command line basics, Ruby, Ruby on Rails and, soon, Java and React.js. Beyond the training, the SC Codes website connects students with industry mentors, local events for coders and job openings in tech-related fields.
Share on Facebookfrom TheBestSchools.org
College and university are hard enough without the added challenges faced by those with disabilities, be they learning, mental health, or physical. To assist students, especially those off campus in online learning situations, TheBestSchools.org has released these Disability Guides:
Share on FacebookBY NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, Futurity
A new online course can help to change students’ mindset about their own abilities in math, researchers say. From an early age, children are conditioned to think they fall into two categories: “math-minded people”—those who naturally have a way with numbers and non-“math-minded”—those who hate numbers. But Jo Boaler, a professor of mathematics education at Stanford University, believes this mindset can change. In the course, students work together to come up with solutions to different problems and learn about how math is everywhere around us.
https://www.futurity.org/math-mindset-learning-1906962/
Share on Facebookby Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate
Technology has gained traction in the education sector. China is home to the world’s biggest education market comprising over 400 million students. Even though China is a world leader in technology, the sheer size of the country’s education sector initially made advancements in digital learning quite slow. Nevertheless, the country has been able to integrate technology in its instruction techniques and curriculum in recent years. Through technological adoption in education, China has been able to use fully participatory methodologies in its learning institutions. The country is experiencing an EdTech boom, which has seen some of its universities ranked among the best globally. The presence of many institutions where educational technologies can be piloted makes China a lucrative market for EdTech entrepreneurs.
https://www.thetechedvocate.org/a-look-into-chinas-edtech-landscape/
Share on FacebookKejuan Coleman, CWU Observer
Consortium is an adapted online tutoring component that is in its first-year use this fall quarter. The program is compiled from a network of every community college in Washington along with 4-year institutions (EWU and WSU). According to Boswell, the goal for CWU is to be able to support students who don’t have the opportunity for in-person tutoring, and for the past few years we’ve had online tutoring that hasn’t been the best, so this past year we negotiated with e-tutoring Consortium. PALs tutoring and Consortium online tutoring are both funded from the same $5 mandatory fee that every student is charged quarterly. However, minimum wage will be increasing to $12 per hour which would make funding for tutoring scarce.
https://cwuobserver.com/12522/news/learning-commons-innovative-tutoring-plans-for-students/
Share on FacebookBy: Susan Bickerstaff & Octaviano Chavarín, Columbia University TC
Six ATD leader colleges were selected through a competitive process to receive funds and technical assistance to develop and pilot scalable strategies to engage and support some of their part-time faculty. Using interview, focus group, and survey data, this brief explores the experiences of part-time faculty at these colleges. It also describes several categories of supports offered to adjuncts through this pilot project and draws connections between these supports and part-time faculty needs as identified in the analysis.
https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/understanding-part-time-faculty-community-colleges.html
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