Educational Technology

Larry KimCEO, Inc

Improving yourself and diversifying your skill set has never been easier thanks to online courses, webinars, video tutorials and guides that are readily available on the internet. Whether you’re building your own business or looking to get hired by your dream company, adding these skills to your resume will help you stand out like a unicorn in a sea of donkeys — and best of all, you can learn them online.

https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/14-in-demand-skills-you-can-learn-online-now.html

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eSchool News
Research shows the number of girls who want to pursue STEM careers continues to decline–here’s what can be done about it. A new survey shows that the number of girls interested in pursuing STEM careers is alarmingly small–and it continues to decline. The survey from Junior Achievement, conducted by the research group Engine, shows that only 9 percent of girls ages 13-17 express an interest in STEM careers, down from 11 percent in a similar 2018 survey.

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2019/06/27/why-is-girls-interest-in-stem-careers-shockingly-low/

Blog Indeed

With AI becoming more deeply integrated into our professional and personal lives, the Indeed analytics team crunched platform data to learn more about AI jobs in 2019. What are the top positions? Which offer the highest salaries? Where are the best opportunities? Some of our findings may surprise you.

http://blog.indeed.com/2019/06/28/top-10-ai-jobs-salaries-cities/

AZ BigMedia
Today’s college students bring a wide variety of needs and manage a constant juggle of responsibilities while pursuing a degree. According to the Department of Education, 74 percent of undergraduate students, described as the “new normal,” have at least one nontraditional characteristic such as being a first-generation student, having at least one dependent, or working either full or part-time. Further, nearly half of students enrolled today are age 25 or older and are working to complete an unfinished degree, returning to advance their career or re-skill for a new opportunity. As students are redefining their roles, higher education is reimagining pathways for today’s rapidly growing number of nontraditional students who are committed to earning a degree by offering more robust support programs, new technologies and flexible course schedules.

https://azbigmedia.com/business/education-news/how-colleges-are-adapting-for-todays-students/

By Jessica Stewart, My Modern Met

For now, CC Search is providing quality over quantity. In fact, Creative Commons wants to make its search engine a leading tool for creators. “CC will prioritize and build for users who seek to not only discover free resources in the commons, but who seek to reuse these resources with greater ease and confidence, and for whom in particular the rights status of these works may be important,” the non-profit writes.

https://mymodernmet.com/free-photos-creative-commons-search-engine/

Darrell Etherington, Tech Crunch
Soon, you might not need anything more specialized than a readily accessible touchscreen device and any existing data sets you have access to in order to build powerful prediction tools. A new experiment from MIT and Brown University researchers have added a capability to their ‘Northstar’ interactive data system that can “instantly generate machine-learning models” to use with their exiting data sets in order to generate useful predictions.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/27/mits-new-interactive-machine-learning-prediction-tool-could-give-everyone-ai-superpowers/

Federico Guerrini, Forbes

Artificial Intelligence is going to transform the world, changing a lot of things for all categories of people in the process; children will be among the most affected. You and I live in an age where we’re starting to be impacted, but we’ve spent a lot of our lives not really having interacted with AI. We’re also adults that have some volition and agency. For children, it’s different,” Erica Kochi, co-founder of UNICEF Innovation Unit, tells me. Whether it’s the learning algorithms powering You Tube Kids’ content, the smart toys which listen and keep track of every interaction of their little consumers, or the educational robots that could soon replace teachers in the classroom, there are already multiple instances of children being surrounded by AI-enabled products that provide guidance, suggestions, company and fun.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/federicoguerrini/2019/06/28/what-to-expect-from-generation-ai/

by Marisa DelBuono, Training Journal

Learning is a crucial component to every workplace. Be it initial onboarding and employee training, compliance, or continuous professional development, companies are increasingly looking for better ways to develop the skills and expertise of their workforce. In fact, 81% of executives say talent development is a top priority for their business. By investing in a customisable and streamlined learning program that meets the specific needs of your learners, you’re able to significantly increase employee retention and create a well-equipped, competent, and confident team that can drive business results.

https://www.trainingjournal.com/articles/features/creating-next-generation-learning-ecosystem-workplace

Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Neuroscience is changing the pedagogy of education, and it’s about time. Schools have long been ready to embrace scientific theory and research. Everything educators incorporate in their instruction today must first consider whether it aligns with the neuroscience of learning. What we bring into the classroom must be research-based, relevant and ready to support teachers.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/what-teachers-must-know-about-the-neuroscience-of-edtech-learning/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

The thing is, educators are not entirely convinced about Edtech. On top of that, they are not being adequately consulted on it. This disconnect is one of the many reasons why we haven’t yet seen Edtech reach its full potential.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/so-much-money-is-being-invested-in-edtech-but-has-this-positively-affected-student-outcomes/

By Lillian C., VC Daily

The “virtual” part of the virtual classroom might be described as being shorthand for “virtually anything.” The power of digital communication, with its cloud computing, webcams, digital whiteboards, and multimedia streaming means that online learning spaces can take on whatever shape is best for the teachers and students in them. The challenge in virtual classroom management is to design the flow of information within that space to maximize learning. Communicating online is fundamentally different from what occurs within a shared real-world environment. While video conferencing can link anyone in the world with internet, the way we see and the way we speak online are contained within digital windows.

https://www.videoconferencingdaily.com/education/virtual-classroom-management-can-maximize-learning/

By Jeffrey R. Young, EdSurge

Plenty of groups these days are trying to reinvent college, and that’s not surprising at a time when higher ed is under fire for ever-rising costs, ballooning student debt and even questions about the value of a degree. On one hand, entrepreneurs and foundations are rushing to offer higher education via new models and price points. Meanwhile, college researchers and innovators are diving into learning science and experimenting with new teaching methods. But those groups don’t always talk to each other, or even know what the others are working on.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-06-25-higher-ed-has-become-an-entrepreneurial-and-philanthropic-wild-west

Star Leader

The University of North Texas soon will offer non-credit, online courses in a variety of subjects through Coursera, giving more learners access to world-class educational content created and taught by UNT faculty.  “We plan to launch three to five MOOCs within the next year,” said Adam Fein, UNT vice president of digital strategy and innovation. “In support of our mission to provide access to education, our plan is to continue to explore options to give North Texas students and learners from around the globe flexible learning options and more ways to help them reach academic and career goals.”

https://starlocalmedia.com/theleader/news/university-of-north-texas-expands-access-to-online-learning/article_3d32f192-96a3-11e9-880c-5be64d7e8a71.html

BY SARAH MIN, Money Watch

Two-thirds of employees report regrets about their degrees, as Americans question the high cost of higher education. Student loan debt has ballooned to nearly $1.6 trillion nationwide in 2019, topping the list of regrets for employees.  Science, technology, engineering or math majors, who are more likely to enjoy higher salaries, were least likely to report regrets, while those in the humanities were most likely.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-thirds-of-american-employees-regret-their-college-degrees/

BY ELLEN ULLMAN, eCampus News
Turning to prescriptive AI helps universities personalize their outreach and deliver the right information at the right time.  More and more universities are adopting predictive analytics and forecast modeling to improve their recruiting and retention efforts. But what’s the best way to use those analytics and how can you tell if your implementation is off to a good start?

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2019/06/14/predictive-prescriptive-ai/

By Wayne D’Orio, Education Dive

Traditional colleges looking to fortify the liberal arts are adopting a practice from workforce-oriented institutions that aligns curriculum and job requirements. “We’re at another turning point,” said Andrea Backman, chief employability officer at Strategic Education. “Education is turning on its head to be skills based.” The Virginia-based educational services company serves adult learners through a handful of education programs, including Strayer University, a for-profit online college. Several trends are combining to push the skill-based movement at traditional schools, experts said. Employers are less inclined to train workers because recent graduates are seen as more likely to change jobs. And with U.S. student debt sitting at $1.6 trillion, students and their families are pushing colleges to give them something more than a degree in an often-broad major to prove their job qualifications. Schools, meanwhile, see this as a way to distinguish themselves from competitors and attract more students.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/with-skills-mapping-colleges-create-a-universal-language-to-explain-valu/557422/

BY STEVEN M. BAULE, eSchool News
There are four major areas educators can check to ensure digital materials include accessible content for all students. Today, most learning management systems (LMS) and software programs offer some level of accessibility compliance checking. However, they are not always thorough or error-free. ent is accessible for all students.  For instance, some PowerPoint templates show less-than-ideal contrast between text and background colors. Many YouTube videos include closed captioning, but the automatic captioning often leaves something to be desired. Taking the time to review accessibility of materials makes sense to ensure all students can experience success instead of frustration.

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2019/06/24/ensuring-accessible-content-for-all-students/

By Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed

Ohio’s Eastern Gateway Community College draws scrutiny from lawmakers for working with an OPM to rapidly grow online enrollment of out-of-state students. Ohio’s Eastern Gateway Community College has grown its online programs rapidly in the last few years, with most of its roughly 20,000 students now enrolling online, and from out of the state of Ohio. The bulk of its enrollment growth — more than quadrupling in the three years before the spring of 2018 — has been driven by an online “free college” program Eastern Gateway created for members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a large trade union of public employees.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/06/26/ohio-community-college-raises-questions-enrolling-large-numbers

By Ben Guarino, Washington Post

The world, according to University of Washington professors Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West, is awash in BS. So begins their popular course, “Calling Bullshit,” which trains college students to identify and call out misinformation. BS warps voter choices. It can damage businesses. BS oozed from a crudely edited video that falsely suggested House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was inebriated at a public event. Foreign propaganda machines spread BS through social and news media during the 2016 presidential campaign and beyond. And BS, when it clouds the science of vaccine safety and climate change, even threatens our health. Many people believe the BS they encounter and transmit it further — and that’s what this class aims to stop.  They are developing an open online course, and they have shared their lessons in public events to reach an audience beyond the typical college-age student.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/06/24/misinformation-is-everywhere-these-scientists-can-teach-you-fight-bs/

Anne Ball, VOA

A new report from the Strada Education Network, Lumina Foundation and Gallup says that American adults who hold certificates and certifications, but no college degree, report better employment and lives than those without certificates. Lumina says that five percent of individuals without a college degree have a certificate. The report is based on the Strada-Gallup Education Consumer Survey of U.S. adults. The survey looked at Americans’ educational experiences and attitudes. It involved almost 64,000 participants, ages 25 to 64. No one in the group had a college degree nor were any in college. All were working.  It found that adults without a college degree, who have a certificate or certification, have higher full-time employment rates than others with no credentials. The report says they have higher yearly wages. It also says they believe their education path was valuable, and would advise others to follow.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/non-degree-certificates-buy-high-value/4963956.html

BY KEN UNDERHILL, eCampus News
In cybersecurity education, the line between teacher’s pet and tomorrow’s threat is far more nuanced–even invisible. Every field of study has its challenges, and cybersecurity education faces a big one: how can educators can share detailed curricula around things like malware and cyberattacks without serving up a potential recipe book for those with ill intent? Sensitive information shared with the wrong people in the classroom (physical or online) can fuel a malicious actor’s own educational learning curve. That’s obviously something to be avoided, but cybersecurity educators and their students still need to find a way to study concepts and use cases at the level of granularity sufficient for the real-world jobs they’re training for.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2019/06/21/transparency-cybersecurity-education/