Online Learning Update

by  Wachira Kigotho, University World News

“Free MOOCs are also being used to accelerate youth employment in Africa,” she told University World News. The MOOCs are also being targeted at graduate and postgraduate teachers, head teachers, teacher educators and education officers, in order to improve teaching skills and the curriculum, said Olivier Biard, senior project manager at Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) – a consortium coordinated by the Open University in the UK, offering open online courses to teachers in developing countries. “Our main objectives are disrupting traditional teaching practices through e-learning and introducing new pedagogies relevant in the 21st century,” Biard told University World News.

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20181003160049490

By IBL News
The list of universities that recognize the MITx / edX MicroMasters credential has grown until 19 pathway institutions in 11 countries and 58 different pathways to a master’s degree. The last five institutions joining the MicroMasters are:

Harvard Extension School for the programs in supply chain management (SCM) and data, economics and development policy (DEDP);
Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México for DEDP;
Hong Kong Polytechnic University for SCM;
Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University, in Thailand, for SCM, DEDP, and the programs in manufacturing principles and statistics and data science; and
Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, in Germany, for SCM.

MIT – edX MicroMasters Adds Harvard Extension School and Four More Institutions

John Hanc, NY Times

Many of these students are traditional age. But for adult students (generally defined as those 25 and over, working full-time jobs or with parenting responsibilities) online education is a particularly attractive option. Citing several studies, Louis Soares, chief learning and innovation officer for the American Council on Education, says that about a third of all adult students — roughly 13 million — are pursuing advanced degrees online. “I think it has given adult students more opportunities,” Mr. Soares said. “If done correctly, online education can create a robust learning experience.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/education/learning/life-is-complicated-distance-learning-helps.html

Leigh Guidry, Lafayette Daily Advertiser

American universities are becoming less traditional — or at least their students are. People over 25 or those with children are enrolling in college classes — so many that nearly 74 percent of American undergraduate students are “nontraditional.” They’re compelled by a recession that especially hurt less-educated employees, along with the worry that advancing technology could leave them without a job. Nontraditional students now outnumber those who start as 18-year-old freshmen supported by their parents, according to data from RTI International, a North Carolina think tank.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/10/03/adult-older-nontraditional-college-students-louisiana/1504180002/

by Blockgeeks
The blockchain has evolved pretty drastically over the last few years. What started as a means to power up a decentralized payment network has morphed into a decentralized supercomputer where developers from all around the world can come and create their own software applications. This is a truly exciting space with lots of scope for development. However, as a developer who is a new entrant in this space, you might feel a little lost. So, we have created this guide specifically for you.

https://blockgeeks.com/guides/15-best-tools-blockchain-development/

Michael Horn, Forbes
WeWork, the leader in coworking spaces, has been turning heads in education circles for the last year. It acquired Flatiron, a prominent coding bootcamp, and MissionU, a one-year college alternative. Then came its partnership with 2U, the standout online program management company. Among other things, the partnership allows 2U students to use WeWork’s office space as study halls, and the two companies will build a learning center together in 2019. The place-based aspect of the partnership is what is so interesting, as it is points to what will happen next with the disruptive innovation of online learning, namely how it will improve.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhorn/2018/10/04/wework-spurs-online-learnings-next-step-forward/

Lindsey Rae Downs, WCET Frontiers

The results have been consistent: adult students often cheat on exams. They search the web for answers. They use smart phones and mobile devices, so locking down browsers while taking a test has little, if any, effect on cheating. They use Google searches and specialized websites that provide answers to open-ended as well as closed-ended assessments. They perceive less opportunity to cheat when they are monitored by automated proctoring systems.

Research Dispels Myth that Adult Students Don’t Cheat in Online Classes

Parmy Olson, Forbes

If you keep hearing about artificial intelligence but aren’t quite sure what it means or how it works, you’re not alone. There’s been much confusion among the general public about the term, not helped by dramatic news stories about how “AI” will destroy jobs, or companies that overstate their abilities to “use AI.” A lot of that confusion comes from the misuse of terms like AI and machine learning. So here’s a short text-and-video guide to explain them:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2018/10/03/a-two-minute-guide-to-artificial-intelligence/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Mobile learning is a growing trend for students who are increasingly searching for ways to take their education with them. They tend to prize flexibility when it comes to their academics, making it essential that professors start to add more mobile learning components to the curriculum. Old-school professors tend to be more reluctant to get on board with the mobile learning options that students love. However, this hesitancy can set them and their students up for failure as they move forward. How can you get a tentative teacher to start incorporating more mobile learning into their classroom? Here are a few tips to make the idea more palatable to a professor who isn’t quite ready to embrace edtech in the classroom.

How to Get Reluctant Professors on Board with Mobile Learning

BY DENNIS PIERCE, eCampus News
Georgia State University’s virtual assistant helps incoming freshmen navigate the student enrollment process, leading to a significant increase in enrollment. As recently as last year, nearly one in five students who committed to attending Georgia State University (GSU) never showed up for classes in the fall. This problem isn’t unique to GSU, and it’s commonly referred to as the “summer melt.” But GSU has taken an innovative approach to solving this challenge, using an artificially intelligent (AI) chatbot that has led to a significant increase in student enrollment. Summer melt most commonly affects low-income students, many of whom are the first in their family to be accepted into college. Navigating the complex student enrollment process can be intimidating for anyone, but especially these students—and many just give up before they complete the process.

Here’s how to boost enrollment with chatbots

by Business World

Online learning is still saddled with disengaged learners, huge dropout rates, incomplete capstone projects and a nagging doubt about its efficacy and effectiveness. It is wise, therefore, to be skeptical about the claims; yet there are also reasons to believe that a profound shift is occurring and a need to pinpoint different strategies to fix the gaps can’t be undermined.  For online learning to become engaging, it needs to start with engaging content. A course should contain a variety of content formats – videos, text, audio, quizzes, games and more. Several educators have experimented with different video formats – slideshows, live instructors, light boards and animations. Interactive videos, which allow learners to interact with the video content in the form of in-video questions, have taken the engagement level a notch higher. Practice quizzes with instant feedback allow learners to test their knowledge. Games like crossword puzzles, treasure hunts etc. which concentrate on components of the subject matter make learning interesting.

http://www.businessworld.in/article/Increasing-Learner-Engagement-In-Online-Courses-/30-09-2018-161066/

Rapid eLearning

Between the workshops I run, blog emails received, and helping in the community, I get to see hundreds of e-learning courses. A common issue for many courses is transitioning from sharing content to helping people use the content to make the appropriate decisions. Many course developers focus on making the content interactive, which is good. But much of the interactivity is novel or exists at a very basic level. What tends to be missing is the more complex decision-making interactivity. The challenge is how to move past rote facts and get to a place where the learners can practice making the kinds of decisions they’d make in the real world.

https://www.elearninglearning.com/edition/weekly-learning-portal-industry-2018-09-22

by Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes

ContributorMark Twain said he never let his schooling interfere with his education. That sentiment feels especially relevant today. In an age when information access enables companies to blossom (or disappear) seemingly overnight, there’s more need than ever to re-examine our approaches to education. Does a university degree automatically open the doors it once did? Is trade school the best bet for many tech-savvy up-and-comers? What role do e-learning and tools like audiobooks and podcasts play in not only preparing people for the workplace but helping them keep pace with rapid change? These and many related questions are addressed in The Expertise Economy: How the Smartest Companies Use Learning to Engage, Compete and Succeed. Authors Kelly Palmer and David Blake represent a rising generation of smart disrupters who are making a mark in multiple industries.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rodgerdeanduncan/2018/09/18/are-you-ready-for-prime-time-reinvent-how-you-learn/#1e891350700a

Lee Maxey, Chief Learning Officer

Being late to the world of online learning has positioned universities to take advantage of technology that’s now far less expensive than it was when originally conceived in the 1990s. All one has to do is compare the array of applications and devices for mobile learning available today with concepts like performance support and clunky, unfriendly software such as learning management systems.

Higher Education: Late to Online Learning

Ingrid Lunden, Tech Crunch
Online education is a $160 billion+ industry today, but as it continues to mature, there are some inevitable ebbs and flows. In the latest development, TechCrunch has learned and confirmed that Udacity — the $1 billion startup co-founded by Sebastian Thrun that specialises in “nanodegrees” in tech subects that range from AI and coding through to the how-tos of digital marketing — has quietly cut about five percent of its staff since August across multiple offices globally. “Back in August, five percent of our global employees were laid off based on carefully considered, strategic business decisions,” a spokesperson told TechCrunch in an emailed statement. “We are supporting our former and current employees through the transition. Our business continues to grow, with offices in India, China, Germany, Brazil, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to Silicon Valley. We continue to hire for key roles.”

Online education unicorn Udacity has quietly laid off 5% of staff — at least 25 people — since August

by Henry Kronk, eLearning Inside

“About a year ago, we had a situation where we were going to do an in-person residency in Lebanon, and, at the very last minute, it got canceled,” Rogers said. “As a group of faculty, we were trying to figure out how we would make this residency work. We had a whole bunch of students coming in, there were 12 classes scheduled and 3 days before we were going to leave, we learned that we wouldn’t be able to go. And the students were all ready, they had taken off work, and we wanted to make sure that they still had an engaging experience. So that was the beginning.” Zoom, the videoconferencing application Rogers was already using for the residency, played an instrumental role in the initiative.

This Fall, SUNY Empire State College Will Debut A Virtual Residency

by Sydney Johnson, EdSurge

What happens in the office hour is the same virtually as it is for students who show up in person: Students ask questions about particular problems or topics, and the professor works through them as if he were in front of the class. Shifting to the online whiteboard gives him a “virtual extension” of his office, he says.  Stoll has offered online office hours for years, and he says it started out of necessity. “It was hard to find time slots during the week when students are available,” he explains. “Undergrads have very diverse schedules, especially in general-ed courses.”

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-09-27-will-moving-office-hours-online-get-students-to-show-up

by Eli Zimmerman, EdTech

5G, the fifth generation of wireless networks, promises to be the catalyst for a new age of connected technology and network speed. Experts working to develop the new technology have noted three key areas where 5G will improve on the current 4G LTE networks that are used right now: increased device capacity, faster network speed and lower latency. Forecasters expect 5G access to increase more dramatically through 2019, with the number of 5G devices becoming more ubiquitous in 2020. And with the race to 5G in full swing, educators are wondering what this network will mean for them.

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2018/09/what-5g-and-what-will-it-mean-edtech

by  Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
When 13 undergraduate engineering students were booted out of the program at Australia’s Deakin University in May 2016 for taking part in “contract cheating,” it may have looked like just another round in institutional efforts to combat academic dishonesty, akin to reducing plagiarism or stamping out the use of term paper mills. However, some experts view this specific form of deceit as more pernicious because it can be so hard to detect by the usual tools and methods. Contract cheating — the use of essay writing services to manufacture coursework — is on the rise, along with other forms of academic dishonesty. Wendy Sutherland-Smith, a longtime scholar of academic integrity, doesn’t hold back: “Contract cheating companies are really insidious, evil, nasty beasts,” she declared.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/09/26/what-to-do-about-contract-cheating.aspx

By IBL News

Harvard University’s cutting-edge and free 100 courses on edX.org –covering topics from calculus and climate change to Shakespeare and Stravinsky– are a good tool to enrich a face-to-face classroom experience and enhance professional development-oriented skills.

Free Online Content from Harvard Faculty on edX to Enrich Classroom Experiences

By Hallie Busta James Paterson, Education Dive
More than 3 million cybersecurity jobs will be unfilled in 2021, a fact that is spurring college investment in education and training opportunities to help students take advantage of job opportunities in the growing field, EdTech reported. So far, relatively few colleges offer undergraduate or graduate cybersecurity degrees, but that could change. Colleges are partnering with the private sector to design new programs and curriculum that meets workforce needs and, in some cases, to help shoulder the cost of expensive training and simulation facilities such as cyber ranges. Colleges investing in cybersecurity programs include Augusta University, Montgomery College of Maryland, Regent University, Texas A&M University, the University of Michigan and Virginia Tech, among others.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/colleges-address-cybersecurity-training-gap-with-degrees-partnerships/533355/