By Jeffrey R. Young, Chronicle of Higher Ed
The biggest challenge colleges face when designing new mobile services is a tendency to overplan, argues Cindy Bixler, chief information officer of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The Tech Therapy team explores the challenges colleges face as the number of students and professors carrying smartphones and tablet grow.
Share on Facebookby Bailey Darrow, Herald Citizen
Julianne Stover, who became pregnant prior to the start of her senior year in high school, often studied for her online classes while holding four-month-old daughter. By taking courses through Putnam County’s VITAL program, Stover finished her diploma requirements last month while taking care of a newborn and working part-time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that last year 409,840 babies were born to mothers between the ages of 15 and 19. Among teen mothers, only about 50 percent earn their high school diploma before the age of 22, versus the 90 percent of young women who do not have a child and obtain their diploma before turning 22.
Share on FacebookBy Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed
On the eve of the Modern Language Association’s annual convention, the cachet of the “digital humanities” has permeated the academic mainstream so conspicuously that one hesitates to put the words in quotation marks. Self-appointed humanities ambassador Stanley Fish counts “upward of 40 sessions” with a digital theme. Writing in The New York Times, Fish says this technological renaissance has, for many humanists, supplanted postmodernism as the great, nebulous redeemer of their long-suffering professions. Digital mavens are the toast of the National Endowment for the Humanities, as data-mining has brought scientific clout to literary and historical analysis and virtual representations promise to make humanities topics more accessible and immediate to nonacademics. This is all to say that digital humanities have “arrived,” for all intents and purposes — save a very important one: tenure and promotion.
Share on Facebookby Chronicle of Higher Ed Wired Campus
For-profit colleges educate a disproportionate share of minority, disadvantaged, and older students, and are more successful at retaining students in their first year and graduating them from short-term programs than are public or private nonprofit colleges, according to a recent study by a trio of Harvard University economists. However, the study, which was cited in a recent government report on student success, also found that students who attend for-profit colleges are less likely to be employed than comparable students from nonprofit institutions, and tend to have lower earnings six years after enrolling. They also carry heavier debt burdens and are more likely to default on their loans.
Share on FacebookBY TONY BATES – Online Learning and Distance Education Resources
Another year, and online learning, e-learning, learning technologies, educational technologies, digital learning, or whatever you call it or them, will continue to grow, become more prevalent, and more a central part of teaching and learning in higher education – but exactly how and in what ways? The general trends are not going to change much from 2011 (which I identified as course redesign, mobile learning, more multimedia, learning analytics,and shared services), but some of the specifics are becoming clearer. Below I’ve ranked my predictions in order of significance for higher education, and also given a probability rating of the prediction actually happening.
http://www.tonybates.ca/2012/01/02/e-learning-outlook-for-2012-will-it-be-a-rough-ride/
Share on Facebookby NY Convergence
Students at the Pre-Collegiate Learning Center of New Jersey curl up in comfortable chairs and sofas with iPads and laptops. The PCLC school in East Brunswick, NJ is one of a number of NY area Jewish schools using a “blended” approach to education—combining online classes, video conferences and traditional teacher-led instruction. PCLC uses Khan Academy online math classes. Students work at their own levels and watch videos on how to solve problems. If they need extra help, the program gives hints on working out equations. They learn foreign languages via Rosetta Stone. Other classes include Dah Bear, a site where users create computer games with Judaic content and apps with Bible text and commentary.
Share on FacebookBy MICHAEL ERB, Parkersburg News and Sentinal
National and local numbers show more students turning to online classes to supplement class loads or to earn degrees online. A national study released in November by the Babson Survey Research Group shows steady growth in the demand for online courses and more colleges using the Internet to help bolster enrollment while making better use of physical space. The 2011 Survey of Online Learning shows the number of students taking at least one online course has now surpassed 6 million and nearly one-third of all students in higher education are taking at least one online course.
Share on FacebookBY DAVID BRUCE, Erie Times-News
Deborah Ranish began writing her first book during study hall when she was a sophomore in high school. She never finished it. Instead, Ranish became a doctor. “My father was a dentist who always wanted to be a doctor,” said Ranish, 56, a family physician with Saint Vincent’s Port Erie Family Practice, 3413 Cherry St. “I was kind of pushed into medicine a bit by my dad.” Ranish has treated local patients for almost 30 years, but the Erie woman never lost her love of writing. Now she is taking graduate-level writing courses at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, while she still works 35 hours a week as a Saint Vincent physician. And she’s writing a novel.
Share on FacebookBy Emily Classon, Andover Patch
Public libraries aren’t stuffy, outdated warehouses of books. Step into Memorial Hall Library (MHL)—in person or online–to experience a true 21st century library. In demand services such as free downloadable eBooks and music, online language learning, and technical and business books online are among the many new services Memorial Hall Library offers. Let MHL help you find resources when and where you want it. If you can’t get to the library, we’ll bring the services to you online–and now, on your mobile phone. Memorial Hall Library is pleased to announce the release of a new mobile app, “MHL Mobile”. Access a variety of library services when you’re on the go. MHL Mobile is compatible with all web-enabled phones on any network. The app works on all major smart phones including iPhone/iPod Touch, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian, and J2ME.
http://andover.patch.com/articles/your-library-there-s-an-app-for-that
Share on Facebookby KARIN KAPSIDELIS, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Amanda Fischer moved to Richmond in the summer of 2010 with plans to pursue a master’s degree in sport leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University. But before classes began that fall, she was offered a job in Ohio. No problem: She simply switched to the online version of the VCU program and is finding she can put to use the strategies she’s studying in her courses to help her on the job. Fischer left Richmond to work as director of basketball operations for the women’s team at her alma mater, the University of Dayton, and is now the game operations intern for the Chicago White Sox. She especially likes the feedback she gets from online classmates who already are working in her field.
Share on Facebookby the eLearning Guild
eLearning Guild members reveal imaginative ways to cut eLearning costs, and clearly show that cost savings is a mindset and being cost conscious makes good sense (and cents). Although you might imagine that cutting costs would involve cutting quality, innovative cost-savings ideas, such as the ones shared in this report, show that you can do more with less. Saving money isn’t only about finding cheaper ways to get the job done. It’s also about optimizing the resources you have available, including yourself. The report details numerous ways to optimize your resources. There are many ways to get the job done at lower cost and utilize your resources to be more efficient and effective. In December 2010, The eLearning Guild asked members to contribute to a costsavings survey and the results of that survey are the subject of this report. The most impressive finding is that cost savings are quite doable and the effort needed isn’t extraordinary.
http://www.elearningguild.com/showFile.cfm?id=4402
Share on Facebookby Health Education Blog
For many working experts in the wellness care field, taking time away from work to complete a full time Master’s degree is not feasible for several diverse factors. This is partially due to monetary concerns with not having an income over the course of the program as nicely as anxiety in having to maybe travel and live away from their family members whilst attending school. If these are concerns, there is an alternative schooling choice to take into account and that consists of taking a well being care degree on the web. On-line understanding has stepped to the forefront in numerous areas. Professionals already established in the health care field as a group have embraced this new style of learning, perfect for staying on the job while earning a Master level degree in a selection of distinct wellness care disciplines. By studying on the internet people are able to work their normal shifts, invest time at home with the loved ones yet also complete an advanced level set of courses that will qualify them for a Master’s degree. Typically most students spend about 15 hours per week in study, with additional time spent for projects and test preparation.
http://www.riao2010.org/the-benefits-of-completing-a-health-care-degree-online.htm
Share on FacebookBy Jennifer Demski, Campus Technology
Blogs are one of the oldest components of the web 2.0 toolkit, but their strengths as an instructional tool are still being discovered. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of seeing blogs as a substitute for online discussion boards or a new delivery system for traditional academic writing. As with any educational technology, blogs work best when instructors harness their unique features to supplement learning in the classroom. “Blogs highlight individual contributions more than wikis,” remarks Stuart Glogoff, senior consultant in the Office of Instruction and Assessment at the University of Arizona. “They’re more flexible than threaded discussion forums, and they provide more room for expressing ideas than Twitter. Blogs provide an individual space where students can write publicly, where students can comment on each other’s work, and where the professor’s participation can subtly call attention to the best student work as a way of raising the bar for the rest of the class.”
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/01/01/strategies-for-blog-powered-instruction.aspx
Share on FacebookBy Jim Shimabukuro, etc journal
As we teeter on the brink of the new year, we’re left with more questions than answers. In a way, that’s a good thing, considering the makeshift nature of technology in higher education. As we sidle into 2012, the same old questions will greet us. They’re about a world that’s rapidly changing and about our ability or inability to change with it. Let’s face it. The cat’s out of the bag, but some of us are still trying to lure it back in.
http://etcjournal.com/2011/12/29/online-learning-2012-six-issues-that-refuse-to-die/
Share on Facebookby Kristina Chew, Care2
Students today are the “most wired” ever so it’s no surprise that a recent study by Educause found that 60% of students said they would not attend a college all if it does not offer free wifi. While most colleges and universities in the US have (one would think) internet, wifi that works consistently and anywhere on campus is increasingly thought of as an essential feature, rather than a luxury. Students want to be online not only in their dorm rooms or computer centers or the library, but anywhere. However, only 78% of students think that wifi is “extremely valuable for their academic success” — suggesting that, their reasons for wanting wifi are for reasons others than their studies, to stay connected with friends and family; to play video games, watch videos, access music? The Educause study also found that, while 47% of students believe technology makes professors better at their jobs, over 30% of students think that their instructors are “incapable of getting technology working without student aid.”
http://www.care2.com/causes/what-students-want-in-a-college.html
Share on Facebookby the Coos Bay World
Online learning has benefited many rural families. Students with the discipline to study on their own can enroll in an online school, such as Oregon Virtual Academy, to access diverse online classes that small hometown schools can’t offer. The trouble is, when they enroll in an online school, state aid goes with them. Hometown schools can’t afford the loss. Next year, the Coquille School District will expand its online learning course offerings in an effort to lure back some of its 16 students who have enrolled in online schools. If the effort succeeds, the district could recapture thousands of dollars in state funding.
Share on FacebookBy Cathy N. Davidson, Washington Post
The outcry against exploitative online for-profit education is growing at roughly the same rate as the clamor for increasing amounts of educational technology — laptops, tablets, smart boards — from preschool to life-long learning. Unfortunately, a lot of the conversation is sliding into the “pro” and “con” mode of contemporary punditry. What we most need right now is to pause before we pontificate and to patiently untangle the many intertwined strands in the arguments for and against ed tech. By separating out different threads in this conversation, we can make better decisions about if, when, and in what situations we can really learn effectively online. Here are seven key questions designed to help any parent or student sort out the competing interests that currently drive technology into our schools — or keep technology out of some other schools.
Share on Facebookby Boston Globe Editorial Board
MIT has made course materials available over the Internet for a decade. But MITx is far more ambitious; the institute describes it as an “interactive online learning platform’’ that will complement the classroom and lab experience for traditional residential students, while also creating new options for people around the world. Under the initiative, those who demonstrate mastery of material covered in MIT courses could obtain a certificate, which they can then show to employers and others. The institute could reinforce its image – and potentially create new revenues through fees that it could reinvest in academics. Meanwhile, MITx also represents an important milestone for distance learning, an idea once seen mainly as a mere substitute for face-to-face education but has promise all its own…. Such developments offer all the more reason for local institutions not to take their current success for granted – and for Boston-area universities to be at the forefront of reinventing the region’s signature industry.
Share on FacebookBy Kevin Storr, UAB News
A University of Alabama at Birmingham instructor is the first to receive national recognition for online instruction at a public university in Alabama from the Quality Matters Program. QM, a nationally ranked peer review process, honored Mickey Gee, an instructor at the UAB School of Business, with its seal of recognition for his class Basic Marketing. “It is a great honor and it is nice to see the UAB School of Business recognized for taking the lead in doing online learning right,” Gee says. “Our staff recognizes that access to education online is becoming more and more important and to do it right means a major commitment in time and resources.”
Share on Facebookby Barbara Dreyer, Getting Smart
To be successful, our public education system must continually evolve and adapt to take advantage of innovation that supports different ways students learn. Today, young people are spending a significant portion of their lives online and learning in ways that take advantage of a wide-open universe of information available to them 24/7. Educators must embrace this innovation and the power of online learning. America’s K-12 educational system is in crisis and is failing too many children, especially children who aren’t well served in traditional schools – students who are falling behind or want more challenge, students with health issues, and students who need a more flexible school schedule. We must look for bold solutions to our education challenges. Technology has the power to transform education and help all children achieve academic success by delivering personalized, student-centric learning and ongoing performance data to inform instruction.
http://gettingsmart.com/edreformer/time-to-embrace-online-learning/
Share on FacebookMission Statement
The primary purpose of online learning at Platt College is to maximize student access to courses through the use of web-based delivery systems. Online Learning at Platt College integrates the assets of the college to provide a teaching and learning environment for online learners comparable to that provided to on-campus students. Support services are available to both online learners and faculty that help to provide quality education that is conveniently accessed. Online learning at Platt College is consistent with and supports the college’s strategic plan and the college’s mission of offering quality undergraduate education while providing graduates with competencies, skills and levels of education for employment and continued success in higher education.
http://www.plattcolorado.edu/content/online-learning
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