Online Learning Update

August 31, 2016

3 Ways a Coach Can Benefit Online Students

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:06 am

by Joe Chapman, US News

Online coaches and mentors are becoming increasingly common in online programs. At ASU Online, for example, coaches are full-time professionals who help online undergrad and grad students thrive inside and outside of the classroom and provide customization based on individual needs, interests and strengths. Online coaches are offered for everything from transition (adjusting to college life) to transformation (realizing potential and dreams). Having this resource available is one thing, but it’s also important to understand how to fully take advantage of an online degree coach to ensure you’re receiving personalized assistance from enrollment to graduation. Here are three ways to do so.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2016-08-24/3-ways-a-coach-can-benefit-online-students

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What it takes to be an online instructor

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:04 am
by Neil Moran, Rapid Growth
Despite great strides to ensure a quality learning experience in a digital environment, the notion that online classes are impersonal and lack the quality of face-to-face instruction seems to persist. “A lot of people see online education as reading a passage and taking a test,” says Anne Craft, interim executive director of marketing and communications for MVU. “It’s actually a lot more than that.” She says MVU has a sophisticated online instructional process based on research that doesn’t just examine how kids learn, but looks specifically at how they learn online. Students take online classes for a variety of reasons. Some may need an advanced placement or foreign language class not offered at their school. Others may have an illness or injury keeping them home. In many cases, students take online classes simply due to a scheduling conflict.
http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/features/082516-what-it-takes-to-succeed-as-an-online-teacher.aspx
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Wi-Fi speeds could triple and range double thanks to MIT breakthrough

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

By Liam Tung, ZD Net

Researchers at MIT claim to have created a network-boosting technology that could triple the speed of Wi-Fi and double its range. The MIT team has devised a system that can overcome Wi-Fi bandwidth constraints that stem from the limited spectrum available for carrying data to and from devices wirelessly. The researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) developed a new set of signal-processing algorithms which allow multiple routers, and other wireless access points, to concurrently transmit data to multiple receivers, using the same frequency and without interference.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/wi-fi-speeds-could-triple-and-range-double-thanks-to-mit-breakthrough/

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August 30, 2016

E-Learning: An Essential Tool For Improving The Public Teacher Corps

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:09 am

by Hui-Yin Hsu, Forbes

As classes start, public school systems across the country are staring down crisis-level teacher shortages. Rapid City, South Dakota schools have 50 unfilled teaching positions. Georgia’s Houston County has 90. San Francisco has more than a 100. Florida’s Orange County: a whopping 300. There is a silver-bullet solution to all these challenges: online teacher certification. E-learning portals empower people from less traditional career tracks to join the teaching profession, bringing their unique perspective, skills and backgrounds into the classroom. More universities should offer online teacher training. And public school systems should value these degrees and recruit heavily from these new pools.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2016/08/22/e-learning-an-essential-tool-for-improving-the-public-teacher-core/#5e3fff6f537e

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Millennial demand drives higher ed badging expansion

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:06 am

by Matt Zalaznick, University Business

Stony Brook University on Long Island in New York has awarded 130 badges in its school of professional development since launching them just over a year ago. Stony Brook University on Long Island in New York has awarded 130 badges in its school of professional development since launching them just over a year ago. Almost all U.S. colleges and universities now award certificates, digital badges and other forms of microcredentials so students can quickly show an employer specialized skills they’ve acquired. Driving this fast-growing trend are workforce millennials who want to learn, for instance, how to operate an Amazon delivery drone or repair a self-driving car without having to earn another degree, says James Fong, director of the Center for Research and Marketing Strategy at the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. A generation immersed in social media, millennials are also drawn to the gamified aspect of collecting and displaying digital badges, says Fong, who recently completed a study on the growing influence of microcredentials in higher ed.

https://www.universitybusiness.com/article/millennial-demand-drives-higher-ed-badging-expansion

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Blended learning’s evolution brings classrooms closer to ‘School 2.0’

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

By Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

Schools across the country have moved to the next level of blended learning, turning to student-directed personalized work that matches pupils’ needs and abilities, rather than simply combining online elements with face-to-face instruction. District Administration reports there are four learning models embedded in “blended 2.0” nationwide: rotation, where students move through classroom stations based on data-driven teacher insights; flex, which combines in-school and homework activities; a la carte online modules that add to classroom instruction; and an enriched virtual model that gives students face-time in class and requires online work at home. Districts are focusing on professional development to help teachers make the switch to such personalized learning, which schools have found decreases behavior problems and improves attendance among students.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/blended-learnings-evolution-brings-classrooms-closer-to-school-20/424963/

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August 29, 2016

The State of Virtual Reality in Education

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:04 am

By Tanya Roscorla, Center for Digital Education

Until recently, the expensive price tag for virtual reality technology has limited its use in education. Full immersion into an alternate reality has been expensive for schools and universities to dive into — that is, until the last 12 months: Virtual reality is attracting educators who want to give students hands-on experiences with a lot of different tools. This type of technology immerses students into a different world full of sites and sounds, whether it’s a simulation of the cockpit of an airplane, a human body or Paris. More expensive immersion setups turn an entire room into a world with 360-degree interactive displays, while others use headsets or insert phones into a viewer that covers the users’ eyes. About nine major companies are vying for control of this space, said Brad Waid, an education futurist.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/higher-ed/The-State-of-Virtual-Reality-in-Education.html

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How to align academic offerings to meet workforce development needs

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

A new study from Indeed.com lists computer and information sciences, engineering, architecture, management, health professions and finance as the top areas which have high needs in hiring, and low areas where technology can replace human capital in the workforce. Each of these fields were among the most popular academic programs of 2014, according to data on degrees awarded published by the U.S. Department of Education. According to Indeed, the programs comprise 92% of jobs showing trending upward in earning potential and offering an average salary of over $57,700.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/how-to-align-academic-offerings-to-meet-workforce-development-needs/424934/

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‘Smartphone As Learning Tool Can Reach Millions’

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

by Byju Raveendran, Business World

Seventy per cent of the India K-12 segment has access to a smartphone, and this percentage is fast increasing. This gives an opportunity to use smartphone as a learning device and app as a medium to reach millions of students. This can solve the problem of access. There is also a lot of scope for improvement in the way students learn. Today, learning is still driven by the fear of exams, and not the love for learning. There is so much focus on the end result of marks and grades that students miss out on the fun of real learning. If students learn in the right way, and if they like learning, they will secure good marks anyway. We are all getting trained to solve questions, but not to find problems. If we can have a system which encourages students to take the initiative to learn on their own, with parents and teachers playing supporting roles, it will help them reach their true potential.

http://businessworld.in/article/-Smartphone-As-Learning-Tool-Can-Reach-Millions-/23-08-2016-104697/

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August 28, 2016

Flipping Large Classes: Three Strategies to Engage Students

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:07 am

By: Barbi Honeycutt, Faculty Focus

“How can I flip a large class?” I like this question because it’s not asking whether you can flip a large class, but rather what’s the best way to do it. Faculty who teach large classes are challenged not only by the sheer number of students but also by the physical space in the classroom. Having 100, 200, or 400+ students in class means teaching in large lecture halls with stadium seating and seats that are bolted to the floor. It’s not exactly the ideal space for collaboration and group discussions, so the types of flipped and active learning strategies you can use are more limited. Often, faculty fall back on the “think, pair, share” format or use clicker questions to encourage student engagement. But there are other techniques we can deploy in these large classrooms to engage students and involve them in higher levels of critical thinking and analysis.

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/blended-flipped-learning/flipping-large-classes-three-strategies-engage-students/

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How workforce learning trends may shape higher ed

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:04 am

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Technology is reshaping the way industries and corporations are training employees to increase productivity, according to EdSurge, and that new focus, designed to engage younger employees, could have impact on higher education academic delivery models. Organizations are substituting theory-based models in exchange for scenario-based, practical instruction to help learners be more attuned to instruction. Lessons are delivered through simulations that are light on lectures and heavy on opportunities for learners to engage with online content and cohort members to learn information. Adapting teaching modules presents the biggest challenge in workforce development; about 61% of corporate executives say moving employees towards self-directed education is a difficulty in developing an environment of continuous learning.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/how-workforce-learning-trends-may-shape-higher-ed/424868/

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Online Learning: Fashion Education’s Next Frontier

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

by Helena Pike, Business of Fashion

Over the last decade, online learning has reshaped the global education sector by improving access to knowledge and institutions, and enabling students to overcome geographical or financial limitations to access the best lecturers, curricula and institutions in the world. Initially, online learning was held back by concerns over quality and legitimacy, but as use of technology and access to the Internet has improved, and awareness of the convenience and standard of courses has grown — spurred on by the entrance of prestigious institutions like Harvard, MIT, Yale, Berkeley, Oxford and Cambridge University — the market has evolved rapidly. Online education has the potential to be equally game-changing for the fashion education sector. Previously, to get a good education, students had to be free to attend classes on a physical campus — meaning they had to live nearby and be able to afford not only institutions’ fees, but also not working a paid job for the duration of their studies.

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/education/online-learning-fashion-educations-next-frontier-business-of-fashion-courses-2

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August 27, 2016

3 Ways Virtual Reality Can Enhance Learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:08 am

3 Ways Virtual Reality Can Enhance Learning

by Emory Craig, Maya Georgieva, EDUCAUSE Review

https://youtu.be/jRQzl8ewDMQ



http://er.educause.edu/multimedia/2016/8/video-3-ways-virtual-reality-can-enhance-learning

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Microsoft Updates Office 365 Education

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By Michael Hart, THE Journal

Microsoft has added new features to its Office 365 Education portfolio of products for students and teachers. In April, the company released Microsoft Classroom, which provides course management operations for teachers. For school IT staff, an updated Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer tool would let them set up shared devices in bulk for classroom scenarios where students share devices. Finally, an updated release of Windows 10 offered Windows Ink, a technology that enables the user to write on his or her device as if it were paper. Now, Microsoft has introduced two new features in time for the new school year. First, a version of Microsoft Classroom and a new software product called School Data Sync will help IT administrators connect existing school systems to Office 365, enabling a single sign-on for teachers and students while automating Microsoft Classroom set-up.

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Report: 3D Printing Market to Double by 2020

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

By Joshua Bolkan, THE Journal

The 3D printing market will reach $35.4 billion in 2020, according to a new report form International Data Corp. (IDC). That total is more than double the revenue projected for this year and would constitute a 24.1 percent compound annual growth rate over the course of the period forecast. “While 3D printers and materials will represent nearly half the total worldwide revenues throughout the forecast, software and related services will also experience significant growth,” according to a news release. “Revenues for computer-aided design (CAD) software are forecast to triple over the five-year forecast period while the market for on-demand parts services will nearly match this growth. The gains in both software and on-demand parts printing are being driven by the rapidly expanding use of 3D printing for design prototyping and products that require a high degree of customization in non-traditional environments.”

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/08/17/report-3d-printing-market-to-double-by-2020.aspx

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August 26, 2016

Once a fad, gaming is gaining steam in higher education classrooms and in research

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

by Laura Devaney, eCampus News

Gaming in education has traditionally belonged to the K-12 sphere, but in recent years higher education has taken a vested interest in this learning approach, from taking a game-based approach in classrooms to ensuring future educators learn the merits of it. In recent years, gaming has gained momentum in higher education. Research indicates it is a viable learning approach, with faculty gamifying lessons and student teachers learning how to use the approach with future students. MIT, Penn State, and UC Irvine are all among schools leveraging game-based learning.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/technologies/gaming/gaming-higher-education/

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How an Aussie teaching innovation was backed by Bill Gates and swept US universities

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:04 am

by Tim Dodd, Financial Review

Dr Ben-Naim said he was very pleased to be bringing the adaptive learning delivered courses back to Australia where Smart Sparrow’s technology was developed. “It’s an Australian innovation which has had significant success in America and now we are able to bring it back to Australia. For us it’s very exciting,” he said. He said that the teacher’s role was not diminished by using the adaptive and multi-disciplinary approach to learning in the Inspark network, where students absorbed the key concepts online outside of the classroom. “They [students] still come to class and compare work, they work in small groups on a different problems, and the teacher has the opportunity to talk about something more advanced,” Dr Ben-Naim said. “We can make more students smarter in less time. We optimise the learning and the teacher time.”

http://www.afr.com/leadership/innovation/how-an-aussie-teaching-innovation-was-backed-by-bill-gates-and-swept-us-universities-20160818-gqvnep

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North Dakota University System sees gains in online courses

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

by Wade Rupard, Bismark Tribune

As students within the North Dakota University System continue to take more online classes, schools within the system are working to enhance those courses. In a presentation to the North Dakota Legislature’s Interim Higher Education Committee on Friday, Richard Rothaus, the university system’s vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, outlined how the system is accommodating students who take non-traditional classes, such as those online. The construct of what makes a typical student in today’s technology-filled world has been blurred, Rothaus said, noting 21,824 students systemwide took online courses in fall 2015. Some of those students took classes entirely online, while others enrolled in both traditional and nontraditional courses.

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/north-dakota-university-system-sees-gains-in-online-courses/article_d3a51afc-0362-5635-8b96-42a0429803a9.html

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August 25, 2016

Not Your Grandfather’s Corporate Training: 5 Trends Changing Workforce Learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:09 am

by Mary Frenson, edSurge

The shift away from lecture-based, theory-heavy learning models has been on the rise for some time. However, it is now taking off in a new way: Adult learners want to see how the theory is applied in experience so that they can apply it easily in their everyday life. Case studies and visual simulations are becoming more common ways of providing this type of experiential learning. In a Deloitte survey respondents identified a variety of learning tools that they felt can contribute to their development within their company, these included external certificates at 32 percent, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) at 18 percent and external, self-directed learning powered by social media at 14 percent. These various ways of training account for 64 percent of the learning tools identified by the respondents in this study, which is more than significant.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-08-19-not-your-grandfather-s-corporate-training-5-trends-changing-workforce-learning

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Department of Ed greenlights workforce development experiment

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:04 am

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

The U.S. Department of Education has announced a pilot program in which eight colleges and eight for-profit companies will collaborate on workforce development for low-income students. The pilot relaxes federal standards, which do not allow institutions to receive aid for courses where more than 50% of curriculum is taught by an ineligible entity. The partnerships are centered around strategic tech and manufacturing jobs. Institutions were selected for their ability to guarantee affordable access to diverse student bodies, third-party quality assurance of the academic and technical curriculum, and protections for students and public funds in the form of student aid.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/department-of-ed-greenlights-workforce-development-experiment/424585/

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Online Education: A New Approach To Teaching And Learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

by Emily Marks, University Herald

Online education is fast gaining popularity for the convenience and flexibility that it provides students. Coursera offers short video lectures, interactive quizzes and peer graded assignments, among others, which is perfect for working adults. Coursera has about 170,000 students around the world that have signed up for it. While online education has been around for a long time, with top universities offering courses for a high fee, classes, called MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses, are expected to revolutionize higher education. These online courses are different because they use new technology, feature well-known professors and they don’t cost anything. Educational institutions that have partnered with Coursera are: the University of Chicago, University of Washington, Duke University, Stanford University, Princeton University and University of California, among others.

http://www.universityherald.com/articles/37612/20160817/online-education-new-approach-teaching-learning.htm

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