Online Learning Update

By eCampus News
Students are expected to save an estimated $145 million in the 2017-18 academic year by using free textbooks from this platform. Nearly 1.5 million U.S. college students are expected to save an estimated $145 million in the 2017-18 academic year by using free textbooks from OpenStax, the Rice University-based publisher of open education resource materials. “The adoption of OpenStax nationally is taking hold and saving students and families money,” said Daniel Williamson, managing director of OpenStax. “Individual faculty as well as institutions can make tremendous gains in college affordability by using OpenStax textbooks.” OpenStax projects this year’s savings to be nearly double last year’s impact on students’ wallets. Since 2012 OpenStax has saved nearly 3.5 million students more than $340 million by offering 29 textbooks for the most-attended college courses.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/business-news/million-students-free-textbooks/

by Markets Insider

A new study published in Frontiers in Neurology examining remote clinical neuroscience education shows that distance learning has the same outcomes as classroom learning for training healthcare professionals. New study finds that the Carrick Institute model of distance learning has the same outcomes as classroom learning for training healthcare professionals. [Randomized Controlled Study of a Remote Flipped Classroom Neuro-otology Curriculum, Frontiers in Neurology, 2017]  Dr. Frederick R. Carrick, founder of Carrick Institute and his team at Bedfordshire Centre for Mental Health Research in association with the University of Cambridge, Harvard Medical School’sHarvard Macy and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Institutes, conducted a randomized controlled trial of contemporary medical education. The research demonstrates methods and practice of teaching clinical neurology remotely, which has resulted in doctors demonstrating successfully improved diagnostic and treatment skills.

http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Doctors-and-Distance-Learning-Randomized-Controlled-Study-of-a-Remote-Flipped-Classroom-Neuro-otology-Curriculum-1002246226

by Pat Donachie, Education Dive
A new study commissioned by Blackboard suggests that students who receive automatic notifications on their academic performance would use it consistently — a tool that could help administrators and educators urge low-performing students to seek assistance, or rather give confidence to students performing at a high level.  Researchers found that students were particularly interested in automated academic performance notifications that showed how they were performing in comparison to their peers, as opposed to just examining their own performance in isolation.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/students-want-more-real-time-information-about-progress/449008/

by PAT SCHNEIDER | The Capital Times

One national study in 2013 found that 65 percent of students said they decided against buying a textbook because it was too expensive, even though nearly all of them worried it would hurt their grade.  An appreciation for how the costs of textbooks and other learning materials make it harder for many students to pay for college has prompted universities across the country — and some university systems — to adopt policies to create or adopt what are called open educational resources, or OER. Most simply, OER are textbooks and other learning materials produced under a copyright that typically allows their use and adaptation free of charge rather than prohibiting use or requiring payment of a fee. The movement has a way to go. Only 5.3 percent of courses nationwide used an open textbook in 2015-2016, according to the Babson Survey Research Group.

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/university/breaking-free-to-save-students-money-colleges-are-looking-to/article_eebc0888-2f1f-5faf-ace3-6264b52b8512.html

By Cait Etherington, eLearning Inside

The Geneva Centre for Autism has been transforming the live of children and families with autism for over four decades. Over the past decade, the Geneva Centre has developed a robust elearning program for caregivers and teachers to ensure they are able to reach educators wherever they are based. Of course, the impact of elearning on the lives of people with ASD is not only secondary. There is a growing body of research to suggest that some but not all people with ASD thrive in an online learning environment and can benefit immensely from working at their own pace. There is also evidence that elearning tools can assist individuals with ASD in learning how to navigate complex social situations, which they may otherwise find challenging.

https://news.elearninginside.com/elearning-transforms-the-lives-of-autistic-children/

by James Vincent, the Verge

Lots of people will tell you they’re nervous about the changes artificial intelligence will bring to the world, but Andrew Ng is confident it’s all for the best. The former AI chief of Baidu and founder of Google Brain is on a mission to build what he calls an “AI-powered society” — one where smart computers are as integral to businesses as electricity. And to bring about that future, Ng, now an adjunct professor at Stanford, will share what he knows best by teaching.  Ng is launching a new course on deep learning on Coursera, the online education site he co-founded. The syllabus will follow his popular machine learning course, which has attracted some 2 million enrollments since its launch in 2011.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/8/16107744/deep-learning-ai-online-course-coursera-andrew-ng

by Meghan Bogardus Cortez, EdTech Magazine

A new study finds that students are using tech for self-directed learning outside of school. Though just over half of K–12 students have access to a one-to-one device program at school, 56 percent of students say they use more technology at home than in school. Perhaps this stat is a bit startling, but the new research from Project Tomorrow indicates that overall students are quite interested in exploring more self-directed learning at home, eSchool News reports. “Students have always self-directed some of their own learning, but with the explosion of mobile devices, 24/7 connectivity and digital resources, students are leaving adults behind as they explore subjects that interest them in the ways they learn best,” says Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow’s CEO, in the report.

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/08/students-want-access-more-online-classes-and-mobile-learning

By Joshua Bolkan, Campus Technology
Global spending on augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) will double, at a minimum, each year through 2021, according to a new forecast from International Data Corp. (IDC). Total spending on products and services in the category will reach $215 billion in 2021, according to the company, up from $11.4 billion this year and representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 113.2 percent for the forecast period. This year the United States will lead spending in the category at $3.2 billion, followed by Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APeJ) at $3 billion and Western Europe at $2 billion. IDC predicts APEJ to take the top spot from the US for a couple years, slowing in 2019 and relinquishing the top spending slot in 2020 while Western Europe will move into the second spot in the following year. Canada will see the fastest growth, with a CAGR of 145.2 percent over the forecast period.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/08/07/report-vr-and-ar-to-double-each-year-through-2021.aspx

by Shalina Chatlani, Education Dive

A new study from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences examines the growing field of alternative credentials and pathway options for academic degrees, including MOOCs and online micro-credentials, labor market training programs, and competency-based education programs and certificate programs.  The number of alternative degree options has increased drastically over the last 15 years. These programs are popular because they can be flexible, time-saving and more aligned with employer-desired skills than traditional postsecondary pathways. However, the study also shows that evidence of their actual efficacy and quality assurance is thin. Though traditional postsecondary degrees are likely to maintain their value, they are already adapting to incorporate alternative characteristics, like online learning. The study’s authors urge higher education stakeholders to research alternative options, and consider whether and how they are offering students significant return on investment, Campus Technology reports.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/study-alternative-credentials-here-to-stay-but-evidence-of-roi-thin/448718/

BY KAREN CONNORS, eSchool News
With an ever-changing job description and a library space where books coexist with 3D printers, a teacher librarian focuses on the four C’s. The four C’s encourage us to be thoughtful in our projects, striving to embed instruction within assignments that are authentic and have real-life relevance for students. Collaborating with classroom or content-area teachers and designing creative project-based learning opportunities to tie in information-seeking, problem-solving, and communication can extend and promote learning in powerful ways. Though many libraries are now doubling as makerspaces, it’s a delight to know that our students still come to us excited about finding something they’re anxious to read. The difference is how the format for reading has changed.

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/08/07/build-library-future/

by Joshua Bolkan, Campus Technology
The tablet market continued to fall in the second quarter of 2017, according to a new report from International Data Corp. (IDC), reaching 37.9 million shipments, a 3.4 percent decline compared to the same period last year.  There’s been a resetting of expectations for detachables as competing convertible notebooks offered a convincing and familiar computing experience for many,” said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers, in a prepared statement. “To date, the 2-in-1 market was bifurcated as Apple and Microsoft led with detachables while the PC vendors led with convertibles. Though that is slowly changing as smartphone vendors and traditional PC vendors begin to offer compelling alternatives, the pace has been rather slow as Surface and iPad Pro still dominate shelf space and mindshare.”

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/08/07/tablets-continue-to-decline-though-top-makers-hold-steady.aspx

By Shaina Verma, ULoop
Hey there, college student! So you thought you could handle an internship and an online course at the same time, only to find out it was a tad more difficult than you initially thought? Well, you can, it just requires a bit more planning and commitment than initially thought. Follow these steps to make sure you keep up with both while managing to sleep and (hopefully) work out. Friends optional.

https://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/243656/Online-Course-Survival-Guide

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

What was once called typing class is now known as technology class. Gone are the days where computer class was spent playing Oregon Trail and creating word processing documents. The networked world in which students exist demands an education that prepares students to produce and consume information in a variety of formats. These formats range from text to images to multimedia. Students need a broad variety of fluencies to be prepared for the 21st-century workforce. Even jobs traditionally thought of us being technology light now require someone who has basic computer skills. This article describes those digital literacy skills paramount to success in any career.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/8-essential-digital-literacy-skills-students-need/

by Sherrie Negrea, University Business

One factor driving the use of interactive video is research showing students get distracted when a lecture or presentation lasts more than 10 minutes, according to the book Brain Rules (Pear Press, 2008) by John Medina, a developmental molecular biologist at Seattle Pacific University. Applying that line of thought to learning videos, professors and instructional designers are developing videos that offer a new activity at least every 10 minutes. “Interactivity becomes important so students can get the conception they are doing something,” says Klaas, who conducts a popular annual presentation at UBTech on creative applications of video instruction. “The more they are doing something, the more they are learning.”

https://www.universitybusiness.com/article/creating-interactive-video-distance-learning-courses

By Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed

McDonald’s brings a flexible approach and free career and college advising to its tuition assistance program, which is aimed in part at keeping employees on the job longer. McDonald’s has joined the large number of companies that pay for employees to attend college, with a relatively new tuition assistance benefit that includes some unusual features. Begun two years ago, the fast-food giant’s Archways to Opportunity program is open to managers and front-line workers, at both McDonald’s-owned and franchised restaurants, a total of roughly 800,000 employees. In addition, unlike the high-profile partnership between Starbucks and Arizona State University and other exclusive arrangements between colleges and employers, McDonald’s is agnostic about where its workers go to college.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/08/07/unusual-approach-tuition-assistance-mcdonalds-employees

BY LAUREN BERG, Daily Progress
At a retreat meeting Saturday, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors explored ways to enhance online learning and other digital opportunities for students at UVa. As more and more schools across the country — including Penn State, the University of Georgia and Liberty University — offer more online courses and certificates, the technology provides opportunities for a wider variety of students to pursue their education. To explore how UVa might better serve its current and future students, Kristin Palmer, director of online learning programs at the university, presented different ways in which universities and colleges utilize online learning — including enhancing the education of residential students and offering online learning opportunities for off-campus students.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/uva-board-discusses-increased-online-learning-opportunities/article_e16efc1a-7a35-11e7-89af-83ae31ca4331.html

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Sinclair Community College’s competency-based education program for online students forces candidates to write a “vision” statement, has disabled discussion forums in its courses and boots out students who don’t make the 80 percent cut score. And its CBE students are credentialing at three times the rate of students in ordinary online programs. While entire colleges and universities have pioneered the concept of competency-based education (CBE) — Western Governors and Southern New Hampshire University’s College for America come to mind — others are trying to fit the CBE model into more traditional programs and coming up with innovative ways to mix and match the implementation details.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/08/02/6-ways-to-build-a-better-cbe-program.aspx

by Post Independent Citizen Telegram

Fifty years ago, CMC students couldn’t begin to dream how educators could reach students through today’s virtual classroom. But now, a student from virtually anywhere with access to a computer and the web can earn an Associate of Arts or Associate of General Studies degree from CMC entirely online. Students can also take classes online toward a bachelor’s degree without physically entering a Colorado Mountain College building, though a fully online bachelor’s degree from the college is not yet available.

http://www.postindependent.com/news/local/online-learning-comes-of-age-at-cmc/

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News
Relatively recent advances in two ed tech tools mean they might be ready for classroom use. A new survey reveals that an overwhelmingly large amount of educators–89 percent, to be exact–said they found value in ed tech such as augmented reality and virtual reality. Thirty-one percent of those respondents said the technologies will change teaching and learning in the classroom as we know it.

The report, “Evaluation of Ed Tech: What Technology Means to Educators Across America,” also reveals that just 13 percent of educators gave their school or university an ‘A’ when asked to rank their available ed tech’s ability to improve the learning experience for students, according to a new study.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/news/educators-hyped-ed-tech/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

In short, a personal learning network (PLN) is a group of people who you connect with to increase your knowledge of a particular subject.Get on Twitter, start a blog, reach out to professionals on LinkedIn, attend webinars, take online courses and subscribe to content produced by fellow educators. Take control and enrich your classroom with a PLN perfect for you and the students you’re responsible for.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/personal-learning-network/

BY JOHN KAWOLA, eCampus News

Remember the original iMac G3 desktop computers with their sleek, translucent designs in a colorful collection? Likely you saw these computers in ads, store windows or even owned one yourself. Millennials might also recall seeing these systems introduced to classrooms during elementary school, and that’s because Apple made a massive push in penetrating the education market throughout the ‘90s by exposing millions of children to this product. Though to a lesser scale and profile than Apple, there is a similar technology immersion taking place today with 3D printing education. Companies like Ultimaker and more are all working to bring 3D printers to classrooms across the country. This growing accessibility is due largely to open source formats that support collaboration along with more affordable, yet still professional-grade desktop options. High-quality 3D printers are no longer just massive bulky units with price tags in the tens of thousands. That’s why from primary to higher education, the benefits of getting 3D printing into the hands of students are numerous.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/eschool-media/3d-printing-education-today/