Online Learning Update

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Courseware and access to it aren’t the only innovations in online education. Many supplemental tools support classroom instruction at all levels of learning, helping students engage in the learning process and enjoy it. Student response systems: Teachers recognize the need for student involvement in lessons, but connecting with each student in every class can take time, especially if the class size exceeds 30 students. Although necessary for learning, engagement, response, and feedback are time-consuming. Apps like Socrative assist teachers in engaging students and diagnosing student performance. One of the reasons Socrative is so successful is that it bridges the gap between school and home, learning and leisure time. Students access their homework online, complete it, and the app grades it and provides immediate feedback.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/edtech-innovation-in-online-education/

EdExec Magazine

Edtech applications are increasingly being used in classrooms to enhance teaching and learning – however, do schools know what’s being used? What are the benefits, and are they GDPR-compliant? With technology becoming ever more prevalent in the classroom, it’s no surprise that this has evolved into the use of educational applications; teachers all over the country are utilising the benefits of apps within their classrooms. Why? Because apps are a language their pupils understand. The generation of children currently at school generally have easy access to mobile phones, tablets and laptops; as such, apps are often a great way to keep them engaged in the classroom and can provide a range of learning benefits. We spoke to the Association of Network Managers in Education (ANME) for comments from members on what they think about classroom apps and their impact.

https://edexec.co.uk/from-the-magazine-online-education-tools-whats-going-on-in-your-classrooms/

By Annika Hom, Boston Globe
Millions of people around the worldtake advantage of the free Harvard offers online, but what types of subjects are trending these days? Harvard recently released its most popular online courses in 2018, a list that reflects interest in computer science, data science, architecture, and religion.   Introduction to computer science CS50 collection. Students learn how to program using the modern coding languages Python or JavaScript or explore how computer science manifests in game development and apps. Since its creation in 2012, this collection has over one million users.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/01/04/intro-comp-sci-tops-list-most-subscribed-harvardx-class/g2Y8pnOJyw1nkRGMof4YqJ/story.html

by Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

It is not that much of stretch to think of the future of universities through the lens of the newspaper industry. All of us are wondering how traditional residential institutions will navigate the digitally enabled shift to online and low-residency learning. Are residential campuses analogous to print newspapers? Is online learning analogous to news websites and apps? What we learn in Breaking News is that the smart people working in the newspaper industry did not see the digital disruption coming, and even when they understood the implications of digital they were unable to find a new economic model to replace the old one.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/fantastic-breaking-news-filtered-through-higher-ed-anxieties

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
In a pilot program at Berkeley College, members of a Virtual Reality Faculty Interest Group tested the use of virtual reality to immerse students in a variety of learning experiences. During winter 2018, seven different instructors in nearly as many disciplines used inexpensive Google Cardboard headsets along with apps on smartphones to virtually place students in North Korea, a taxicab and other environments as part of their classwork. Participants used free mobile applications such as Within, the New York Times VR, Discovery VR, Jaunt VR and YouTube VR. Their courses included critical writing, international business, business essentials, medical terminology, international banking, public speaking and crisis management.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/09/05/berkeley-college-faculty-test-vr-for-learning.aspx

by  Núria Molas-Castells & Marc Fuertes-Alpiste, eLearn Center Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

What do the articles on e-learning published in academic journals during 2017 talk about? To answer this question we analysed all the impact publications made during this period, with the aim of drawing a map that is useful for seeing where research efforts have been focused in recent years and what topics feature in indexed scientific publications. The report has analyzed 855 articles obtained from the two main databases for scientific articles, Scopus and Web of Science.

http://openaccess.uoc.edu/webapps/o2/bitstream/10609/75705/6/ELR_Report_2017.pdf

By Public Affairs, UC Berkeley
The fastest-growing course in UC Berkeley’s history — Foundations of Data Science — is being offered free online this spring for the first time through the campus’s online education hub, edX. Data science is becoming important to more and more people because the world is increasingly data-driven — and not just science and tech but the humanities, business and government. “You’ll learn to program when studying data science — but not for the primary purpose of building apps or games,” says Berkeley computer science Professor John DeNero.

http://news.berkeley.edu/2018/03/29/berkeley-offers-its-fastest-growing-course-data-science-online-for-free/

By Ilana Kowarski, US News

Business school courses on AI should acknowledge its limitations and distinguish facts from exaggerations, experts say.  “AI is transforming everything about the way the world does business, so any aspiring business leader will be better prepared by understanding where we’re headed,” Josh Tyler, executive vice president of engineering and design at Course Hero, an online learning platform, said via email. Advocates of taking AI courses in business school point to the abundance of AI-based companies in Silicon Valley. Artificial intelligence powers the recommendation engines on Amazon and Netflix, and it is also the technology that makes ride-sharing apps and self-driving cars possible.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/articles/2018-02-08/look-for-high-quality-mba-courses-on-artificial-intelligence-robots

By Press Association

There is nothing “soft” about learning vital workplace skills as well as traits such as resilience, according to the new Education Secretary. In his first speech in his new role, Damian Hinds also argued that at a time when children are growing up as “digital natives” it is important that they learn the technology skills – such as writing apps – that they will need for the jobs of the future. Mr Hinds told the Education World Forum in London that while qualifications are of vital importance, there is much else that “counts a great deal” as well. In his former job as employment minister, Mr Hinds said he had learnt from businesses about the importance of employability skills, sometimes known as “soft” skills.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-5298311/Nothing-soft-learning-workplace-skills–Education-Secretary.html

by Christine Ascher, ULoop
The opportunity to take an online course is one major benefit of technology when it comes to education. Online courses offer you more flexibility in terms of when and where you can complete your coursework than a traditional classroom-style course, and they allow you to learn about different websites or apps that can be helpful in academia. However, there are also some downsides that can come with participating in an online course: most notably the fact that, because you’ll be a bit more independent, it can be more difficult to stay on top of everything. Taking an online course may require more self-motivation and self-scheduling than you’re accustomed to, but if you know this going into the course and figure out some strategies to cope, you’ll be right on track.

https://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/256968/5-Ways-to-Stay-Organized-When-Taking-an-Online-Course

By Joshua Bolkan, THE Journal
Apple is now waiving the fees for its developer program for accredited educational institutions and other qualifying organizations. Members of the developer program are able to distribute apps through the Apple App Store and gain access to tools such as app analytics, beta testing resources such as TestFlight, beta software and advanced app capabilities. The move comes in response to complaints directed at the company when it banned apps generated from templates last year, according to TechCrunch.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/01/03/apple-waives-developer-fees-for-schools-nonprofits.aspx

BY NICK PSAKI, eCampus News

Technology proliferation has placed enormous pressure on the underlying IT infrastructure that keeps Wi-Fi operating, servers humming, videos streaming and data percolating. Within many institutions, one vital aspect of those operations–the storage foundation–is crumbling under the weight of growing demands. With budgets stagnant and resources limited, universities are stuck in a difficult position and finding it increasingly difficult to respond to student and faculty pleas for the latest and greatest apps. Compute and networking operations have continually exploited the performance rewards delivered by exponentially more powerful silicon chips. Now it’s time for data centers to take advantage of the same potential in their storage systems. So, are higher education institutions ready for a storage transformation? The short answer: they have to be, and the focus must be around creating a data platform designed for the cloud era.

Is higher ed facing an IT house of cards?

by David Raths, Campus Technology

Learning analytics tools have become increasingly valuable for college and university administrators looking to boost student success. But can data also inform decision-making on the part of students themselves? A project at Purdue University (IN) explores that possibility by taking advantage of the “quantified self” movement (made popular by health-tracking apps such as Fitbit) and putting the data into students’ hands. Pattern, one of several teaching and learning apps developed by Purdue Teaching and Learning Technologies over the past few years, allows students to self-track their academic and extracurricular pursuits and rate how productive they are. The app also lets them compare their behaviors to other students to see which activities may yield the best results. Pattern can suggest when to study, recommend ways students can be more efficient with their time, and suggest how long students should be spending on tasks.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/11/01/purdue-app-puts-learning-data-into-students-hands.aspx

by Meghan Bogardus Cortez, edtech Magazine
Meghan is an associate editor with EdTech: Focus on Higher Education. She enjoys coffee, cats and science fiction TV. In the summer of 2016, nothing was quite as buzzy as the smartphone game, “Pokémon Go.” Thanks to its augmented reality (AR) format — which blends real-world interactivity with an immersive video game world — the game spiked in popularity among K–12 and college students. It also introduced the concept of AR into the education sector. By 2018, the AR device market is expected to reach about $660 million, a new infographic from the New Jersey Institute of Technology reports. While AR is still up and coming, several mobile apps have emerged to let students (both at the K–12 and higher ed level) engage with interactive books about space and human anatomy charts.

https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2017/10/how-will-ar-transform-education-infographic-0

By Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology
Judging by the outlook of faculty in colleges and universities today, the future is bright for technology in higher education. A full 98 percent of faculty members who took Campus Technology’s second annual Teaching With Technology Survey believe technology will play a positive role in education going forward. That’s a step up from 97 percent who answered the same in 2016. What technologies do faculty think will be important in education over the next decade? The most popular answer to that question by far was virtual/augmented/mixed reality, garnering 81 percent of responses (it topped the list last year as well). Mobile devices and apps, 3D modeling/scanning/printing, adaptive/personalized learning and video/streaming all rounded out the top five.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/10/11/faculty-predict-virtual-augmented-mixed-reality-will-be-key-to-ed-tech-in-10-years.aspx

by Corey Williams, Associated Press

Computers already are a big part of Marianna Campbell’s life. Now, the 17-year-old Detroit resident is looking forward to attending workshops, classes and discussions with other girls who want to learn about cyber technology. With a focus on programming and computer coding, the events are being offered by Oakland-based Black Girls CODE. The nonprofit introduces young black, Latino and Native American females to computer sciences. Black Girls CODE is starting a chapter in Detroit. Girls in the program also learn how to build websites and create mobile apps. For Marianna, who is black, it will be an opportunity to speak the same computer language while learning with girls who look like she does and who share similar cultural experiences.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/michigan/articles/2017-10-08/organization-to-teach-coding-to-girls-in-detroit-area

By Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed

Ohio State University and Apple on Wednesday announced a collaboration that will start a digital learning effort at the university that Apple and university officials said may represent the company’s most ambitious program in higher education. The university plans to start a series of efforts to promote student success, using tools from Apple. Starting in autumn 2018, new first-year students (at Columbus and regional campuses) will receive an iPad Pro with tools including Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard as well as apps to support learning and life at Ohio State.

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/10/05/ohio-state-apple-start-push-digital-learning

by Markets Insider

The growth rate for Digital English Language Learning in China is a healthy 8.5% and revenues will spike to $1.4 billion by 2022, according to the new report by Metaari called “The 2017-2022 China Digital English Language Learning Market.” There are six major catalysts driving the current Digital English Language Learning market in China: a booming online English tutoring industry, a dramatic increase in private investments made to digital English companies, emphasis on digital English in the schools, the growing use of English in the higher education segment, strong consumer demand for mobile Digital English Language Learning apps, and a high demand for English for Specific Purposes (ESP).

http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Digital-English-Market-in-China-Surges-to-1-4-Billion-by-2022-1002359286

by Laurence Bradford, Forbes

Machine learning is exploding, with smart algorithms being used everywhere from email to smartphone apps to marketing campaigns. Translation: if you’re looking for an in-demand career, setting yourself up with the skills to work with smart machines/artificial intelligence is a good move. With input from Florian Douetteau, CEO of Dataiku, here are some things you can start doing today to position yourself for a future career in machine learning.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencebradford/2017/07/28/8-ways-you-can-succeed-in-a-machine-learning-career/

by Matthew Lynch, tech Edvocate

Higher education is experiencing a time of rapid change. The traditional picture of a college-aged student sitting in a large lecture hall is no longer. Students complete their education at any age, in a variety of formats, and, sometimes, from multiple institutions. A recent study by the Babson Survey Research Group as reported in US News and World Report found that approximately 5.8 million students took at least one online class in 2014. The average age of someone enrolled in higher education now is 25. This change puts the focus on educational technologies that can provide solutions for classroom management, assessment, microlearning, affordability, and collaboration. These identified areas of need for higher education lead to 7 quality educational technology tools and apps for leading the way in an era of rapid change.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/top-7-educational-technology-tools-apps-resources-higher-education/

By Benny Evangelista, San Francisco Chronicle

Apple on Wednesday released a free college-level computer coding course designed to teach students how to create apps, a move that’s part of the company’s push to highlight its role in the U.S. economy. The one-year curriculum is called App Development With Swift. Swift is a programming language used for Apple apps and devices. Apple is offering the curriculum free on its iBooks Store, but has lined up six community college systems around the nation, including the San Mateo County Community College District, to use the course. CEO Tim Cook announced a $1 billion fund this month designed to create more U.S. manufacturing jobs. The announcement came amid criticism by President Trump of Silicon Valley’s reliance on overseas factories.

http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Apple-releases-programming-course-for-college-11168372.php