Educational Technology

By Muhammad Adil Mulki, Adnan Rizvi; the Express Tribune

The concept of online learning is fast picking up an audience, which is evident from the spike in enrollment numbers for MOOCs that have escalated from a million in 2012 to over 10 million as of date. The list of subjects offered through MOOCs is extensive, including everything from psychology to computer science to astronomy and history. The primary components of MOOCs include video lectures, virtual group projects, peer-to-peer assessments and social meet-ups for students belonging to the same geographical area. Timings are flexible and a course can be taken at whatever time is best suited to the student. Moreover, some platforms, such as Coursera, have also added a further option of sub-titling and closed captioning for disabled students. While there is no substitute for live, person-to-person interaction between an instructor and a student, the structure and precision with which MOOCs are designed and delivered compensate for that missing element substantially.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/736471/open-online-courses-ready-to-be-mooced/

by David Raths, Campus Technology

As faculty members add online and multimedia elements to their courses, colleges and universities across the country continue to struggle to ensure that disabled students (and employees) have equal access to course material and university Web sites. But by taking a centralized approach, the State of Georgia finds itself in an enviable position. Its AMAC Accessibility Solutions and Research Center, situated in the Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture, has grown into a hub for training, technical assistance and manufacture of hard-copy textbooks and publisher files into accessible media, for universities in Georgia and across the country.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/07/16/accessibility-as-a-service-in-georgia.aspx

By Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

When you think about the learning potential of wearable technology, the first thing that typically comes to mind is students, well, wearing it. A student might use a head-mounted GoPro camera to film a first-person narrative, or perform chemistry experiments informed by a Google Glass overlay. Along the same lines, most of the futurist thinking regarding wearables seems to revolve around what can be done with the hardware: how students can engage by wearing the devices.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/07/17/wearable-learning.aspx

By Meris Stansbury, eCampus News

Campuses are moving into the future…and professors may be rejoicing. It’s not just the high cost of textbooks that have libraries scrambling to provide open education (OER) resources. As professors look at alternative options to retain copyright on printed works, and campuses look to expand community partnerships while decreasing budget, going open has never looked so good. According to a new report, “Open Education Resources: The New Paradigm in Academic Libraries,” by Carmen Mitchell and Melanie Chu of California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) [published in the Journal of Library Innovation, Vol. 5, Issue 1, 2014], a combination of factors have converged to make the use of open resources integral to campuses across the country.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/pros-cons-open-813/

by Nate Swanner, SlashGear

Google is practicing their own version of Inception. Three Developer Advocates from the company are using an app to teach you how to make apps. A new, free course on Udacity, called “Developing Android Apps: Android Fundamentals”, teaches you all you need to know in starting your path toward app development. Like any good tutorial, the aim is teaching you how to think like an Android Developer, not simply run you through coding exercises. The course will also school users on the history of Android, and give them insight on the current (and evolving) face of Android development.

http://www.slashgear.com/google-and-udacity-want-you-thinking-like-a-developer-15337395/

by Mary Moore, Boston Business Journal

The courses will start with a pilot program for Saudi women, youth, the disabled and citizens in rural areas, the press release said. These groups will be the ones likely to realize the greatest opportunity as a result of the new MOOC because they will have access to education, which can “advance their careers,” the release said. “Through extending educational opportunity to the people of Saudi Arabia, the initiative will help provide the skills necessary for economic empowerment,” said Anant Agarwal, CEO, edX, in a prepared statement.

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2014/07/15/edx-inks-deal-with-saudi-arabia-and-women-areamong.html

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

The use of visual, engaging content is a regular topic around these parts, isn’t it. Getting your students interested and keeping them engaged is a challenge for every teacher in every subject and at every age level. That said, when you’re putting together your class materials, do you give a ton of thought to how things look? The answer is probably yes – with an overwhelming answer being that obviously, content matters more. That said, the handy infographic linked below proposes using the laws of visual perception -aka the Gestalt principles – in e-learning design.

http://www.edudemic.com/visual-design-matters-in-e-learning/

By Laura Devaney, eSchool News

These sites are intended to help students strengthen much-needed STEM skills. In classrooms across the nation, STEM education is hailed as one of the most important concepts for today’s students. After all, STEM know-how, coupled with skills such as problem solving and strong communication, will help students compete with peers on a global level. We’ve compiled a list of STEM websites for elementary, middle, and high school students. Each grade range features one science, one technology, one engineering, and one mathematics resource.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/07/17/12-stem-resources-326/

By Joel Sackett, Edudemic

New tools are meant to help improve educators’ teaching abilities, help enhance the actual learning process and also help students become more tech-savvy. But while such tools are important to the overall education ecosystem, technology can also make an impact long before and after a lesson takes place. As such, technology should have a leading role in the part of the education process that takes place behind the scenes – parts of the process that are often overlooked, but that can also improve student achievement and learning outcomes. Let’s take a quick look are three such areas: human resources, professional development and improved IT infrastructure.

http://www.edudemic.com/edtech-classroom/

By LindsayH, Edudemic

Higher education institutions are abuzz with the concept of Open Badges. Defined as a symbol or indicator of an accomplishment, skill, quality or interest, Open Badges are not only a hot topic as of late, but are also debated by some critics as the latest threat to higher education. A closer look at this emerging trend reveals benefits for traditional institutions and alternative learning programs alike. Some advocates have suggested that badges representing learning and skills acquired outside the classroom, or even in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), will soon supplant diplomas and course credits.

http://www.edudemic.com/future-of-education-badges/

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

The use of visual, engaging content is a regular topic around these parts, isn’t it. Getting your students interested and keeping them engaged is a challenge for every teacher in every subject and at every age level. That said, when you’re putting together your class materials, do you give a ton of thought to how things look? The answer is probably yes – with an overwhelming answer being that obviously, content matters more. That said, the handy infographic linked below proposes using the laws of visual perception -aka the Gestalt principles – in e-learning design.

http://www.edudemic.com/visual-design-matters-in-e-learning/

by Online Learning Insights

Though there are a variety of factors that contribute to low completion rates, I suggest that three barriers, 1) technology, 2) poor usability & course design, and 3) anonymity contribute significantly to low student participation levels and completion—barriers that deter, discourage and in some cases intimidate students. Also, in some instances, barriers one and two are potential barriers in closed, online classes (as those offered as for-credit courses at public and private institutions).

http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/tag/technology-as-barrier-to-online-learning/

by Business Insider

Want to gain an edge in your working life? Learning new skills online doesn’t cost you anything but time. Want to gain an edge in your working life? Learning new skills online doesn’t cost you anything but time. Based on data from online education platform Coursera, we compiled a list of the 12 most popular, free online classes for working professionals.

http://business.financialpost.com/2014/07/14/from-the-basics-of-programming-to-financial-markets-here-are-the-12-most-popular-free-online-courses-for-professionals/

by Anne O’Brien, Edutopia

Two recent documents — NSBA’s Data in the Cloud and the U.S. Department of Education’s Protecting Student Privacy While Using Online Educational Services — offer good introductions to issues of student privacy in the cloud-computing era. Both also provide practical tips to help protect student privacy. While these tips are geared towards the district level, it is vital that all educators — teachers, principals, school counselors and others — understand the implications.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/starting-point-ensuring-student-online-privacy-anne-obrien

by Ashley Cronin, Edutopia

In an attempt to heed Dave Guymon’s call to share the ISTE learning (see his blog post on Getting Smart, “Don’t Leave Your Learning Behind: What To Do Now That #ISTE2014 Is Over”), here are some resources discussed by a group of elementary and secondary educators during a morning session on coding in the classroom. No matter what grade or subject you teach, you’re certain to find something here you can use. Notes from this and several other sessions can be found on the wiki for ISTE Unplugged; also check out the Twitter stream from the event at #HackEd14 or #HackEducation.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teach-coding-classroom-resources-iste-14

by Brad Mannion and Sam Newton, Red and Black

Conducting their research on a group of 800 community college students, Castleman, an assistant professor of education and public policy at the University of Virginia, and Page, a research assistant professor of education at the University of Pittsburgh, used the organization uAspire to send text messages to students concerning the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, along with maintaining academic requirements. Of the students in the treatment or control group, the study found 64 percent of students in the control group, which did not receive text reminders, persisted with aid reapplication to their sophomore year.But for students in the treatment group, who did receive text reminders, 76 percent continuted on to their sophomore year. uAspire also provided an inexpensive way to send text messages at $5 per student during the study. Generation Opportunity, a millennial advocacy group, found that young Americans are more likely to vote in an election if sent a reminder via Facebook messaging or text.

http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/studies-show-significance-of-using-text-reminders-for-millennials/article_024c55fc-09f7-11e4-ac97-0017a43b2370.html

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

We often talk about how the younger generations of students are masters of multitasking because they’ve been brought up in an era of constant stimulation and tons of devices to distract them. At the same time, teachers are still trying to get their students to focus on a task at hand. This begs the question: Should we let them multitask, or is that really not the best option? The handy infographic linked below takes a look at the perils of multitasking.

http://www.edudemic.com/multitasking-should-be-done-in-the-classroom/

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

I stumbled across this neat site via a mention on Twitter recently, and I thought it was definitely worth a share. Sometimes when we talk about internet statistics, the numbers are huge and there isn’t really a ton of take-home besides the fact that lots of people share lots of information on the internet. The Internet In Real Time changes that, at least a little bit. When you access the site, it is as though someone has started a watch – all the counts start at zero, and count up from there. It shows how many new accounts are created, messages sent, searches performed, etc on popular sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.

http://www.edudemic.com/internet-in-real-time/

By Lauren Olson, Dayton Daily News

Complaints from parents and students led Miami University officials to repay $205,244 in fees to students who are taking summer courses through the Oxford campus. Summer fees the university charged and earmarked to pay down the $53.1 million Armstrong Student Center (ASC), which opened in January of 2014, were recently reversed, according to Claire Wagner, the university’s spokeswoman. Students taking courses during any summer session in Oxford or through online classes, were reimbursed for the charges. Senior Alex Kirkpatrick was one of many Miami students charged a student fee for the center this summer. Kirkpatrick said he likely won’t even step foot in the center this summer, so he was taken aback to see the $27.48 charge for his three credit hour online course through the Oxford campus.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/local/miami-reimburses-students-for-student-center-fees/ngdZr/

by Steve Ranger, ZD Net

According to research, nearly three-quarters of organisations are issuing corporate-owned laptops (74 percent) and smartphones (71 percent) to their workforces, while less than half of businesses dish out tablets. But the analysts at Frost & Sullivan said the number of business-issued tablets will rise over the next three years “as many of the more data-intensive mobile applications migrate over to the tablets”. By 2016, enterprise ownership and regular usage of smartphones is expected to decrease from its current base of 66 percent to 58 percent, while tablets are expected to increase from 49 percent to 56 percent — almost the same level.

http://www.zdnet.com/are-tablets-about-to-get-a-promotion-in-the-workplace-7000031259/