Educational Technology

Scott F. Latham, the Conversation

The problem is, at present, higher education is designed for the last industrial revolution, not the current one. Universities and colleges deliver degrees at a glacial pace. The average completion time for a bachelor degree is five years. That’s too slow. Imagine a young computer science major entering a college this fall and graduating in 2024 – at which point researchers expect AI to be capable of coding in complex computer languages like Python. By the time she graduates, not only will she be competing against humans for jobs, but she’ll also be going up against a more efficient and cheaper AI bot.

https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/What-Amazon-s-decision-to-retrain-a-third-of-its-14107770.php

Adam McCann, Wallet Hub

To determine where the most educated Americans are putting their degrees to work, WalletHub compared the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across 11 key metrics. Our data set ranges from share of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to quality of the public school system to gender education gap. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.

https://wallethub.com/edu/most-and-least-educated-cities/6656/

Yuval Noah Harari, Forge Medium

In such a world, the last thing a teacher needs to give her pupils is more information. They already have far too much of it. Instead, people need the ability to make sense of information, to tell the difference between what is important and what is unimportant, and, above all, to combine many bits of information into a broad picture of the world.

https://forge.medium.com/yuval-noah-harari-21-lessons-21st-century-what-kids-need-to-learn-now-to-succeed-in-2050-1b72a3fb4bcf

Ashley A. Smith, EdSurge
Tens of thousands of online California students are no longer at risk of losing federal financial aid after the state moved quickly to create a new system for addressing complaints from students against out-of-state colleges and universities. The California Department of Consumer Affairs responded by creating a complaint system for those students. The department already has a process for receiving complaints from students enrolled in for-profit colleges and universities. The new set-up satisfies federal requirements, said Russ Heimerich, deputy secretary of communications for the state Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, which oversees the consumer affairs department, in an email. “This will be our permanent solution.”

https://edsource.org/2019/california-finds-solution-to-save-distance-learners-financial-aid/615662

by Matt Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Despite being labeled ‘digital natives’, most students today lack the ability to transfer the knowledge and technological skills they have to practical tasks like finding a job. This is why it is important for teachers to teach digital literacy, particularly as it applies to students’ academic and professional lives.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/teaching-students-how-to-use-digital-literacy-to-find-a-job/

By James McCusker, Herald Net

State legislatures in New York and New Jersey have proposed legislation that represents the first, tentative steps at regulation. While the two proposed laws are different, they both have elements of information gathering about the risks to such things as privacy, security and economic fairness.  Both states owe a debt to the New York City’s efforts to understand what AI is, exactly, so it could be defined in law. The initial group established by the City Council could not agree on a definition, which may explain why some of the proposed laws aim at algorithm-based decisions rather than the broader concept of AI. This may be a good start to regulating the use of algorithms in the stock market – the city’s primary interest — but clearly leaves a lot undone.

https://www.heraldnet.com/business/governments-take-first-tentative-steps-at-regulating-ai/

Ryan Drawdy and Ray Schroeder, Helix Education Blog

Quantum courses have been around for a while, but today, the theories are becoming reality. The idea has already bubbled up in technical areas such as computer science, management of information systems, physics, and computer engineering. But there are also futuristic curricula that need to take into account the advantages of quantum computing. “The computers do exist,” Ray said. “Probably in the near term, they’ll be in the cloud, and we will pay for a millisecond or a second or five seconds of use of the computer at most, so it probably won’t be sitting on your desk.”  (ed note: check out the two minute animation of my explanation of quantum computing)

https://www.helixeducation.com/resources/uncategorized/quantum-computing-university-illinois-springfield/

Sue Loughlin, CNHI News Indiana

In 2016-17, the district, which is located southeast of Muncie near the Ohio state line, had just 256 students in grades K-12. But the school board began working with a private education corporation, K12, to start a virtual or online program — called Indiana Digital Learning School. Total enrollment jumped to 937 in 2017-18 and an eye-opening 3,371 students statewide in 2018-19, according to the state Department of Education. Indiana Digital Learning School is an online public school program of the Union School Corp. K12 Inc., a for-profit company that provides online education, is under contract to the school district to operate its virtual programs.

https://www.washtimesherald.com/news/virtual-schools-altering-landscape-of-hoosier-public-education/article_af48fda4-1277-5e73-81af-43f80825dd81.html

Jessica Hallman, Penn State

In a recent study, a team of researchers from Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology found that creating computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments could help students identify common characteristics and life experiences they share with peers, which can build community and increase the likelihood that students remain in the program. “The online world is missing social opportunities,” said Na Sun, doctoral student in the College of IST and lead researcher on the project. “Unlike face-to-face contact, it’s hard to reach out to others when you can’t see them. That kind of presence and sense of community is very important.”

https://news.psu.edu/story/581285/2019/07/19/research/how-do-distance-learners-connect

Julie Wootton-Greener, Education Dive

Esports are live video game competitions, held either online or in venues with an audience where the competition is also broadcast to online channels. Popular titles include League of Legends and Fortnite, and the games are played by amateurs and professionals alike. It’s a growing industry, in which money is made from activities such as streaming, franchising and sponsorships. Global esports revenues are expected to hit $1.1 billion this year, up 27% from last year, according to market research firm Newzoo, which provides gaming and esports analytics. North America is its largest market, accounting for more than a third of all revenue.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/colleges-expand-esports-programs-to-keep-pace-with-growing-industry/558925/

By Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

California State University’s Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) initiative has partnered with Lumen Learning to make courseware from the open educational resources provider available to faculty and students across the system.  Since 2010, CSU AL$ has worked with courseware providers to assemble a broad selection of free and low-cost course materials, to make it easier for faculty to find and adopt affordable textbooks and reduce the overall cost of education for CSU students. Materials are reviewed for accessibility as well as quality and integrity of the learning content. Through the partnership, Lumen’s digital courseware is now available to CSU instructors as a low-cost textbook option for many general education courses.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2019/07/18/cal-state-adds-lumen-learning-courseware-to-menu-of-affordable-textbooks.aspx

Alex Adamopoulos, Information Week

CIOs and IT leaders struggle to fill IT positions with staff who hold the right skills. But the answer is right under their noses: Educate existing teams.  This problem was crystallized by a recent study, which surveyed 100 chief information officers across the UK and found that large majorities of them are already feeling the pinch of a skills gap in IT:

78% are concerned about whether their IT talent will require upskilling;
76% are worried about recruiting the IT staff they need to remain competitive;
69% point to upskilling as something critically or highly important to their IT teams;

https://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/team-building-and-staffing/continuous-learning-the-key-to-it-skills-gap/a/d-id/1335070?

by Natalie Nezhati, the Guardian

Leading the way for female edtech representation globally is Daphne Koller, a Stanford University professor and creator of online learning platform, Coursera. She founded Coursera in 2012 with friend and fellow educator, Andrew Ng, after delivering one of her classes online through video.“The traditional education system needs to move on,” says Melody Lang, who launched her own purpose-driven investment company in January 2019. An experienced educational researcher and adaptive learning developer, Lang is “driven by making things better”. Mental health, wellness, soft skills and lifelong learning are at the top of her agenda.

https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2019/jul/18/how-women-created-some-of-the-worlds-biggest-education-tech-companies

Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Any new educational technology tool has been met with skepticism by both parents and teachers, and digital games are no different. The word ‘game’ seems to tap into educators’ fears that all of this technology is really just a waste of time and money. However, as digital games continue to show how they can help motivate students to learn, they are also being used to take the stress out of assessment for both teachers and students.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/how-digital-games-take-the-stress-out-of-assessment/

Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Think before you post! How many times have you said those words to both students and fellow adults? Something seems to happen to students once they are behind a screen that makes them feel invincible. This feeling can help some students to express themselves in ways they cannot at school or at home, but it can as easily lead to bullying and other inappropriate behavior online. Digital citizenship is now recognized by both parents and teachers as an essential set of skills in today’s world, and teaching students to control their behavior is just as important online as offline. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you try to integrate digital citizenship into your teaching practice.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/how-to-teach-your-students-to-think-before-they-post/

by LINDSAY JONES and TED MITCHELL, Hechinger Report

Students with disabilities, and especially those with invisible disabilities that affect how they learn, often struggle because of public misperceptions and stigmas.  While nearly one in five college students has some type of disability, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the median percentage across all institutions of undergraduate students formally registered as having a disability was only 6 percent in 2017. This is a serious concern, and one that colleges and universities must address head-on.  Earlier this year, our organizations, along with the American Association of University Administrators, partnered to release new resources focused on actions that college leaders and faculty can take to empower students with disabilities.

https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-higher-ed-and-learning-disabilities/

Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed

Amazon moves deeper into offering postsecondary credentials, following Google and other big employers, but largely bypasses traditional colleges with the expanded training options.  Amazon moves deeper into offering postsecondary credentials, following Google and other big employers, but largely bypasses traditional colleges with the expanded training options.  Resistance by many colleges to adapt to the economy and evolving education and training needs may be a reason why Amazon is building its own credential infrastructure, said Jim Fong, chief research officer for the University Professional and Continuing Education Association.  “The message is really more about core competencies and who can do it better, cheaper and faster and whether colleges and universities can do that anymore,” he said via email. But Fong added that the Amazon news “might be the shot in the arm that higher education may need to accelerate what may be a slow and bureaucratic process regarding content and credentials needed in the marketplace.”

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/07/17/amazon-google-and-other-tech-companies-expand-their

Allana Akhtar, SFgate

College is more expensive than ever, leading many business leaders and experts to offer ways to get good jobs without needing a degree.   Yet college graduates still earn more than non-college graduates in every state in the US, according to data from the 2017 American Consumer Survey. Here’s how much more college graduates make in every state.

https://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/College-grads-still-earn-more-than-workers-with-13844245.php

By Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed
Ray Schroeder discusses the unusual mix of qualities that prepare people to succeed in the realm of faculty support. Effective leadership is a mix of knowledge, skill, inspiration, a passion of purpose and an essence of care and joy. These might seem to be a rare combination of qualities, but I have seen them come together time and again in the successful leaders and their operations at colleges and universities across the country. I write often about the changing technologies and trends, but today I want to address the special qualities of successful leadership in this field that make this field special.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/leading-faculty-support-online-learning

McKinsey Global Institute

Automation technologies promise to deliver major productivity benefits that are too substantial to ignore. They are also beginning to reshape the American workplace, and this evolution will become more pronounced in the next decade. Some occupations will shrink, others will grow, and the tasks and time allocation associated with every job will be subject to change. The challenge will be equipping people with the skills that will serve them well, helping them move into new roles, and addressing local mismatches. This report represents the next stage in our ongoing body of research into the capabilities,
potential, and economic impact of these technologies.  (ed note:  This fact-filled and data visualization enriched report makes for an important resource going forward).

https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/Future%20of%20Organizations/The%20future%20of%20work%20in%20America%20People%20and%20places%20today%20and%20tomorrow/MGI-The-Future-of-Work-in-America-Report-July-2019.ashx

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News
A new survey shows that most professors say higher-ed tech adoption is a major pressure point, resulting in anxiety and loss of sleep.  A survey of university professors reveals higher-ed tech adoption is one of their biggest sources of stress–a majority say they’ve experienced anxiety and both personal and professional tension. The survey points to the alarming notion that college and university faculty aren’t ready for technologically savvy students who have never known a world without the internet or smartphones.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2019/06/27/higher-ed-tech-adoption-is-surprisingly-stressful-for-faculty/