Online Learning Attitudes #Infographic

by EDUCAUSE

In 2017, our annual student technology survey coincides with our biennial faculty technology survey, giving us the opportunity to directly compare the technology attitudes, experiences, and preferences of these two groups. Although there is considerable overlap in student and faculty opinions about technology, the differences highlighted here reflect their respective roles and present the actionable opportunities for IT leaders. Tens of thousands of respondents participated in the EDUCAUSE student and faculty studies to shape the higher education IT community’s understanding of higher education technology use in 2017.

https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2017/9/studentst2017infog.pdf

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33171

Imagine how great universities could be without all those human teachers

BY Allison Schrager & Amy X. Wang, Quartz

Jill Watson is the best damn teaching assistant you could ever want. She fields hundreds of questions at a time from frantic 19-year-olds, always answering them in full and at record speed. She hardly makes mistakes. She is, above all, stunningly patient.
“I got comments like ‘Mind blown’ and ‘I want to nominate Jill for outstanding TA award’,” says Ashok Goel, a computer-science professor at Georgia Tech—and Jill Watson’s creator. Jill is an AI education tool. Her birth came about last year, when Goel was teaching an online class on artificial intelligence; his 300-odd students in the course were sending in thousands of questions at a time, and they piled up, disastrously.

Imagine how great universities could be without all those human teachers

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33161

Mississippi schools use online resources, technology to expand course offerings

by JACKIE MADER, Hechinger Report
A report released last month by EducationSuperHighway, a nonprofit focused on improving internet access, found Mississippi has made progress in providing all students access to high-speed internet service. Although Mississippi is still ranked among the bottom five of all states when it comes to connectivity, more than 158,000 students have gained access to high-speed internet since 2015. The improvement comes as many districts are expanding or launching programs that give students access to a digital device each day. At the same time, some schools are using or seeking out technology to increase course offerings and improve access to subjects that have been given the short shrift in an era of standardized testing. Here’s a look at a few efforts to use technology to improve opportunity for students.

http://hechingerreport.org/mississippi-schools-use-online-resources-technology-expand-course-offerings/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33151

5 signs of a tech-friendly district

BY JOHN JENNINGS, eSchool News

The tech-friendly district is almost always the more attractive option for prospective students, families, and employees alike–here are the signs for identification.
The efficiencies afforded us by technology can play a central role in a district’s mission. That’s not to say we need to overwhelm our parents, students, and employees with apps and devices, but there are plenty of things district leaders can do behind the scenes to improve the experience of those stakeholders. How can you tell whether your district is ahead of the curve in technology adoption?

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/10/26/5-signs-tech-friendly-district/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33141

3 ways community colleges can slash costs with this technology

BY HARI SANKAR, eCampus News

Smaller community colleges outside of major urban areas can have less access to capital, so they suffer more financially than their four-year university counterparts. As the majority of community colleges are public institutions or not-for-profit organizations, they rely almost completely on state funding for their entire budget and annual planning. In fact, community colleges often do not have the same luxury of receiving research dollars, endowments or generous alumni donations, as their students often only attend for a couple of years before moving on to the workforce or other educational systems. For them, an ever-decreasing financial pie gets stretched even further. Determining a strategy on how to make up for that revenue loss is absolutely crucial for their future. Without an effective and sustainable financial structure, community colleges will fall behind in this volatile education market, which is where cloud technology can help.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/ed-tech-leadership/community-colleges-costs-tech/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33131

Can artificial intelligence learn to scare us?

by MIT Media Lab

Just in time for Halloween, a research team from the MIT Media Lab’s Scalable Cooperation group has introduced Shelley: the world’s first artificial intelligence-human horror story collaboration. Shelley, named for English writer Mary Shelley — best known as the author of “Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus” — is a deep-learning powered artificial intelligence (AI) system that was trained on over 140,000 horror stories on Reddit’s infamous r/nosleep subreddit. She lives on Twitter, where every hour, @shelley_ai tweets out the beginning of a new horror story and the hashtag #yourturn to invite a human collaborator. Anyone is welcome to reply to the tweet with the next part of the story, then Shelley will reply again with the next part, and so on. The results are weird, fun, and unpredictable horror stories that represent both creativity and collaboration — traits that explore the limits of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

http://news.mit.edu/2017/can-ai-learn-to-scare-us-shelley-mit-media-lab-horror-story-1027

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33211

US military reveals a device that increases learning by 40%

by SHIVALI BEST, Daily Mail

The idea of a headband you can wear to make you smarter may sound like a device from the latest science fiction blockbuster. But experts have revealed such a device in reality – and claim it could increase learning by 40 per cent. And it may not be long before you can get your hands on one, with the designers predicting its use will be common in just five to ten years. The device, which is described as ‘non-invasive transcranial direct current stimulation’ (tDCS) was designed by researchers from HRL Laboratories and McGill University in Montreal, with funding from the Defense Advance Research Project Agency (DARPA). The device applies a current to an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. This causes changes in connectivity between different brain areas, and increases learning.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5008179/Darpa-reveals-device-increases-learning-40.html

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33111

Cyberlearning Research Report Peeks into Future of Ed Tech

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

People researching education technology and learning science — cyberlearning — populate the landscape. A new report from the Center for Innovative Research in Cyberlearning has undertaken the ambitious project of sifting through what those researchers are exploring to uncover the major trends and help us understand where education — pre-K-12 and post-secondary — may be headed over the next decade or two. According to “Cyberlearning Community Report: The State of Cyberlearning and the Future of Learning with Technology,” this work stretches beyond research on whether 1-to-1 programs work or if gaming can accelerate improved learning outcomes. Among the questions those hundreds of research projects are attempting to answer are these: How will students “use their bodies and minds to learn what will be important in the 21st century, such as collaboration, scientific argumentation, mathematical reasoning, computational thinking, creative expression, design thinking and civic engagement?”

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/10/23/cyberlearning-research-report-peeks-into-future-of-ed-tech.aspx

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33101

3 Keys to Successful 1-to-1 (and BYOD) Implementations

By Greg Thompson, THE Journal
The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and/or 1-to-1 culture is firmly in place across much of the American educational landscape, with many districts entering a third year of implementation. Such is the case at the Prince William County District in Northern Virginia, where students at Mary Williams Elementary school, Dumfries, VA, use iPads in kindergarten and first grade, and Lenovo Laptops in grades second through fifth. Every device is provided by the district on a 1-to-1 basis, and three years into the program the biggest challenges often involve elements that people can’t see. “There are a lot of hidden things that you must have in place,” said Lynmara Colon, principal at Mary Williams. “First is your internet connection. And usually it’s difficult to fund because people don’t see it as infrastructure.”

 

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/10/25/3-keys-to-successful-1to1-implementations.aspx

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33081

Where will STEM education be in 5 years?

BY JOACHIM HORN, eSchool News

Worryingly, only 16 percent of students graduating high school are proficient in STEM and also interested in a STEM career. The natural response to such a low percentage would be to prioritize improving STEM education efforts in the classroom. However, this is unfortunately easier said than done. The economic climate in the US has seen both budget cuts and increasingly diverse opinions among educators and administrators about where to spend the money made available to them. We must work to find ways of blending STEM education into all elements of the classroom, inspiring student interest at a young age.

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/10/24/will-stem-education-5-years/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33071

Chromebooks are at the head of the class in Canada’s K-12 schools

by Bram Bout, Google for Education
Around the world, education has undergone a technological revolution. Cloud-connected devices and learning applications are shaping new ways of teaching and learning. Across Canada, school districts are using Chromebooks and G Suite for Education to expand learning opportunities for students from diverse communities and backgrounds. And now, Futuresource has reported that Chromebooks are the number-one-selling educational device for Canadian K12 schools. With this news, Canada joins the U.S., Sweden, and New Zealand, where Chromebooks are also the top devices used in classrooms.

https://www.blog.google/topics/education/chromebooks-are-head-class-canadas-k-12-schools/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33061

Report: 2 in 5 Kids 8 and Under Have Their Own Tablets

By Joshua Bolkan, THE Journal
Nearly half — 42 percent — of children eight years old or younger have their own tablet, according to a new report from Common Sense. That number is up from just 1 percent in 2011. Dubbed the Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight, the report is based on a survey of 1,454 parents and is the third in a series, the first two installments of which were published in 2011 and 2013.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/10/23/report-2-in-5-kids-8-and-under-have-their-own-tablets.aspx

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33051

5G: The next great media disruption

by Luke Richards, ClickZ

The advent of 5G has the potential to be massive for marketers. When it does hit, mobile download speeds are expected to average 100mbps, and latency will drop to near zero. Consumers in dense urban environments will suffer fewer problems with overloading networks, and those in remote regions will experience new levels of connectivity. 5G is an opportunity for brands and marketers to reach more consumers, to be even more innovative with how they engage people, and to strive to be more responsible as customers give over more of their private space to a swathe of newly connected devices.

https://www.clickz.com/5g-the-next-great-media-disruption/113675/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33041

Rethinking MOOCs

by Duke Chronicle Editorial Board

Education innovators thus must work with academic partners who are willing to invest in bridging the gap in quality, prestige and credibility between four-year institutions and online education without increasing costs for users. These investments will most likely have to come from philanthropic and public-sector actors. Until then, MOOCs, while a boon for democratizing information, still have a long way to go before they actually fulfill their ambitious promise of providing affordable higher education to the digital masses.

http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2017/10/rethinking-moocs

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33031

What Parents Need to Know about Blended Learning

By Cait Etherington, eLearning Inside

While virtual K-12 schools may not be widespread yet and may never become the norm, blended learning is already widespread and likely here to stay. However, as blended learning, which includes the use of online learning systems and virtual strategies (e.g., the flipped classroom), expands, parents now face new challenges on the homework front. So, how can parents support their children as the classroom increasingly merges with the family home?

https://news.elearninginside.com/what-parents-need-to-know-about-blended-learning/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33021

8 WAYS TO IMPROVE THE EDTECH INDUSTRY

By Matthew Lynch
Edtech users seem to have a love-hate relationship with the edtech industry. They love what edtech can do but hate that the industry has not lived up to expectations as quickly as had been hoped. There are many reasons for this. The possibility of viral edtech success may lure potential developers into a field for which they have little interest and less passion. Creating edtech isn’t the same thing as creating partnerships. In all fairness, edtech users haven’t provided the edtech industry with long-range objectives, either.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/8-ways-improve-edtech-industry/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33011

Zoom Is Hot in Higher Ed

By Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

I’m always on the lookout for the hot technology in higher ed. This year, the winner seems to be Zoom.  Zoom is the web conferencing system that everyone I know across higher ed seems to really like. When talking to colleagues at other schools, they often mention that they have moved from some other platform to Zoom.
What folks seem to like about Zoom is that the application is: a) simple to use, b) has consistently high video and audio quality, and c) has a great mobile experience.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/zoom-hot-higher-ed

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33001

Who is keeping student data safe in the era of digital learning?

by TARA GARCÍA MATHEWSON, Hechinger Report
As students spend more time on digital devices in school, data security becomes increasingly important. Baltimore County has become a leader in student data privacy and security, and is one of only 13 districts in the nation to earn a Trusted Learning Environment seal from CoSN, the membership group representing the nation’s K-12 school technology leaders. The seal identifies Baltimore County as going above and beyond mere compliance with laws that require schools to protect the privacy of student records. Among the extra steps the district has taken to foster trust is posting online a complete list of all third-party vendors that receive student data and exactly what type of data they get. Parents can also read the student data privacy agreement, a strict set of expectations with which vendors must comply to do business with the district.

Who is keeping student data safe in the era of digital learning?

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32991

Can the Performing Arts Boost Student Outcomes in STEM Disciplines?

By Adam Stone, Campus Technology

Can participation in the arts really bolster scientific learning? Can dance, in particular, spark STEM success? A recent paper from North Carolina State University suggests this might just be the case. The authors conducted interviews and focus groups with students who took part in on-campus dance companies as undergraduates. Fifteen of the 25 subjects were STEM majors, studying in field such as applied mathematics, engineering and chemistry.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/10/17/can-the-performing-arts-boost-student-outcomes-in-stem-disciplines.aspx

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32881

3 ways the modern school is becoming more like the modern workplace

BY BLAKE ZALCBERG, eSchool News
As the office has evolved to allow a more creative and collaborative workplace, many educators have taken note, bringing those same features to classrooms. There was a time when American schools, like American offices, were drab and stuffy places. But things are changing.  As the office has evolved to allow a more creative and collaborative workplace, many educators have taken note, bringing those same features to classrooms, school libraries, lunchrooms and other common areas. Today’s schools, are now being equipped with outlets from the floors to the walls allowing students to easily plug in and charge laptop computers, phones and other devices wherever they work. They have furniture designed for the way students sit and stand. And they have collaborative spaces designed to allow them to work together in small groups and in teams.

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/10/17/modern-school-like-workplace/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32871

Digital textbooks equal cost savings for Auburn students

by Kara Coleman, Opelika-Auburn News

Auburn University says it has saved students nearly $1 million since 2014, crediting a focus on going digital textbooks. “We’ve actually saved students $941,000, just in three years,” said Russell Weldon, assistant director in charge of course materials at the university’s bookstore. “On average so far, we’ve saved students 45 percent overall, for everything they’re buying through the All Access program. So we’re literally cutting the cost of materials in half.” Three years ago, Auburn began implementing All Access as a trial in its freshman orientation course. All Access is a program that works with textbook companies to make course materials available digitally to students at roughly half the cost of a hard copy of a textbook. The program also helps the university save money, as it is a big cost to the school when the textbooks stocked at the campus bookstore don’t sell, Weldon said.

http://www.oanow.com/news/auburn/digital-textbooks-equal-cost-savings-for-auburn-students/article_1e5ea449-63be-55ac-b937-6d6be6e37263.html

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32861

Roll up your sleeves! Why accessibility in higher ed needs all hands on-deck

BY RICK JOHNSON, eCampus News
Fundamentally, delivering an accessible platform is not about checking a box and saying, “It’s done.” Why accessibility is never-ending and needs IT and vendor input. You cannot measure accessibility by just looking at one part of the ecosystem. For example, the software displaying the text needs to understand the markup that is inside the content, and how those two things together will work with the assistive technology (such as a screen reader) being used by the learner.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/campus-administration/edtech-trends-institutions-thrive/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32716

Anticipating and Addressing Challenges With Technology in Developmental Education

By Markeisha Grant, Rebecca Natow and Vikash Reddy, EdSurge

Colleges and universities in the United States are increasingly integrating technology into developmental education programs, which are designed to bring underprepared students up to college level. The uptick in tools used to address challenges with developmental education arrives both in response to state policy mandates as well as institutions’ own desire to improve student outcomes and conserve resources. Policymakers in Tennessee and Texas, for example, have explicitly encouraged the use of technology in developmental education reform. In research released by the Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR), our team investigated the educational technologies that colleges and universities use in developmental education and the common challenges that they face during implementation.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-10-16-anticipating-and-addressing-challenges-with-technology-in-developmental-education

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32836

Automating Threat Detection: The Importance of Machine Learning

by CSO Online

Cybersecurity professionals and the organizations they attempt to protect are drowning in data about threats and false-positives, with more than250,000 new malicious programs registered every day. Organizations are seeing anywhere from 500 to 200,000 security alerts per day, yet often don’t investigate them. One study shows thatfewer than 1% are investigated. “Most organizations are dealing with 10 to 25 technologies ranging from SIEM [Security Information and Event Management], vulnerability assessment, endpoint detection, threat intelligence and user behavior to incident response,” said cybersecurity guru Jon Oltsik, senior principal analyst, ESG. This is driving a shift in focus from threat detection to incident response, with 92% having deployed, plan to deploy or are interested in deploying machine learning technology to support automation and orchestration, he noted.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3233191/security/automating-threat-detection-the-importance-of-machine-learning.html

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32826

How Tech Can Help Students with Disabilities Thrive in STEM Education

by Calvin Hennick, edTech Magazine

When Stephanie Talalai began as the technology coordinator at A. Harry Moore School 26 years ago, nonverbal students communicated using pieces of paper with “yes” and “no” on them. Today, students can control computers using their eyes. “In terms of providing access,” Talalai says, “the technology has come a long way.” For students with disabilities, tech tools can help provide new and engaging ways to access content in science, technology, engineering and math. EdTech asked educators to share tips about how to use technology to give students with special needs the same access to STEM activities as other schoolchildren. Here are their recommendations.

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/10/how-tech-can-help-students-disabilities-thrive-stem-education

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32806

5 Apps to Help All Students with Math

by Calvin Hennick, edTech Magazine

A big part of offering up science, technology and math (STEM) opportunities for students of all abilities is differentiating instruction for each students’ needs. “Anything can be adapted for students with disabilities,” says A. Harry Moore School Technology Coordinator Stephanie Talalai in an EdTech article. “It’s just a matter of what accommodation you are going to give them.” One great way to provide accommodations for all students is through the use of mobile apps. For the “M” of STEM in particular, several mobile apps let teachers help students access high-interest, leveled math content.

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/10/5-apps-help-all-students-math

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32796

Student-Run Help Desks Provide Advantages to Schools, Learners

by Ryan Petersen

Does that new help desk aide look, well, young? As in, really young — as in, your student? Don’t be surprised. Several school districts have launched IT support programs that give students an opportunity to get hands-on with tech and also extend the help that they can provide to the classroom, staff and students. IT professionals are stretched thin in K–12 school districts. And the strategy of staffing help desks with student workers has become an increasingly successful approach to combat an influx of help requests that come with the proliferation of educational technology. For these programs, schools tap computer-savvy students as a resource, preserving the IT staff’s time for other responsibilities.

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/10/student-run-help-desks-provide-advantages-schools-learners

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32786

Support, PD Keys to Successful Classroom Tech Deployments

By Joshua Bolkan, Campus Technology
Time, planning and support from schools and districts and ongoing professional development are key to getting the most of new technologies and tools introduced to the classroom, according to a new report from the Foundation for Blended and Online Learning (FBOL). The report is based on surveys of nearly 700 educators from public schools, charter schools, private schools and alternative education programs, as well as from school and classroom observations by the authors and in-depth interviews with 11 different educators.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/10/11/support-pd-keys-to-successful-classroom-tech-deployments.aspx

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32746

Innovation is key at new workforce centers

BY ELLIE ASHFORD, CC Daily
The newly renovated Applied Technology and Trades Center at Aims Community College in Colorado integrates learning into the actual walls of the building.The architects created a cut-away design so wiring, plumbing and mechanical systems inside the walls are visible behind glass. Part of the ceiling is open, too. Signage throughout the building explains the various components. “We were looking to provide a space that acted as an instructional tool itself,” said Aims President Leah Bornstein, who also serves on the American Association of Community Colleges’ board of directors.

http://www.ccdaily.com/2017/10/innovation-key-new-workforce-centers/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32736

5 MUST HAVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT APPS, TOOLS, AND RESOURCES

by Matthew Lynch, tech Edvocate
For most teachers, classroom management is one of the biggest challenges. Managing twenty-six young people with a variety of interests, skill levels, and behaviors is no easy task. Luckily, edtech can help. Use these five classroom management apps, tools, and resources to minimize classroom management issues and maximize instructional time.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/5-must-classroom-management-apps-tools-resources/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32726

ISTE issues Digital Citizenship Week challenge

BY eSchool News
Use new ISTE resources to explore what it means to be a good citizen in a digital world.  The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) will leverage Digital Citizenship Week (Oct. 16-20) to raise awareness of the importance of teaching digital citizenship to students of all ages. ISTE challenges students, educators and parents to take time each day during Digital Citizenship Week to explore what it means to be good citizens in a digital world. “The need to teach digital citizenship skills has never been greater. These skills include concepts like how to use tech to organize around good causes, how to respectfully disagree online, and how to distinguish between true and false information. As our interactions with friends, community members and government leaders become increasingly mediated by technology, we must model and teach the behaviors we hope to see in our next generation of digital leaders,” said ISTE CEO Richard Culatta.

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/10/16/iste-digital-citizenship-week/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32846

7 MUST-HAVE PROBLEM BASED LEARNING APPS, TOOLS AND RESOURCES

by Matthew Lynch, tech Edvocate

Problem Based Learning (PBL) can radically change student learning. Rather than stuff students full of facts or material to memorize, problem based learning encourages students to solve problems independently (or in groups) to find solutions. Additionally, problem based learning is student-centered, which is where all of education is headed. Therefore, teachers must make efforts to provide students with problem based learning activities. To grow your collection of PBL resources, here are seven must-have apps and tools.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/7-must-problem-based-learning-apps-tools-resources/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32706

ARE VIRTUAL SCHOOLS GOOD FOR KIDS?

by Mattew Lynch, tech Edvocate

Some students learn better if they work with their hands while other students learn better by reading. The invention of the computer has now allowed students to learn through technology and students are engaged like never before. This different way of learning may be incredibly beneficial to some people who thrive on technology. This relatively new invention has given millions of students the opportunity to have access to seemingly endless information. This incredible opportunity has opened up doors that were previously closed or otherwise inaccessible.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/virtual-schools-good-kids/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32696

MIT Moves Beyond the MOOC to Court Companies, Professional Learners

By Sydney Johnson, EdSurge

There are few key differences between MIT Professional Education’s new and existing online offerings. For starters, Digital Plus will not be “open enrollment,” meaning the courses will only be available to paying companies or organizations. Piloto says that’s meant to enable each course to be capped at 50 students—a sharp scale back from the more MOOC-like courses, which can enroll as many as 1,500 students at a time. Capping each class allows Digital Plus courses to provide a tighter, more focused learning experience, Piloto says. Digital Plus courses—which are taught by MIT lecturers—will focus on project- and team-based exercises, along with a combination of videos, reading materials, and group work. Those elements of the curriculum may take place online, in-person via video, physically on the MIT campus, or at a company site.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-10-13-mit-moves-beyond-the-mooc-to-court-companies-professional-learners

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32646

More NC students stay home to go to class. But they’re in low-performing schools

By Lynn Bonner and David Raynor, News Observer

Online charter schools came to North Carolina under a cloud that still lingers two years after they began enrolling students. K12, Inc. and Connections Academy were approved in 2015 as critics of online education pounded on reports of poor student performance in other states. The Tennessee education commissioner had tried to boot K12, Inc. out of his state. In 2014, a virtual school in Pennsylvania decided not to renew its management contract with the company. In North Carolina, the State Board of Education approved the schools reluctantly, and only after the state legislature passed a law requiring the state to allow four-year pilot programs for two companies.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article178438251.html

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32636