Is there a link between dropout rates and how students thrive?

by eCampus News

Although 75 percent of students are consistently accepted into their first-choice university, only one-in-two college freshman ultimately graduate, according to vibeffect’s College Optimizer Index and research conducted when compiling the index. This discrepancy is the subject of a white paper released by vibeffect, developer of a family-centered college-decision framework that helps students identify campuses where they’re most likely to thrive. Numerous misconceptions about student success in higher education contribute to middle-low-to-low thriving among college students. Common enduring myths including low income students being unable to complete college, most students unable afford tuition, or the perceived difficulty of getting into a “good” college are often cited in discussions as the cause of the higher education dropout rate. vibeffect’s findings aim to dispel such rumors and suggest re-focusing the conversation on treating the college as an ecosystem and utilizing science to define thriving for the individual student.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/college-students-thrive-835/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14121

Should you build your own LMS?

By Bridget McCrea, eSchool News

The online education movement has pushed K-12 schools and districts to rethink the way they develop and deliver content. No longer relegated to using textbooks as their core instructional materials, teachers look to their institutions for help selecting, aggregating, and then delivering relevant content to their pupils. Districts, in turn, must decide whether to build out their own online content platforms, farm it out to a learning platform.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/09/30/build-lms-605/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13992

Making large lecture courses more interactive

by eCampus News

A new program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison aims to improve student experiences in large lecture halls. Large introductory lecture-based courses are a staple at most universities. But many of those classes at UW-Madison will be transformed into much more student-centered experiences over the next few years, thanks to a new project called REACH. The aim is to improve student learning by increasing students’ engagement in these courses. REACH is part of the broader campus Educational Innovation initiative, and connected with the university’s reaccreditation process. REACH will build on successful innovations across campus that strive to enhance the undergraduate experience through student-centered learning practices. It will not only reinforce the common goal among these efforts, but will extend their reach to encompass tens of thousands of first- and second-year students over the next five years.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/interactive-lecture-courses-893/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13628

Should students learn coding? Students, schools disagree

By Marco della Cava, USA Today

Parents across the U.S. are eager for their children to learn coding and other computer science skills, but their message hasn’t yet hit the in-box of school administrators. That’s the finding of a new Gallup study commissioned by Google that spotlights a potentially perilous economic disconnect as tech companies struggle to enlarge their engineering talent pools. Among key and contrasting findings are the facts while 90 percent of parents see computer science, or CS, as “a good use of school resources” (and 66 percent say CS should be required learning alongside other core classes), fewer than 8 percent of administrators believe parent demand is high. They also cite a lack of trained teachers as a top barrier to offering CS courses. Three quarters of principals report no CS programs in their school.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/08/21/coding-students-survey-672/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13614

Virtual Reality Helps Bridge the Gap Between Online and In-person Learning

by Noelle Phansalkar, Outer Places

Since the recent surge in virtual reality development, experts from all fields have been eager to study its potential impacts. Most recently, Conrad Tucker, Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Design at Penn State, conducted a study to test whether using virtual reality would have a significant impact on online learning. Tucker selected the Oculus Rift for his purposes, undoubtedly due to its relative inexpensiveness and accessibility. He also fitted participants with a haptic glove, which allows the wearer to simulate the feel of virtual objects. The participant sample consisted of 54 undergraduate engineering students who were tasked with assembling a virtual coffee pot from a number of disparate pieces. Half undertook this task with the help of the virtual reality hardware, while the other half used a simple computer program. The results were unsurprising; the mean completion time for the control group was 49.04 seconds, while the mean time for the group using V.R. was 23.21 seconds – less than half the time.

http://www.outerplaces.com/science/item/9154/virtual-reality-helps-bridge-the-gap-between-online-and-in-person-learning

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/t8B34fIpk_E/

Illinois Lawmakers OK Pilot Program To Replace Snow Days With Online Classes

by CBS Chicago

Snow days could become a thing of the past for Illinois students, under legislation passed by the Illinois General Assembly. The idea is to turn snow days – or days off school due to extreme cold, or heavy snow – into so-called “e-learning days.” Lawmakers have approved a three-year pilot plan to allow at least three school districts to provide online instruction on emergency days, which would not have to be made up later in the year. The Illinois House and Illinois Senate passed the measure last month, but have yet to send it to the governor.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/06/17/lawmakers-ok-pilot-program-to-replace-snow-days-with-online-classes/

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Raspberry Pi + iPad = countless maker possibilities

By Mike Amante, eSchool News

pi-ipadPart of the magic of the magic of the iPad are all the great apps that can turn them into so much more than a tablet. With the maker movement in schools in full force across the country, it seems like students everywhere are excited and interested in learning about programming, electronics, robotics, and more. When apps can help them make and learn, all the better. How can these two ideas be melded together to create a stellar learning experience? This is where the Raspberry Pi, a small credit card size computer that was created in England just a few years ago, comes in. The Raspberry Pi, which runs an open source Linux operating system, was created with the intention of teaching programming and computer science concepts to students. The beauty of the Pi is that you can plug it into a TV or monitor, add a keyboard, and you have a fully functional computer for under $40.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/06/08/raspberry-pi-ipad-136/

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Bill headed to governor would test e-learning on snow days

By Chris Dettro, State Journal Register

Snow days — those short, unexpected respites from school that students always hope for — could be shoveled away if Gov. Bruce Rauner signs a bill the Illinois legislature passed in the waning days of its spring session. House Bill 2781 would create a three-year pilot program giving up to three school districts the option of eliminating snow days in favor of online learning. “This is something that has been enacted in a number of states, mostly in the north, including Minnesota and Ohio,” said Ray Schroeder, vice chancellor for online learning University of Illinois Springfield. “Many states looking at how they can avoid tacking on snow days at the end of the year.”

http://www.sj-r.com/article/20150531/NEWS/150539908

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U of A Preps Classroom Spaces for Active Learning

By Michael Hart, Campus Technology

The University of Arizona is preparing for a massive initiative to implement active learning in several courses next fall. With a grant from the Association of American Universities, the Tucson, AZ campus is overhauling several classroom spaces to accommodate active learning in environments that will vary in size once the fall semester begins. Once construction that begins in May is completed, a classroom space in the Science-Engineering Library will have a capacity for 260 students while another in the Biological Sciences West building will accommodate 112 and two more in the Integrated Learning Center will provide room for 60 students each. A fifth space is being scouted as well.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/29/u-of-a-preps-classroom-spaces-for-active-learning.aspx

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7 Proven Strategies for Winning Ed Tech Grants

By John K. Waters, THE Journal

In this era of limited budgets, K-12 educators looking to add technology to their classrooms often have to find creative ways to pay for their projects. Fortunately, there has never been a wider range of ed tech funding sources. Joining the lineup of traditional federal, state and private foundation grants is a new generation of donor programs and contests. “Writing a grant” today can mean anything from stating your case in a Word document to producing a video or making a direct pitch on a Web site. Whatever the medium, it’s how you tell your story that sets you apart from the competition. Whether you’re writing a traditional grant, entering a contest or reaching out online to a potential benefactor, you’ll increase your chances of success by applying these seven strategies.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/03/26/7-proven-strategies-for-winning-ed-tech-grants.aspx

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