Stanford invites faculty to customize new course evaluations

by Kathleen J. Sullivan, Stanford

The university has created a new course evaluation form that faculty members can customize by identifying the learning goals of the course and adding questions of their own. The deadline for faculty to customize course evaluations for autumn quarter is Nov. 13. The new course evaluations represent a significant change for Stanford because the questions – both standard and customized – are designed to elicit responses about the success of the course in promoting student learning. Previous course evaluation forms focused almost exclusively on the performance of the instructor.

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/october/new-course-evaluations-101615.html

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A new bill could make college textbooks more affordable

By Allison Pohle, Boston.com

Getting college students to do their readings isn’t only a struggle because of the subject matter — some students don’t do the readings because they can’t afford their textbooks. About 65 percent of college students skipped buying a textbook because it was too expensive, according to a 2014 survey from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. It’s no wonder why. The average college student spends about $1,200 on textbooks each year, but a new bill, titled the Affordable College Textbook Act, might change that. Introduced last week in the U.S. Senate, the bill would establish a grant program for universities to create textbooks that anyone could access online for free. The legislation “will help pressure the traditional college textbook market to come up with cheaper alternatives and innovations,” Dick Durbin, a U.S. senator from Illinois who is sponsoring the bill, said in a statement.

http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/new-bill-could-make-college-textbooks-more-affordable

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Tech Trends: Rise of the Robots

By Joshua Bolkan, Campus Technology

Gartner has released its top 10 strategic predictions for 2016 through the end of the decade. This year’s list highlights “smart” technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and the relationships of humans to machines. “The ‘robo’ trend, the emerging practicality of artificial intelligence, and the fact that enterprises and consumers are now embracing the advancement of these technologies is driving change,” said Daryl Plummer, vice president, distinguished analyst and Gartner fellow, in a prepared statement. “Gartner’s Top Predictions begin to separate us from the mere notion of technology adoption and to draw us more deeply into issues surrounding what it means to be human in a digital world.”

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/10/07/tech-trends-the-robots-are-coming.aspx

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Google Seeks Teachers to Pilot 3D Virtual Field Trips

By Dennis Pierce, THE Journal

Google Cardboard lets students experience a virtual excursion as an immersive, three-dimensional event. Google soon will be rolling out a new service, called Expeditions, that could take virtual field trips to a whole new level — and the company is accepting requests from educators to pilot the technology in their classrooms this year. Using Google’s Cardboard, a simple viewing device made out of folded cardboard, with an Android phone, students can experience a virtual excursion as an immersive, three-dimensional event. Reminiscent of the old stereoscopic View-Master devices introduced by Mattel in the late ’30s, Google Cardboard turns a smart phone into a cutting-edge virtual-reality viewer that gives an added dimension to virtual field trips.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2015/09/28/google-seeks-teachers-to-pilot-3d-virtual-field-trips.aspx

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Survey reveals why teachers aren’t embracing social media

By Laura Devaney, eSchoolNews

A new survey finds that just 13 percent of participating educators have used social media as part of their classroom learning. The University of Phoenix College of Education survey of 1,002 U.S. K-12 teachers found that 87 percent of those surveyed said they have not embraced social media platforms. Sixty-two percent of those surveyed said they are reluctant to use social media in the classroom, compared to 55 percent of participating educators in a 2013 survey.Fewer than half of teachers surveyed (44 percent) said they believe social media can enhance a student’s educational experiences. Lack of training could be to blame. Although 95 percent of surveyed educators said they have had training related to classroom technology integration, 62 percent said they had either minimal or no training around how to interact with students and parents through social media.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/09/25/social-media-teachers-052/

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An Online College That Credits Life Experience

by NANCY COOK, the Atlantic

West­ern Gov­ernors Uni­versity is one of nearly three dozen col­leges and pro­grams—non­profit and for-profit alike—that are try­ing a fledgling mod­el of school­ing known as com­pet­ency-based edu­ca­tion. Its core idea: Stu­dents fare bet­ter if they earn de­grees based on their demon­strated know­ledge of a sub­ject in­stead of simply on face-time or per­form­ance in a tra­di­tion­al classroom. “It ba­sic­ally means that we will meas­ure learn­ing rather than time,” says Robert W. Mend­en­hall, pres­id­ent of West­ern Gov­ernors Uni­versity. “Com­pet­ency-based learn­ing means stu­dents can learn at their own pace.”

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/the-online-college-that-credits-life-experience/406252/

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Arkansas online-only eVersity ready to enroll after just 18 months

By Aziza Musa, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The UA System board of trustees in March 2014 gave the go-ahead to start eVersity. At the time — and even now — the online market was a competitive one. And in the ring are some of the biggest for-profits, such as the University of Phoenix with its some 250,000 students, as well as the traditional brick-and-mortar universities going online, including Arizona State University with its nearly 83,400 students, 17 percent of which are online only. In Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education has allowed more than 100 distance education providers.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/sep/07/applications-to-open-tuesday-for-ua-s-o/?f=latest

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Robots tighten gap in distance learning

By KIRK PINHO, Crain’s Detroit

Christine Greenhow, assistant professor of counseling, educational psychology and special education at Michigan State University’s College of Education is bringing the concept of telecommuting to the academy using robotic technology. During a spring course in the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology Ph.D. program, 13 of 15 students participated using iPads affixed on top of either a stationary robot that swivels to interact with another student or a robot that moves around the classroom to do the same. Greenhow, who used the robot technology that was developed by the College of Educational Psychology and Special Education/College of Education Design Studio, said she saw the need for a virtual classroom after Ph.D. students taking most of their classes online “felt a sense of distance” between themselves and the teacher, as well as their fellow students. “Online and on-campus students recorded that when their colleagues were in robot form, each group felt more physically there.”

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20150830/NEWS/308309996/robots-tighten-gap-in-distance-learning

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E-Texts and the Future of the College Bookstore

By Rand Spiwak, Campus Technology

The acceptance and adoption of digital content in the classroom has been a slow, but, progressing evolution. Until all of the components of a successful conversion were available to higher education, adoption had been limited and digital content experiences less than desirable. Now, these components (interactive digital content, fully functional learning-experience platform software, hardware, connectivity and affordability) are readily available and are being piloted and implemented at increasing rates of acceptance and success. Students are demanding lower-cost alternatives to the current printed textbook and are seeking those alternatives through various means. Out of a hundred students, 50 percent or more don’t acquire a textbook because of cost, rather than availability; another 30 to 35 percent seek less expensive used textbooks from college bookstores, online sources, other students or anywhere they find a source.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/08/26/e-texts-and-the-future-of-the-college-bookstore.aspx

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Should I tell my boss I’m getting an online MBA?

By: Sarah Collins, Crain’s Chicago Business Journal

Kate Drane, a senior director at Indiegogo, told her previous employer about her grad school plans in order to get partial tuition reimbursement. A few jobs ago, I found myself surrounded by people with an MBA. A digital strategist with a journalism background, I needed to learn some business buzzwords—and fast. Glomming onto a big name, I chose the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania’s series of MOOCs, or massive open online courses, targeted toward first-year business school students. The courses, which combine video lectures from the school’s professors with quizzes and message boards, were free unless I wanted to cough up roughly $100 for a completion certificate. Ultimately, experts say, telling your manager or not will hinge on your experiences with the company—and the manager. “For me, I was lucky that I had a really supportive company,” Drane says. “It was really clear that I had higher aspirations. So I just kept framing it as this is how it will relate to my work.”

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150822/ISSUE01/308229999/help-should-i-tell-my-boss-im-getting-an-online-mba

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Inquiry-based science platform lets students conduct investigations

by eSchool News

Van Andel Education Institute (VAEI) has launched a new scientific inquiry platform, called NexGen Inquiry — which guides students through the scientific method and lets them conduct investigations and journal their progress. Released in preparation for the 2015-16 school year, NexGen Inquiry includes an interactive teaching and learning platform that supports existing curriculum, integrated teacher professional development, a teacher community and a resource library. Built by teachers for teachers, NexGen Inquiry is the result of more than a decade of work with students and science educators at the Van Andel Education Institute Science Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/08/10/inquiry-based-science-562/

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How to Teach Students to Evaluate the Quality of Online Information

By Leigh Ann Whittle, Edudemic

The volume of information available on the Internet is astounding, and it just keeps growing. Business intelligence company DOMO estimates that 571 new websites are created every minute. With that amount of information, it can be difficult for students to separate the gems from the garbage. Julie Coiro, associate professor of education at the University of Rhode Island,says author and publication type are of limited importance to students, and if they do examine these elements, they can’t explain why they chose certain websites. Coiro suggests strategies to help students to effectively evaluate what they see on the Internet, practice refuting what is on the Internet, and cross-check claims. In other words, becoming critical consumers of online material means more than just viewing a website. It requires knowing what qualifies as quality content and how to judge what is good material and what is not.

http://www.edudemic.com/teach-students-evaluate-information/

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The Chief Privacy Officer in Higher Education

by Valerie M. Vogel

This article includes a wealth of information about how some members of the Higher Education Chief Privacy Officers group perceive their role, their concerns about privacy, and their expectations for the future of privacy officers in higher education.

http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/chief-privacy-officer-higher-education

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Moving Course Apps from Traditional to Media-Rich, Interactive Designs

By Mary Grush with Phil Ice and Melissa Layne, Campus Technology

At the American Public University System, the success of a project to update the Internet Learning Journal — a peer-reviewed scholarly journal focused on research and advancements in online learning — with rich media and interactive elements has inspired a new initiative: APUS is building out state-of-the-art course applications to accompany the traditional LMS-based courses that serve more than 100,000 APUS students. CT asked Phil Ice, VP of Research and Development and Melissa Layne, Director of Research Methodology and Executive Editor of ILJ about the initiative.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/07/28/moving-course-apps-from-traditional-to-media-rich-interactive-designs.aspx

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Hacking Diversity

By Kristin Majcher, Technology Review

Anyone with Internet access and a computer can learn how to write a few lines of code these days. Free tutorials and information from sites like Codecademy, which has been used by more than 25 million people, offer widespread access to instruction. They might even be able to break down barriers for groups traditionally underrepresented in technology, including women, blacks, and Hispanics. This open-access model does seem to help—Codecademy says 34 percent of its users are women, for example, nearly double the percentage of female graduates from university computer science programs in the United States.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/539111/hacking-diversity/

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What Google’s virtual field trips look like in the classroom

By Stephen Noonoo, eSchool News

Google Expeditions are field trips with a virtual reality twist – google-expeditions. Last spring, Hector Camacho guided his high school economics class on comprehensive tours of the New York Stock Exchange, Federal Reserve banks, and the Treasury Building. Students swept their eyes up countless Neoclassical columns before heading inside for a detailed look — all without leaving the library of their Mountain View, California school. The catch? Students were plugged into Google’s latest virtual reality creation — Expeditions, which creates immersive, 360-degree tours out of a cardboard viewer and a smartphone.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/07/23/google-expeditions-class-599/

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Making use of alternative credentials

by Sybil Pressprich, the State Journal

Credentials are as important as ever in applying for a job, but nowadays there are more kinds to choose from. Along with job experience and traditional education, today’s job-seekers have alternative methods of showing that they’ve mastered a skill. For example, they can earn a digital badge, enroll in a massive open online course or complete a certificate program. Do employers take these new-style credentials seriously? It may depend on how you present them in your application materials and interview. Given the right approach, they can help convince an employer that you’re the right person for the job. Here’s how three types of alternative credentials can be useful to a job-seeker:

http://host.madison.com/business/career-corner-making-use-of-alternative-credentials/article_e3237020-ca26-5026-bdd8-12d2ab4b51cd.html

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Technology helps level playing field for special ed

By Paige Allen and Emily O’Donnell, SUN CHRONICLE

It turns out special education isn’t just for special education students. And, it seems there’s an app for almost everything and everyone. When Kim Janssen talks about how Attleboro schools use technology to teach students with disabilities, for example, she refers to something called “universal design.” Janssen, the assistive technology coordinator for Attleboro schools, said universal design is a concept that recognizes the wide range of human ability, taking into account physical, perceptual and cognitive disabilities, as well as body types. She said designers use it to create products and methods that are beneficial for everyone.

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/attleboro/technology-helps-level-playing-field-for-special-ed-students/article_c1670737-cf2b-5a02-8855-c5e42ee8cc66.html

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Telepresence Robots Attend Campus Tours, Classes and More at Oral Roberts U

By John K. Waters, Campus Technology

A growing number of colleges and universities have been experimenting with emerging virtual reality technologies, such as the Oculus Rift, and the virtual campus tour is emerging as a potential use case. But for the Information Technology Department at Oral Roberts University, the promise of the virtual tour pales in comparison with the potential of real-time, streaming, mobile telepresence tech. “Virtual reality presents too much of a learning curve,” said Michael Mathews, chief information officer at ORU. “The telepresence robot, on the other hand, is essentially just standard Web conferencing, but through an iPad mounted on a Segway. People just naturally get it. Students pick it up in minutes, and faculty don’t have to go to special training sessions or feel embarrassed about their level of expertise, because the students are the ones controlling it.”

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/07/01/telepresence-robots-attend-campus-tours-and-more-at-oral-roberts-u.aspx

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Teachers learn gardening basics in UGA class

By LEE SHEARER, Online Athens

Thirty schoolteachers learned the basics of gardening on the University of Georgia campus Thursday, but they had more in mind than backyard tomatoes. Their students will be the beneficiaries, explained MaryLauren Schroeder and Laura Ward, teachers at Athens’ St. Joseph Catholic school and two of those who came out in the blistering heat at the university’s UGArden on South Milledge Avenue. Like others in the group, they’re planning a garden at their school next year — the one at St. Joseph will involve children from pre-K, where Schroeder teaches, all the way up to Ward at the eighth-grade level.

http://onlineathens.com/mobile/2015-06-26/teachers-learn-gardening-basics-uga-class

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