Why Online Courses Are Still Unpopular Among Professors

By Henry Kronk, e-Learning Inside
Instructors may be fond of reminding their students that the right attitude leads to success. But their attitudes towards eLearning has, by and large, remained downright icy. This week, a study published by Inside Higher Ed and Gallup found that only 33% of professors believe that for-credit online courses could match an in-person learning environment. For every professor willing to bring their course online, there’s another who remains ambivalent and another who opposes doing so. The good news, however, is that the tides are changing. Just one year ago, the number of teachers who disagreed that an online setting could ever match in-person tutelage sat at 55%. This year that number dropped to 35%, while the numbers of those who both agreed and remained neutral rose.

https://news.elearninginside.com/online-courses-still-unpopular-among-professors/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33327

WHAT DO I NEED FOR MY MAKERSPACE?

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Advocate

If you’re an advocate for interactive learning, or your students thrive with hands-on activities, a makerspace is a great way to keep students engaged. A makerspace is a collaborative work space for learning through physically creating different items. From 3D printers to Legos and cardboard, makerspaces come in all shapes, themes, and levels of sophistication. Makerspaces are tech-optional, but many makerspaces – especially in an era where technology is considered the currency for our educational and professional world – include the latest technological tools.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/what-do-i-need-for-my-makerspace/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33317

Blockchain Can Solve Disputes Using the Ultimate Jury Pool

By Frank Ohlhorst, RT Insights

Jury.Online bills itself as “the future of dispute resolution,” and may very well be exactly that. Founded by a team of Blockchain experts, and built on the Ethereum Blockchain, Jury.Online is designed to bring smart contracts to fruition and establish a methodology where deal-related disputes can be solved by expert judges. In essence, the platform works by helping to broker an agreement by two counterparties looking to make a deal (see video linked below).  If the deal cannot be completed, resulting in a dispute, Jury.Online incorporates the tools for the deal to be reviewed by a panel of semi-anonymous jurors.A decentralized digital dispute resolution system can solve such problems, removing the risk from international deals and establishing a relationship that is backed by incorruptible technologies. What’s more, it becomes possible for smaller deals to take place, helping businesses to grow beyond their physical borders. Smart contracts also bring other benefits to the table, allowing deals to be created that support milestone payments, multilateral contracts, pledge and collateral services. All of which are in high demand in with modern businesses.

https://www.rtinsights.com/blockchain-can-solve-disputes-using-the-ultimate-jury-pool/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=33297

How artificial intelligence could shape higher education

by Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

The Washington Post reports on the surge of artificial intelligence in a variety of industries and how the rise of robots could dramatically impact higher education in the near future. More than 80% of experts believe computers with artificial intelligence will be able to process information and react on the level of human beings by the year 2040, which will mean reduced jobs and a reduction in the need for higher education for a large percentage of the population. According to Northeastern President Joseph Aoun, bootcamps teaching specific coding and programming knowledge could be the future of education, as fewer jobs in a range of industries will be available outside of programming and designing artificial intelligence.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/how-artificial-intelligence-could-shape-higher-education/429290/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=19957

What do recruiters think of online degrees?

By Sophie Edwads, DevEx

For some recruiters, online degrees are part of the education evolution made possible by advances in technology, and which brick and mortar institutions are vying to keep up with. This is the view of Gary Lazor, talent acquisition manager at SSG Advisors, who said he is positive about distance learning courses as long as they come from “accredited” schools. “In our industry we owe it to our donors to validate the credentials of the staff we are hiring,” he said. In the development sector, where nowadays nearly everyone needs a master’s or some form of higher education, it is often more feasible for staff to take online courses, he said. Taking classes online offers the flexibility to keep working as opposed to taking out two years midcareer to attend classes, he said. Furthermore, Lazor said the ability to hold down a job while studying shows “good discipline” and the ability to balance one’s time effectively, and so could improve a candidate’s chances of getting hired.

https://www.devex.com/news/what-do-recruiters-think-of-online-degrees-88918

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=19981

Clarion Online Student Finds Success as a Marine and Adult Learner

by Clarion

Christopher Blaze and his family celebrate his graduation from Clarion University. For one adult learner, choosing Clarion Online was a way to further his education while serving his country as a Marine. Throughout his 12-year military career, Christopher Blaze has been stationed at many exotic locations around the world including Camp Pendleton, California, Iwakuni, Japan, Parris Island, South Carolina, Twentynine Palms, California, Fort Wood, Missouri, and Silverdale Washington, with stops in Iraq and Afghanistan in between.

http://www.clarion.edu/news/2016/october/clarion-online-student-finds-success-as-a-marine-and-adult-learner.html

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=20001

Pupils learn poorly when using most computer programs

by Science Daily from Lund University

“In a pilot study, we examined the top 100 apps within math and Swedish, and barely half of them could be considered digital learning tools according to our standards, only 17% of which provided some sort of informative feedback. Some were so bad that we, as researchers, would never even consider to test them in class,” says Björn Sjödén. One example is the computer program to teach parts of speech, where illiterate 5 year olds do better than those who can read. A 5 year old who quickly guesses multiple times performs better than someone who tries to read and spell correctly. “Probably more than 90% of the learning tools available online are simply test tools. They provide no explanatory information in addition to the correct answer. The pupils often compete against time, but not towards greater understanding,” says cognitive scientist Björn Sjödén.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151026112057.htm

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14224

Udacity, Online School From Google X Founder, Crosses Milestone After Switching Direction

By Mark Bergen, Re/Code

Udacity now concentrates on “nanodegrees,” certificates from its online courses that are transferable to big-name tech companies. Udacity announced it has graduated 1,000 students from the program. Why did Sebastian Thrun give up on self-driving cars and Google Glass, which he once led, for the messy, political world of education? It was “a calling,” he told Re/code in an interview earlier this year. Perhaps, also, the minds behind the economic shift toward artificial intelligence know best the technical skills it will demand, and the job displacement it will bring. “I direct my work not towards what I’m best at, but where there’s impact,” Thrun said. “If you can build a self-driving car, that’s great. But if you can teach people to build a self-driving car, that’s even better.”

http://recode.net/2015/10/30/udacity-online-school-from-google-x-founder-crosses-milestone-after-switching-direction/

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14221

Ohio Online Learning Program Adopts New Virtual Curricula

By Michael Hart, THE Journal

The Ohio Online Learning Program is teaming up with a private partner to deliver its primary source of digital curriculum. The program, provided by the Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County, supplies virtual learning options to school districts throughout the state. The program selected Apex Learning to provide materials and virtual education options to more than 5,000 students in grades 7-12 this school year in every school district in Ohio. The available courses include those required for graduation, credit recovery, advanced placement and electives such as career and technical education and foreign languages.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2015/10/28/ohio-online-learning-program-adopts-new-virtual-curricula.aspx

Share on Facebook

from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14218

Penn Course Requires Students ‘Waste Time’ Online To Earn College Credit

by CBS

Most people waste hours on the internet anyway, but a new course at Penn is encouraging students to do it – for credit. Aptly-named “Wasting time on the Internet,” the real-life course will be offered by the Ivy League school’s English department during the upcoming spring 2015 semester.

And if you were wondering what students will, um, DO in the class – which is apparently a requirement for those majoring in creative writing – you don’t have to veer far from the course title to figure it out. “Students will be required to stare at the screen for three hours, only interacting through chat rooms, bots, social media and listservs.” Sounds…stimulating. Of course, Penn probably wouldn’t let students off the hook that easily. It seems there is some reading and discussion involved.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/10/28/penn-course-requires-students-waste-time-online-to-earn-college-credit/

Share on Facebook



from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/o_FLEm2vkdI/

Online learning: No location is too unusual for students

by MATT SYMONDS, the Independent (Ireland)

Especially if you’re working on an oil rig off the coast of Abu Dhabi. This was the case for Ehimare Josiah, an assistant driller based in the United Arab Emirates, who spends alternate fortnights drilling into the ocean on board a rig. Now working towards an online MBA, he is one of many studying online in far-flung corners of the world. “I decided to develop myself in my area of specialisation to aid my fast progression,” Josiah says, “I needed an academic opportunity to help formalise my years of technical experience into a managerial role for operations.” Having applied to Aberdeen Business School (ABS) at Robert Gordon University, Josiah is an MBA oil and management student, studying online while offshore on rig Marawwah. But Debi Stephens’ reason for studying online is so she doesn’t have to leave her seven children at home. Stephens is a student at Robert J. Trulaske Sr College of Business at the University of Missouri on the executive MBA, three-quarters of which is studied online.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/further/online-learning-no-location-is-too-unusual-for-students-9823507.html

Share on Facebook



from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/9Xfbt8Iz8z0/

Gov. Cuomo’s commission on ed-tech spending recommends more online learning

by Sarah Darville, Chalkbeat

The panel’s recommendations are generic, and include expanding the use of tablets and interactive whiteboards, providing schools with high-speed broadband, and increasing students’ access to “blended learning” programs that combine online and in-person teaching. The report also notes that districts will need to plan useful teacher training sessions and set clear goals if they decide to spend money on expensive devices. “Even the best-laid plans will run into hiccups along the way, and the most successful school districts will be the ones who are able to adjust their technology plans along the way,” the report says.

http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2014/10/27/gov-cuomos-commission-on-ed-tech-spending-recommends-more-online-learning/

Share on Facebook



from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/73x7FEtNA3k/

Students learning more with mix of online, traditional classroom learning

By Katie Hetrick, Press & Guide

Blended learning is a broad term used to cover any mix of online and in class learning, said Troy Patterson, Dearborn’s coordinator of media and informational technology. “This becomes a different way of doing something,” Patterson said. Blended learning provides advantages in how students can get and process information, but also presents challenges because it requires more time for teachers to set up initially and hardware both at school and in a student’s home. “I understand it’s extra work for the teachers, but hopefully it will pay benefits in the end,” said Trustee Aimee Schoelles. She likes visiting teacher blogs to keep track of what homework her children need to do.

http://www.pressandguide.com/articles/2013/10/30/news/doc5270f024644bc885702974.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Share on Facebook



from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/VV52h77peAc/

Is Technology the Great Educational Leveller?

By Diarmuid Mallon, ZD Net

Technology seems to be living up to its reputation as ‘the great leveller.’ Not only because it connects people to one another and gives us better access to information and education, but also because there is such a demand for it. Everywhere. Take Battushig Myanganbayar of Ulan Bator, Mongolia, who achieved a perfect score in M.I.T.’s first Massive Open Online Course, Circuits and Electronics in June 2012, when he was 15. The New York Times did a story on Myanganbayar in September of this year. People will learn, even teach themselves, if they have access to information and tools. Technology may not be the panacea for worldwide literacy and education, but it is certainly improving access, bringing it to people and places that haven’t had it before.

http://www.zdnet.com/uk/is-technology-the-great-educational-leveller-7000022554/

Share on Facebook



from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/6mNwIWjmMM8/

Should Pennsylvania invest in sustaining or disruptive classrooms?

by Heather Staker, Christensen Institute

Meanwhile, as sustaining, hybrid models of blended learning bring changes to traditional classrooms, a more fundamental transformation is taking place as the result of disruptive models of blended learning. These models, which include the Flex, A La Carte, and Enriched Virtual models, are replacing traditional classrooms with something entirely different. In many cases schools are literally tearing down walls to create wide open learning spaces. Online learning is the backbone of student learning, and the teacher role shifts to that of a guide and mentor. One rule of thumb is that if you can’t figure out where the front of the classroom is, it’s probably a disruptive model. Disruptive models tend to arise among students whose alternative is nothing. They are the credit recovery labs, dropout centers, and A La Carte online courses in high school e-learning lounges that students are experiencing across Pennsylvania. One example of a disruptive implementation that is getting broad recognition is the Quakertown Community School District, which opened the Infinity Cyber Academy to offer A La Carte online courses. The district is in the process of rebuilding its high school with a large, open, cyber café to facilitate online coursework. The model is not a hybrid, as evidenced by the fact that it has very little in common with the traditional classroom.

http://www.christenseninstitute.org/should-pennsylvania-invest-in-sustaining-or-disruptive-classrooms/

Share on Facebook



from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/0f1zE1U1n5k/