Libraries help promote lifelong learning

By Jessica Watts, Sudbury Star

What does lifelong learning mean to you? Some people I know were so happy to close their last textbook and write their final exam at university or college that they never wanted to take a ‘class’ ever again, while others look for opportunities to take part in workshops and seminars every chance they get. I would think most of us fall somewhere in the middle. Lifelong learning is defined as learning that is pursued throughout our lives that can include formal and informal opportunities. It might be done to foster improvement of knowledge and skills and for reasons that relate to both personal interest and employment needs. The Greater Sudbury Public Library has many lifelong learning opportunities available for people of all ages and interests. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a book, but these days there are also many ways to get inspired and foster continuous self-development online.

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/10/01/watts-libraries-help-promote-lifelong-learning

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32337

Georgia State Backed Up Analytics With Support System

by Jamaal Abdul-Alim, Diverse Ed

In short, the predictive analytics system at GSU is one that triggers an alert to advisers when students exhibit any one of the 800 risk factors that could derail the student’s academic success. Those risk factors can range from getting a mediocre grade in a prerequisite for one’s major to dropping a course mid-semester. “What we’ve found is the real challenge is not coming up with the data,” Renick said. “But once you have all these thousands of risk factors identified, do you have a system to take those alerts, put them into action and have mediation so that students can be helped?” The investment in 42 academic advisors resulted in an additional yearly cost of $2 million, but more than paid for itself because the increased retention rate meant more revenue for the school, Renick said.

http://diverseeducation.com/article/102425/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32327

Institutions turn to Snapchat to recruit new generation of students

by Patti Zarling, Education Dive

“We serve as the front door to the campus,” said Jena Richter Landers, a social media specialist and 2013 graduate of UWGB. “We try to reach the students where they are, and then more serious information comes through traditional methods.” UW-Green Bay’s snaps included fun photos from around campus, usually with the school’s Phoenix mascot, and messages ranging from “Welcome to the Phoenix family” to “We can’t wait to see you in fall.” Students often replied with an excited selfie or thank you text. “More students want an interpersonal feel, as in ‘I’m talking to you, you’re talking to me,’” said Katelyn Santy, UWGB student recruitment and enrollment coordinator. “That’s incredibly difficult for a large institute to achieve. This is one way to do that.”

http://www.educationdive.com/news/institutions-turn-to-snapchat-to-recruit-new-generation-of-students/504986/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=32317

Life in academic poverty as an underpaid university teacher

by Roslyn Fuller, Salon

As an adjunct, Ruth Wangerin is employed on a casual basis and earns somewhere between half and one-third of what a tenure-track professor would make for teaching the same courses. That is significant, because non-tenure track teaching staff – commonly referred to as adjuncts and contingent faculty – now make up approximately 70% of all teaching staff in American higher education. This means that roughly three out of every four courses a student takes are taught by someone without job security who is working on minimal pay. When Wangerin conducted a survey at the College of Staten Island, a CUNY-affiliated institution, she discovered that one-fifth of adjuncts had no health insurance and that half of all respondents were seeking full-time employment but were unable to attain it.

http://www.salon.com/2016/09/24/life-in-academic-poverty-as-an-underpaid-university-teacher-they-just-do-not-want-to-pay_partner/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18983

Say Good-bye to the Four-Year College Degree

by Joseph Williams, Take Part

The expectation that it will take four years of rigorous study for a student to go from freshman to graduate, give or take a semester off. However, a new report on college completion by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center indicates that less than half of all full-time college students at public universities earn their bachelor’s degree “on time,” with the majority finishing more than five years after they enroll. The rate of degree completion is even worse at community colleges, with just 5 percent of full-time students reaching graduation day within the expected two years. The study also concludes that the longer a student spends in college, the more likely he or she is to drop out before obtaining a degree.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/09/23/say-goodbye-four-year-college-degree

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18971

Record Interest in Icelandic

BY VALA HAFSTAD, Iceland Review

A record four hundred people have signed up for Icelandic as a second language at the University of Iceland this fall, RÚV reports. Enrollment in Icelandic as a second language has increased in recent semesters, and the university has not been able to meet the increased demand. The unversity’s online courses in Icelandic, icelandiconline.is, developed in 2010, have now been made available for smartphones, and a special online course has been created for immigrants. Many students are enrolled in Icelandic in winter, but summer classes are also very popular and fill up quickly. Every day, 400-600 people study Icelandic using their smartphones. Professor of Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir reports that the interest is not limited to Iceland. “There is also a lot of interest in Icelandic lessons, organized by the Sigurður Nordal Institution, at foreign universities.”

http://icelandreview.com/news/2016/09/26/record-interest-icelandic

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18995

Can online learning rise to the challenge?

By Charles McIntyre, EdTech

Two billion students will be learning English over the next decade, 80% of global companies say English is needed to succeed in their business and 55% of all websites are written in English. The English language is pervasive and the teaching of English is big business. Expenditure on English language learning is growing at twice the rate of spend on education more generally and by 2018 we expect global expenditure on English language learning to exceed $80bn, almost 4x more than the total spend on all the other languages put together. The challenge is how to deliver English language learning in an effective way. Language learning is a sophisticated skill that requires high levels of engagement and ideally a fully immersive experience. For example, it is not easy to replicate the outside world of multiple accents, different speeds of delivery and a wide range of vocabulary in a classroom.

http://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/can-online-learning-rise-to-the-challenge

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13974

4 ways MOOCs are changing professional development

By Sharon Florentine, CIO

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer an incredible value for enterprises looking to increase skills and knowledge within their workforce. What began in the realm of academia has evolved into a powerful platform for enterprise training, continuing education and professional development. The IT industry evolves at a break-neck pace, and organizations that aren’t committed to ongoing learning and education are at a distinct competitive disadvantage. But spending thousands — even millions – to send IT workers to lengthy training classes or even back to college for additional degrees just isn’t cost-effective or practical. “MOOCs and online learning are addressing three of the biggest obstacles to learning in the enterprise: the cost, inevitable technology obsolescence and accessibility,” says Ryan Corey, co-founder of online enterprise learning platform Cybrary.

http://www.cio.com/article/2986306/it-skills-training/4-ways-moocs-are-changing-professional-development.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13971

How to Kick Off Blended Learning (Hint: It’s Not Just About Tech)

by Elena Sanina Freddy Esparza, Mark Montero, EdSurge

“Quantity of devices and well-developed adaptive software is the key to a successful blended learning implementation,” said no one ever! What is key? Teacher appetite and readiness to rethink what is possible. Over the last four years, Aspire Public Schools has rolled out blended learning classrooms in 23 of its 38 schools in California and Tennessee. Along the way, we’ve learned some hard lessons about converting whole schools to station rotation blended learning models in short periods of time.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-09-28-how-to-kick-off-blended-learning-hint-it-s-not-just-about-tech

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13968

Online class gives high school students a taste of college

by Valorie Eversole, Daily Union Editor

Windsor High School seniors have a chance to learn what it’s like to take an online college class. This is the first year a college bound English literature course has been offered as an alternative to English 4 at the school. The course also frees students’ schedules so they make take another course. English instructor Shanna House has received training for instructing an online class. She said the students have received the online class well. The course requires independent work and projects and yet get the one-on-one feedback.

http://www.shelbyvilledailyunion.com/community/education/article_0cf8a914-48d2-11e4-a27c-dfbe357cbbca.html

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/IRfxBYy9-Jk/

Are you Ready for Online Learning?

by Arthur F. Kirk, Huffington Post

A question that prospective online students often ask us is “how do I know if I’m ready for an online course?” For adult students who may be juggling full-time jobs, families or other obligations the answer almost always involves time commitment. Online classes offer more flexibility, but flexibility does not mean less rigor. In fact, an online degree program can sometimes be more challenging than the traditional classroom. So, how do you know if you are a good candidate for an online class? Consider these 10 tips before enrolling.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-arthur-f-kirk-jr/are-you-ready-for-online-_b_5900886.html

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/HDOoC4R3Yes/

Online School: Is It Homeschooling?

by Kate Patrick, Heartland

Homeschooling has been around for centuries, but online school is a comparatively recent innovation. In the last decade, all kinds of online education options have popped up, providing homeschooling parents with more options than there are curriculum stands at a homeschool convention. From Christian online academies to state online schools to post-secondary classes, the avenues for homeschooling seem infinite. The new question is: Do online classes “count” as homeschooling? Some parents whose kids take online classes consider themselves homeschoolers, but others do not.

http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2014/09/30/online-school-it-homeschooling

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/HvqqgQbu40A/