Smartwatches Overtake Fitness Trackers

By Joshua Bolkan, THE Journal

Shipments of wearable devices continued to improve in the second quarter of 2017, showing a 10.3 percent improvement over the same period last year, according to a new report from International Data Corp. (IDC). The quarter saw 26.3 million shipments and was also the first period in which basic wearables — those that do not run third-party apps — saw a decline with negative 0.9 percent growth year over year. Smartwatches, on the other hand, saw strong growth at 60.9 percent. “The transition towards more intelligent and feature-filled wearables is in full swing,” said Jitesh Ubrani senior research analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers, in a prepared statement.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/09/01/smartwatches-overtake-fitness-trackers.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=31731

International High School Students Represent Opportunity

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

According to the report, most of the international students attending high school in this country ultimately expect to enroll in higher education here as well and view their U.S. studies as a leg up on gaining acceptance to the colleges and universities they want to attend. The thinking among families of international students is that the experiences they have of learning in U.S. classrooms, the immersion they receive in English-language instruction and the adjustment they get to American life prior to college “can ease the transition of international students moving from U.S. high schools to higher education.” The largest group of students holding F-1 visas — 78 percent — come from one area of the globe: East Asia. In particular, students from China dominate, making up 58 percent of all international high school students, followed by a smaller number coming from South Korea (7 percent).

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/09/05/international-high-school-students-represent-post-secondary-opportunity.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=31716

High school students increasingly opting for online classes

by Amanda Bohman, Fairbanks News-Miner

Alexandra Johnston-Carnes had trouble fitting gym class into her schedule last spring so she decided to try something new, eLearning. The Hutchison High School senior took gym class in a computer lab with other students taking other eLearning classes.  She said it involved more book work than a teacher-led gym class. Johnston-Carnes exercised at home, choosing her own activities, and kept a log.  “It was definitely new and interesting,” she said. She signed up for another eLearning class this term. 

http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/high-school-students-increasingly-opting-for-online-classes/article_4f312540-9604-11e7-86ee-ef9ce0709cd3.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=31706

Faculty recommend new syllabi section on course hours

by Sera Royal, GW Hatchet

Students this semester have noticed a new section on their syllabi: the minimum number of hours they are expected to spend on coursework in and out of class. As the University begins its reaccreditation process, officials have been working on adhering to the requirements set by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the agency that accredits GW. One of the requirements is proving that a course adheres to the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of a course hour, which includes the specific number of hours students are expected to spend in and out of class. “They are also a reminder to faculty about how much work they should expect of their students.” Csellar said what constitutes a course hour has changed as new types of courses, like online courses, increase in popularity. Accrediting bodies are more likely to request documentation of the ways in which a university’s courses follow the course hour definition, she said.

http://www.gwhatchet.com/2016/09/12/faculty-recommend-new-syllabi-section-on-course-hours/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18311

Big data transforms an e-learning business, doubling staff productivity.

By Stacy Collett, Computerworld

When CPL Online opened for business in 2010, it offered 20,000 interactive online courses on food safety, health and safety, fire awareness and call centers. That number grew to 35,000 courses in 2011 and exploded to 160,000 by 2012. When its SQL platform couldn’t keep up anymore, CPL seized the opportunity to transform its business and deployed the HPCC Systems platform, a high-performance big data analytics system from LexisNexis Risk Solutions. CPL’s HPCC deployment uses data to track user trends, spot suspicious activity (to help root out cheaters) and identify the best-performing employees. Heat mapping shows how users work their way through every mouse-click of a course and helps CPL Online improve engagement and content.

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3117255/data-analytics/cpl-online.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18296

Underground Papers courses offered

By Pineandlakes Echo Journal

The Underground Papers, a student-run newspaper registered with the National Scholastic Press Association (offering scholarship opportunities to writers), is a unique online newspaper for youth that also can be enjoyed all ages. The course is formatted for online learning/homeschool families, but can be used by anyone. The course is set up in modules, six lessons at a time. Join anytime; lessons can be adjusted to fit schedules. Students can participate in one, a couple or all of the modules.

http://www.pineandlakes.com/news/4112924-underground-papers-courses-offered

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18281

Should education tenets adapt to online?

By Jeremy Cunningham, eCampus News

Technology is driving dramatic transformation in writing and publication. The production of content is growing exponentially. In addition, rate of publication is faster than ever. Being the first to say something is vital to ensure being heard. Grammar and style is valued less; sourcing is valued less. Furthermore, unique content is still important, but commentary and opinion have risen to prominence. Articles are a more collaborative process than in the past. Pieces will have multiple authors bouncing ideas off several other formal and informal works. This changes composition at its core. Recently, my institution was looking to update a composition course. It was already offered online, so the format reflected that. As I was updating the course, I added a lesson where students learn how to use online review tools to peer edit. With these tools, students can send papers to one another, mark and respond to them, and then return the paper. I was excited to add this lesson and felt it really engaged the students in the idea of online writing and editing.

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13813

The app that lets you create Khan Academy-style videos in 60 seconds

By Peter West, eSchoolNews

Blended learning and flipped learning just got a whole lot easier. Anyone can now create learning resources for students in little more time that is required for a normal explanation of a topic. Recording solutions to math problems — almost as quick as solving the problem on paper. Highlighting important text, and explaining concepts along the way — a breeze. Sketching, labelling and explaining diagrams with audio annotation — child’s play. Providing personal feedback on a student’s work — super simple. Taking a photograph of anything – an art work, an experiment, a building – and then drawing on it while explaining concepts — quick and easy.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/09/10/app-snip-khan-402/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13808

Colleges rethink the math students need

By Katherine Long, The Seattle Times

More than any other subject, math trips up students who might otherwise thrive in college, especially those who don’t plan to go into technical careers that require proficiency with numbers. Failing the state’s math test keeps hundreds of students from graduating from high school each year, even when they’ve met every other requirement. Math is the reason why half of Washington’s high school students who enter community college must take remedial classes — which few ever pass, even after years of struggle. A lot of effort has gone into thinking — and arguing — about how best to teach math, hoping to keep it from being such a barrier to higher education. But the math problem also has caused leaders of Washington’s community colleges to ask a fundamental question: How much math, and what kind, should be required for a student to earn a college degree? Their answer, increasingly, is that there is no one answer.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/colleges-rethink-math-642/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13810

As Online Classes Take Off at Community Colleges, Battle Brews Over Local Control

by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, California Report

A proposal to make it easier for students to take online community college classes offered by any California campus is running into opposition from local faculty. As students seek classes to accommodate busy schedules and campuses look to expand without constructing new buildings, virtual courses have been multiplying in the state’s massive community college system. The latest idea from Sacramento would create one portal for community college online classes and establish phone and online support for students, regardless of which campus offers the courses.

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201409090850/d

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/c-c_xuy7oiE/

Online education company edX offering free high school courses

By Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe

The online-learning collaborative edX, a partnership between Harvard University and MIT, is expanding its reach beyond higher education and will begin offering courses geared toward high school students. The 26 high school courses were created by 14 institutions — including MIT, Georgetown and Rice universities, the University of California Berkeley, Boston University, Wellesley College, and Weston Public High School. The online classes, available to anyone in the world, will cover such subjects as computer science, calculus, geometry, algebra, English, physics, biology, chemistry, Spanish, French, history, statistics, and psychology.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/09/09/online-education-company-edx-expanding-offer-free-courses-aimed-high-school-students/wWdR6XQakRKIxAhaH580ZP/story.html

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/8jkUpImFqug/

8 simple tools for creating engaging infographics

By Kelly Maher, eSchool News

Information graphics, also known as infographics, provide a way to express complex data, ideas, or other information graphically. Human beings are visual and adept at identifying patterns and trends quickly. Therefore, infographics often aid our understanding of otherwise dense, multifaceted, or complicated material. Anyone can use infographics to further their understanding of a topic, and you can also create your own for use in teaching or presentations. Here are some infographics generators to consider the next time you need to teach a difficult concept or illustrate intricate information.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/09/08/tools-engaging-infographics-298/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/47yW9m9rpPA/